Inevitably Yours

QUINN

“They didn’t hurt you, did they?” Michael questioned. He looked so scared, and he was naked. He must have shifted and torn his shirt and shorts.

“No, M. I’m okay, but I really need you to listen,” I hissed. Footsteps sounded on the walkway, and I looked up to see a female walking toward us. She had a small bowl in her hands. Michael and I watched her silently approach. She gently offered me the dish; I took it, and she nodded before turning to go back the way she came. When she was out of earshot, I turned my attention back to Michael.

“I passed the first test, but that is the least of our problems….” I told him.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Tell me,” he said. I ran down everything that had just occurred, including meeting the Moon Goddess. “F**k…” he sighed as I finished.

I looked down at the food I still held. It looked like lumpy stew. “It’s not too bad. You should eat it. We don’t have much choice …” Michael said. I realized there were no utensils. They were treating us like animals.

“I will in a minute. It’s not getting warmer,” I sighed. “I’m so sorry. We might never go home now. I didn’t know what the test was, so I didn’t know how to show them I’m not a threat.”

“It’s okay, he said. “I probably didn’t make things better by shifting. I just lost control.”

“I don’t know what the next test will be, but I have to figure out how to fail,” I told him. He nodded.

“I still can’t believe you can see,” he said. “I forgot what your face looks like without glasses, really.”

“I wish I could touch you,” I told him honestly. His face darkened. “The Goddess said I’m powerful, but I just don’t get it. I’ll figure out how to fail so we can go home. I’ll get us back to our babies.”

“Whatever happens, we have each other right now, and that is what is important,” Michael said.

I could see it on his face, he was worried, but he didn’t want to admit it. My stomach was in knots. I hoped I didn’t doom us.

–

The sun finally went down, and the night came. The temperature, thankfully, didn’t drop. Michael pushed me to eat the weird food they gave us, and it was barely palatable. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to take care of me even though we were separated or if he was too upset about our situation. When he thought I was asleep, he finally sat back against the far wall of his stall. I found him in the same spot later, just watching the door.

The night lasted much longer than I thought it should. When the sun came again, the same female Fae returned with food and water in bowls for us. Being fed in such a way was demeaning, but it reinforced our position with them. I was scared of what was going to happen now that I inadvertently showed them I had powers. Would the trials be worse?

An entire other never-ending day passed with no sign of Arathorn for this next test. My stomach started to ache from hunger. Even after choking down the small amount of food they gave us, I was still hungry. Michael didn’t talk much, just watched my stall from his.

The more time went by, the more anxious I got. Sapphire wasn’t coping well either. She was afraid we would never see Eros again at this rate. So many things were eating at me that I wasn’t sure how I could survive if this was what our lives became.

Night came again. I wondered how this place’s time worked. It was clearly different than home. I tried to make myself comfortable on the little straw bed, telling myself I would go insane if I didn’t get some sleep. My stomach growled painfully at me, demanding food.

After a while, my eyes began to droop. After only a day and a half, the faint sounds of the horses moving and whinnying had become somewhat soothing. In some small way, it helped me feel less alone without Michael by my side. But when the horses got louder, my body came to attention.

I stood and went to the stall door, trying to see what was happening. The light was dim, so it was hard to make out much. Michael also stood, coming to his door. The horses continued getting riled up closer to us, and finally, I realized Arathorn was walking toward us.

“Oh good, I do not need to wake you,” he said plainly. He looked fractionally grumpier than he did during our first few encounters. As he got closer, I realized he had something in his hands.

He came to a stop in between our stalls. First, he looked at me, and suddenly, I felt self-conscious about how I looked. It had been too long since I could comb my hair or brush my teeth. I was positive there was straw stuck to me too. Then he looked at Michael.

“I guess I shouldn’t expect much from a dog,” Arathorn said dismissively. I knew he had to be talking about the fact that Michael’s clothes were in shreds. He tossed something at him. “Put it on.”

