Preyuna stood at the edge of the cliff. She smiled as Mark Caten’s car reached the end of the winding driveway.
It sped down the road leading to town. Her smile grew as that car shrank into the distance. “At last. This is my chance.”
She closed her eyes and visualized the distance between her current location at Mark Caten’s mansion and her castle. Her wings fluttered at the sight of those beautiful arches — silver light in shimmering gold frames. “Home…”
Preyuna mentally compressed them. It should have been an easy enough thing. Mentally push the arches together and boom! Instant teleportation home. But the arches failed to compress. They kept popping out of order.
No matter how hard she tried, she could not get them to stay in alignment. She kept trying and trying and trying. But each try was a fail.
****
Preyuna’s thoughts lingered on that memory, but she said nothing about it. Nor did she say anything about the multiple failures after that one.
****
Preyuna sat on her bed. She looked down at her open hands, but all she saw was those arches repeatedly popping out of order. “No matter how hard I try, I can’t do it. Whether he’s here or not, I can’t teleport.” She shuddered. “If he can take that away from me, what else can he do? What else will I lose?”
What have I gotten myself into?
****
Preyuna walked down the hallway and Eschia followed her.
Neither of them said a word. Preyuna, however, thought about her eventual understanding that he would never grant her a reprieve.
****
Mark Caten gave her an incredulous look. “I’m sorry, but what?”
Preyuna stood her ground. “I would like to be granted the freedom to—-”
He raised his hand in a halt signal. “NO. No. No. No. Don’t even finish that silly thought of yours.” He lowered his hand. “It’s not worth it.”
“But if you aren’t even here—”
“Hahahahahahahahaha! Ahhh, my sweet, sweet suet cupcake. It doesn’t matter if I’m here or not. You’re mine.”
Mark Caten said it so calmly. Preyuna almost thought she’d misheard him.
“And, because you’re mine, you will stay here whether I am here or not.”
She opened her mouth to object.
“You will stay. Hahahahahaha! After all, if I let you leave, you won’t come back.”
“But…that isn’t fair. That was NOT part of our agreement!”
He leaned back in his leather chair. “This conversation is becoming quite tedious.”
“Mark, please. I’ll come back. I promise I will come back. I will keep my promise.”
He opened his desk drawer and pulled out his nail file. “Maybe you will. Maybe you won’t. I will not take any chances. Sorry, not sorry.” He filed his nails as if the conversation was done and over with.
****
Preyuna turned the first corner and strode past the front door. “There will always be invisible chains binding me to Mark Caten’s mansion.” she said to Eschia. “I can’t leave. I can’t go home. I can’t go to town. I can’t even teleport to my own room.”
Eschia managed to keep pace with her.
“I hate being trapped.” Preyuna made it to the next corner in a matter of small minutes. “And no one will help me break free.” She turned the corner. “It’s maddening. I thought for sure that—” She killed that sentence before she could accidently reveal too much.
“That what, Your Majesty?”
“Never mind. It’s inconsequential. If you don’t mind, I want to check on Isellta.”
Eschia smiled. “I don’t mind, Your Majesty.”
“Good.”
ambroseandelsie 