Chapter 1 Iysabelle

“I am going to scream.” I tell my best friend, Mari. “These damn checks are just gonna make me blow something up.”

The fae guards are doing another school check to see if any of us girls are the fated “one” of the Fae Beast. No one calls him that to his face but that is what he’s become. A killing beast. I could never deal with him. That’s why I need to stay calm and keep my glamour on. Just like mom taught me. “Elindia,” someone calls. I don’t know who so I just stand there.

Then Mari taps my shoulder, “Belle, honey, it’s your turn. Please come back to me.” I know she means it as a joke but I can hear the pleading undertones. She really does want me to come back.

I head into the exam room and freeze. In the room is not the usual female fae who examines the girls but the real life Fae King. “No,” I whisper and I know he can sense the glamour. “No, dammit, no! This wasn’t supposed to happen.” I back up till I’m against the door, trying to put as muck space as possible between me and King Aaron.

He’s just sitting casually, staring at me. Trying to assess my every move. “Drop the glamour.” His voice is silky and feels like a warm hug. I shudder.

“What glamour?” I decide to play innocent, maybe that will get me out of this.

Then a crippling pain surges through me and I feel the glamour being taken off of me almost as of I was being skinned. After all, the glamour was my second skin. From the day that I learnt I could glamour I had mine up so no one would know about my ears. I drop to the ground, the pain being to much to stand. I need a shield, some way to stop the King from killing me where I sit. For once my magic listens to me and the pain stops, a pulsing purple shield surrounds me. I pant from the exertion but manage to keep the shield up.

The king is smirking. “Why hello, bride. How did you manage to hide from me for so long?” I put my hand up to feel my ears and they are my natural pointed ones.

“Fuck.” That’s all I say. It’s all I need to. I turn to leave the exam room, to leave that terrifying monster behind again, but he has frozen my feet in place. “Dammit! Let me go! I am a seventeen year old girl, what the hell do you want from me?”

“Watch your language, Elindia. And what I want from you is simple. I want you to live with me for one year. If you want to leave after the year is up you are perfectly able.” He comes closer, and reaches his hand up, it comes within a hairsbrush of my cheek, close enough I can feel the heat but not quite touching me. I flinch.

“My name is not Elindia. My name is Belle. And why would you think I would willingly live with a murderer for a year? For all I know you’ll kill me before the year’s up.”

“Your name is Elindia Iysabelle Venatores. No where in that name does it say you are Belle. And I need you, why would I kill you?” His remarks are sound but I still don’t trust him. “Well, I suppose we should announce the news. I bet you’ll be glad to know you saved quite a few lives today. If I hadn’t found you I might have just killed my guards.”

“B-but, aren’t Fae immortal?” I curse at myself for stuttering and showing weakness. I clear my throat, “Oh and Aaron, if you call me Elindia again I will personally rip out your throat. Whether you die or not I don’t care. Just don’t ever say that name again!”

“Ok, Iysabelle, but don’t call me Aaron. You may call me “my king” or “your magesty” got it?” I nod. I hate that I love how he says my name. He says it like my mother used to. Before he had her murdered for taking care of me in secret and not reporting my existence. That bastard needs to die.

We exit the exam room and everyone gasps. Mari’s eyes are filled with tears, mirroring my own. Guess I’m not as strong as I thought. Tears run down my cheeks as I look at my friends and classmates. Moreover I think about what Samuel will think. He was always so protective of me. We walk outside of the school building and I catch eyes with Samuel.

Samuel lunges forward as to grab me, to pull me away from this monster, but two of his upperclassman hold him back. “Belle! No! Iysabelle, you can’t go with him!” His every word makes me cry harder. I want to run to him. To throw my arms around his neck and to tell him to get me out of this nightmare.

“Sam, Samuel, I’m so sorry. I know what I promised you. Sorry I couldn’t keep my promise, I tried. He’s just to strong.” Aaron’s hand grips my shoulder and steers me away from the man that became my big brother since my mom died. Sam was the one person who knew that I was the one the king wanted. He used to have to come into my room nightly because my nightmares were so bad. He was the one who understood even what I couldn’t.

Aaron’s words break me out of the memories, “Who was that boy?” I want to say he’s not a boy he’s a man, but I suppose to a fae all of us are children.

“Samuel is my big brother. He was the one person who truly cared about me after my mother died.” I leave out the part where he’s not my blood brother but my adopted one. Not that anyone would know from looking. We look similar enough to pass as siblings.

“I’m sorry.” The king says as we enter the car. I don’t even care anymore. Has the king really stripped me so bare that I can’t have the capability to feel. To be able to sob like I want to. “Well, Iysabelle, we are headed to your new home.

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