NovelEnglishChapter 0690 Enzo I scrambled to my feet, my palms scraping on the icy stone floor. The swirling portal had vanished, abandoningalone in this strange place. Smooth obsidian walls surrounded me, broken only by a high, domed ceiling. There were no visible doors or windows in the expansive circular room.
Except, I wasn't alone. As I looked up, I saw them: the audience.
With growing unease, I slowly turned, taking in the faces that started atfrom perches high above. Shadowy figures lurked around the room's perimeter, partially obscured by tall black pillars.
I inhaled sharply. The scents of multiple animals-but something more, something... wrong. These weren't just animals. They were shifters.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtMila smiled, baring a row of teeth that locked all too white in this dark place.
"Welcome, my subjects!" she called out theatrically, her voice booming and echoing through the high ceilings. "We have a very special guest tonight... my new mate!" The word echoed mockingly in my head. Mate? Revulsion and fury chumed in my stomach as the implications sank in. I already had a mate, and even if I didn't, I would certainly never choose Mila.
"Like hell!" I snarled. But she merely chuckled again.
Suddenly, the creatures around us shifted. Birds, cats, reptiles, animals I couldn't even recognize, turned into a sea of very 'human' faces. Their eyes glowed as they looked down athungrily, their mouths agape and their teeth bared.
And then they spoke.
"All hail the queen and her mate!" the people cheered.
A cold sweat began to take over me, and the hairs on the back of my neck began to raise. This didn't make sense. I knew that there were different species of shifters out there, but there were a lot of them here. Way more than I knew existed, and all in one place, no less.
"Yes, worship your queen!" Mila cried out gleefully, holding her arms outstretched over her head, while I looked on in disgusted shock. The people prostrated themselves, bowing to her as if she was their sick, twisted goddess. How was this possible? Mila, the tear doctor of a hockey team, was ssort of barbarian queen? Where even was I? Was I even above ground? Was I in the human realm, or the supernatural realm? Was I in any realm at all, or was I hurtling through space? Just then, furious drums and pipes suddenly echoed from nowhere and everywhere at once. The misshapen congregation of people swayed and chanted to the hypnotic rhythms.
"Mate... mate... mate..." I felt as if I was going to vomit. "No!" I growled, straining against the silver ropes still holdingin agony. We had to get away from here! Abruptly, Mila rose, and the music stopped. In the ringing silence she called out, "The claiming ceremony will occur at dawn!" More ear-shattering shrieks and squeals and cries as the crowd cheered. "For now, let us feast!" Before I could react, two hulking guards grabbed my arms, their hands crushing my flesh. I thrashed desperately against them, but the silver rope that they suddenly thrust around my neck madeyell out in searing pain, my limbs going weak.
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They hauledaway while Mila's terrible gaze bore into me. "Enjoyn your accommodations, my love," she cboed: "We have an eternity to spend together after tomorrow."
Her maniacal laugh followedinto the dark tunnel. The guards carrieddown, down countless stairs, their relentless grips bruising my skin. Finally, we emerged into a dungeon- like room lined with cells. Rough hands suddenly flunginto them, and I hit the floor hard. The sound of the doors slamming shut was deafening.
Dazed, I peered around my prison. A simple bed. A wash tub in one corner. No windows, one metal door.
And not a fleck of anything but silver surrounding me. Escape was impossible.
For hours I battered against the silver bars, all to no avail. Every tI m touched them, my skin seared from ΝΟ the silver that was wrought within the iron. Iron and silver, strength and magic. I was trapped.
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