Chapter 30: Chapter 30

Roses & Kings Series Book 1: Poison RoseWords: 5530

REYNA

It had been two days since Jakos was killed, and I still couldn’t go to the dungeon. Guilt wouldn’t let me, even though I had access to the dungeon whenever I went for training.

But I didn’t.

In these two days, I’d barely understood anything from the lessons. Chloe and the girls were more excited about the training, considering we were all closer to graduation.

Right now, I was watching the girls practice with each other. They were all at different levels of intimacy.

For whatever reason, I was the only one who was allowed to touch the men. Me, Sabrina, and the other Rose trainer, Elise. Now, it was just the two of them.

I hadn’t tried to touch either man since that first time. I’d always wanted to ask why the girls were not allowed to touch the men, or why I was not allowed to touch the girls—not that I wanted to.

But I hadn’t gotten the chance, and right now I didn’t care to know.

The girls kissed and touched each other the way they’d been taught. Thinking about it now, I couldn’t remember ever making any kind of body contact with any of them.

Which was weird as hell. With everything that was going on, skin was bound to accidentally touch.

But no, it never did. For one, they were always careful around me, and they were always wearing their gloves.

So maybe the problem lay with me. They didn’t seem to have a problem practicing with each other, touching and kissing each other.

Though they did all the things we’d been taught to do with each other, except having sex. This, however, didn’t mean the girls were interested or involved with each other, though I wouldn’t blame them if they were.

To them, it was purely training.

I watched as Olivia sucked on Chloe’s nipple while she rolled the other with deft fingers. Chloe arched her back in ecstasy, clutching Olivia to her.

The young witch then released the pink nipple and went back to kissing Chloe again. Selena had her tongue between Dani’s legs, licking her while Dani writhed sensually.

Sometimes, we even practiced with a fake penis, which Sabrina told us was called a dildo. I didn’t even bat an eye when Sabrina later joined, playing with John and explaining more about sex to us.

I was grateful to her. She was more lenient than I had first thought.

Since the incident with John, I’d only been learning through visuals. I knew if my mother knew she was letting me off, we’d probably both be in trouble.

But then maybe she did. Considering Cassandra wouldn’t appreciate being kept in the dark. Especially about her daughter’s affairs.

To me, the lessons weren’t as interesting as they used to be. All I wanted was to see my beast, but I was afraid.

I was scared that I would see hate in eyes that used to stare at me with so much adoration. But I could only delay my urges so far.

I’d missed him terribly, missed talking to him. Missed asking him questions about his race and the world in general.

On the third day, I literally felt like I was sick. My heart ached, and I felt like I’d been beaten up.

We’d just finished our lessons. Sabrina had dismissed us, and we were walking out of the Roses’ quarters—me, Olivia, and the others.

As always, I pretended to leave, since the girls were with me. I couldn’t hide in my hiding spot and wait for John and Sabrina to finish fucking, as I suspected they wanted to do, or were doing.

Most of the girls didn’t live in the castle; they lived in the village. We all said our byes before we parted ways outside the village hall.

I had to make sure they were all gone before I turned around and raced back inside the village hall. Fortunately, when I told Olivia that I’d forgotten my dagger back in the hall, she didn’t offer to wait for me as she sometimes did.

It didn’t take long before Sabrina and John also left, holding hands. I’d long been suspicious of their relationship.

I thought they were in love, which was probably a beautiful thing anywhere but in Marlenia. Here, love might get them in deep trouble if they were ever found out.

I prayed for their sake Cassandra never found out. I liked them and wished they could find a way to be together forever.

I lit the candle I always carried to light my way and walked through the tunnel to the dungeon. There was no sound, no growling, nothing when I arrived at the dungeon.

No “Kitten” uttered in that deep, guttural voice that always made me wet.

I wondered if Casvan was sleeping. Then I remembered what Cassandra had said days ago: he was to be interrogated.

In other words, tortured—by none other than Dr. Elizabeth, who was a scalpel-happy witch, as I had come to learn.

My stomach sank with dread. Horrible images of Dr. Elizabeth digging her scalpel deep inside my beast’s stomach came to my mind, but I quickly squashed them.

I rushed to the barred iron of his cell. I instantly exhaled, relieved that he was here—not with Lisa or Elizabeth, getting tortured.

“I didn’t take you for a lazy beast, you know. I’m leaving if you don’t wake up,” I teased, waiting for his familiar growl, but unfortunately, it never came.

I banged the barred door of his cell, but he didn’t move. Fear clogged my throat as horrible thoughts pierced my head.

I stood deliberating what I should do. I stretched my hand through the bars and lit his prone body with my candle.

There was something black on the cobblestones. I squinted my eyes, and they instantly widened when I realized what I had thought was black was actually dark red.

~It was blood! A lot of it.~