chapter 4

The days passed by at an agonisingly slow pace, one of pure torture, I wanted nothing more than to be free of the silver chains that bound me to the wall of the windowless cell. I wanted to scream and cry, beg my master to let me loose, I wanted to escape his grasp and be free. I wanted to be like the humans who worked in this place, they were paid for their work, they had a home they could go to, they could leave. Whilst I could not.

I was forever trapped here because of a bargain I had no part in, my fate chosen for me long before I took my first breath. I jumped when the distant crackle of magic, blasted around me. He was on his way, my master was coming to see if I would obey.

Balthazar appeared to my left before I could take another breath, his towering frame closing in on me, blocking out anything else in the room.

“Annalise, you look terrible.” He scorned, he had always hated when he disciplined us for a long time.

He hated the stench of rotten wolf, of those who soil themselves when their is no other choice. That is what I was right now, covered in my own sweat and urine. I was afraid and trembling from constant pain, so unfortunately for me, I had forgotten the smell, it had become one with my mind.

“I’m sorry master.” I whisper in response, not knowing what else I could possibly say in my defence?

He would simply say ‘it is your fault for disobeying’ then I would spend another day perhaps longer chained with silver like an animal. I wanted to be free, but the only time I could ever be close to that feeling was on a full moon.

“I will let you out if you swear to me that your behaviour will change, little wolf.” My master uttered, a small smile cornering his lips. “I want to hear no more of your wolf being free, or your mind. Do you understand!?”

“Yes master.” I chimed, my voice low as a slaves should be. “I understand.”

“It is the full moon tonight, if you can assure me you will stay within the permitted territories I will allow this night.” Balthazar smiled softly, something that is rare from my warlock master.

He has never been a emotional type, unless he was expressing his anger against a wrong doing, but I knew he had to have something on the line, he needed me to go on this run for some reason. Perhaps it is because I am more docile after my night of freedom, or perhaps he believes that this mercy will force me to submit to his earlier command. The notion wasn’t entirely lost on me, and I would more than likely be willing to agree after tonight.

“I can assure you that I will not bend any rule tonight, master.” I whisper my response, my voice soft and careful.

Don’t stir the dragons riches if you want to make if out alive, or at least that’s what my mother always said. If you want something from a master you have to be careful and show them that they have a hold over you. No matter if you are lying.

But, that was not the case now, if I left the perimeter I was certain I would end up back in this room, chained to the wall and subdued by silver; and that was something I wished to avoid more than anything. So tonight, when the moon rises, I will be on my best behaviour. I will obey my masters commands.

“Very good.” He sang, his voice a pitch higher than usual. “Let me release you then.”

Balthazar waved his hand and a blue electric shot from it, causing me to jump slightly, though it wasn’t meant to harm me; instead it snapped the cuffs around my wrists, and for the first time in god only knows how many days, the pain subsided. I let out a quiet sigh of relief, refusing to look at the damage I knew was there. The skin had melted away from my wrists and left red bloody welts, ones that would take months to heal. Silver and wolfsbane severely damaged my kind, making it harder for us to heal at our normal pace.

I stood slowly and on shaking legs, unsure how long I would be able to hold myself up as I waited for my master to give his next command and take me from this dreaded room. I wanted nothing more than to never see this place again, though I knew that was unlikely, he loves to hold this place over us, over all the slaves. It was his own brand of torture. One meant to keep us tightly in line.

Most of the time it worked, we would all do anything to avoid time here, but it wasn’t always possible for me, not with my big mouth and stubborn nature. Nyx didn’t help as she growled within me, wishing to be leg loose so she could destroy to demon in front of us. But even if she somehow managed such a thing, we’d never make it out of here alive. She was brute and I was brain.

Though sometimes she wins and I lose, I try my best to keep her inside unless it’s a full moon; this is her night as well as mine. A caged wolf is never a happy one, and no matter how many times I tell her, she won’t submit to a master. She’s insistent that she could make everyone bow to her. She doesn’t need a master when she could be one herself.

Balthazar reached out his hand seconds before everything went black and instantly I knew he was transporting us out of the room, my relief clear in the way my shoulders dropped. And perhaps, if he’s feeling generous he’d take us to the kitchen so I could eat.

I opened my eyes when the familiar zap of magic dissipated, my mind a little disoriented from the strange way of travelling. I looked around noticing that we were in Balthazar’s private dining hall, the table lined with all kinds of food.

“You’ll eat here with me.” Was all he said as he took a seat and began filling his plate.

I watched in shock, unsure what I was meant to do, I had never eaten in his presence before, I don’t think that any slave had. I looked around one last time, waiting for a guard to come and whip me. But when none came I took a seat, timidly filling my plate and picking at the food.

“Thank you master, this is very generous of you.” I murmured, though he gave no indication that he had heard me.