I tried to see around Arathorn, but he was blocking my view. “Why should I?” Michael said venomously.

“You won’t go before the King in that manner of indecency. If you wish to join the one you claim for this, then you will put it on,” he answered. My heart jumped at Arathorn’s words. I didn’t have to do it alone this time.

“M,” I spoke up. Arathorn turned slowly, giving me a chance to look at Michael. His eyes softened when he looked at me. He held a simple piece of cloth in his hands. He squared his shoulders and started tying it around his waist. With it tied, it fell to mid-thigh on him, covering the important parts at least. The tattoos on his back would be painfully visible.

“Good boy,” Arathorn said condescendingly. “Now, for this.” He held up something in his hand. It looked like a collar.

“Wh-what’s that?” I stuttered.

“Your impressive showing at the first trial has caused a necessity for some additional provisions,” he said. “Be a good pet, and this will go painlessly.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked at Michael. His eyes were dark as he stared at the thing in Arathorn’s hand. “If I refuse?” I asked.

“Like all other lame or unbreakable animals, we may find a use for your body or feed it to something else,” Arathorn said.

It felt like ice was sliding down my spine. I swallowed hard. They really weren’t giving us any choices. I tried to take a deep breath, but it was difficult. I nodded, trying to school my features. He approached the door and opened it. I stood still and closed my eyes, hating every second of this. I prayed Michael wouldn’t snap this time; I needed him with me if I would survive this humiliation.

The collar was uncomfortable around my neck. Arathorn stepped back, and I opened my eyes slowly, trying to meet his. His expression was exceptionally neutral. “Stay,” he drawled. He turned back to Michael. “You are just as much of a concern after your display as well.”

Arathorn opened Michael’s door as well, and somehow he refrained from attacking him. Arathorn tied Michael’s hands like he had on our arrival in this place. I wanted to scream; I wanted to take his place. I knew trying anything would just get my mate put back in the stall and separated from me again.

Arathorn turned and looked at me. Then, he stepped aside. I looked at Michael and hesitated for only a brief second before lurching for him. He raised his arms as I collided with his bare chest, bringing them down to trap me against him. A rogue tear escaped my eye.

“Don’t cry, Blue. Don’t give them a reason to think they are breaking you,” he whispered quietly in my ear before kissing the side of my head. I just shook my head at him.

“Ahem,” Arathorn cleared his throat. Michael looked at him, and I knew it wasn’t a pleasant look. Slowly, he raised his arms, and I begrudgingly let go of him. I instantly regretted it. “Come.”

He gently tugged at the ropes attached to us both, making us follow him. I tried to hold onto M as we started walking, but he looked down at me and shook his head. He didn’t think it was a good idea. I held my hands in front of me, feeling miserable. As we walked, he continually brushed against me, and the small amount of contact was comforting but not enough.

I didn’t pay much attention to where Arathorn led us. It didn’t matter. I just wanted to fail their stupid tests and go home. Who knows how long it had been in our world? I wanted to make sure my pups were okay.

Michael nudged me, and I looked up to see we were entering a garden. A giant fountain sat at the center, emitting a soft glow. The water looked like it was sparkling as it sprang from the top and fell back down to the pool below. There were flower beds all around us sporting all manner of colorful flowers, illuminated by small orbs. I had been able to feel magic all around since we arrived, but it felt like this place was bursting with it.

Arathorn led us around the fountain, where we found the King on another opulent throne, flanked by the other Fae. Some of them looked at us smugly, but the King continued to have an uninterested expression on his face. I tried to inch closer to Michael, who was stiff next to me.

“Proceed,” the King droned. Arathorn turned and approached me. He undid the rope, leaving the collar on me. I tried to catch his gaze, but he avoided it.

He motioned for me to step in front of the fountain with him, facing away from the King. I looked over my shoulder at Michael, who was watching but not moving. I wanted him in my head.

I turned back to Arathorn as he spoke, “Fill the fountain.”

I blinked a few times, trying to make sure I heard him right. “Fill the fountain? What does that mean.”

“We are here to test your mana manipulation-”

“Arathorn!” the King cut him off. The corner of his mouth twitched into the slightest smirk before he turned back to the King.

“Apologies, your majesty. I forgot myself,” he said. His tone was cool, and there was something unwritten there.

“Give her the task. No more, no less,” he said. Arathorn turned back to me and repeated his original instructions.

I looked back at Michael whose eyes were softly glowing blue back at me, then to the fountain in front of me. “Well, if I am supposed to fill the fountain, then I just pretend I’m doing something, and when it doesn’t fill, I fail, right?” I asked Sapphire.

“What if it’s a trick like the first task?” she worried. “What if it’s rigged so that you shouldn’t be able to fill it or something?”

“What did he mean by mana manipulation? What’s mana?” I asked her, worrying she might be right.

“Is it magic?” she offered.

“Why can’t I just talk to M? He would help me figure this out,” I cried silently. I looked down into the glowing water. It was beautiful, even with my wrinkled reflection coming back at me. There was so much magic all around. I wondered if that was what the test was meant for.

“Get on with it,” someone called from behind me. It wasn’t the King but one of the others here to witness this. I felt stupid and nervous; my stomach felt like it was eating itself alive.

“Just do anything. We don’t want them to hurt Michael,” Sapphire said.

“Why would they do that?” I asked.

“Why didn’t they let him come the first time?” she questioned.

I swallowed hard and slowly bent to dip my fingers into the glowing water. As my fingertips broke the cool water, it felt like something was being channeled into me. I inhaled sharply, surprised by the feeling. It was pleasant and soothing. My hunger started to subside.

“No, don’t take in the magic! This is the trick!” Sapphire said. “Push it back!”

“Are you sure?” I asked her. The ache around my heart for Michael started to ease a little. Sapphire was panicking, but somehow I didn’t think I was doing the wrong thing. I tried to visualize the feeling, tried to see what was causing this. I could picture every single flower and plant in the garden, but they weren’t a picture. Every image was made up of hundreds and thousands of specks that seemed to each glow on their own. Was this the magic?

“No, but yes! Push it away!” Sapphire pleaded.

I opened my eyes and looked at the water. The glow was dimming like my touching the water was killing it. I focused on the water and cool temperature, willing whatever magic was in me to go into the water, pushing away those specks of light. I dipped my other hand in, reaching for the bottom of the pool. There were murmurs around me as the light coming from the water began to brighten.

“Enough,” called the King finally.

Arathorn pulled me straight by my elbow. “See, your majesty. She has failed,” he said. Again, there was something in his tone that I couldn’t quite place. I looked between the two, trying to figure out what I was missing.

“She was given the answer! If she has powerful enough manipulation, she can reverse the fountain’s properties,” someone called out.

“It is clearly glowing. Whatever mana she possesses was drawn away. She cannot control it,” another argued.

“The orb was blue. Brilliantly blue! We haven’t seen such pure power in hundreds of years!” someone else argued.

The King raised his hands, stopping the discussion. I looked at Michael, terrified I had just made things worse for us. They wouldn’t take him away or hurt him, would they? He didn’t have magic, but maybe they would do it to punish me.

“Arathorn, do I need to remind you of your duty to this throne?” he said calmly.

“No, your majesty,” Arathorn said with a bow of his head.

The King rolled his eyes as Arathorn rose to meet his gaze again. “I have no choice but to declare the results of this trial inconclusive,” he announced. Arathorn nodded and turned to me, reattaching the rope to the collar. He pushed me back to stand next to my mate. Before we could be led away, the King spoke again. “I suggest you do not try to impede the happenings of this court again, Arathorn. And Fae dog? If you value your life, you should take these tests seriously.”

That cold feeling returned. Arathorn pulled at our ropes, leading us away. The further we got from the light of the fountain, the colder I felt. I was certain I just made everything even worse.