chapter 1

"Get your f*** hands off me!” Screamed Selina, thrashing and kicking in every direction as her mortal enemy’s henchmen took her prisoner. She had been setting up a plan for months to kill the great grandson of the evil sorcerer who cursed her family. Her family and his family had fought this battle for generations, and Selina took it upon herself to continue the fight. Caught red-handed and totally thrown, she attempted to jump out the window but was caught by the foot and dragged back inside, placed in chains, and blindfolded.

The henchmen, just vaguely human shaped and made up of mostly shadows, smirked as they brought her into the dark dungeon and threw her behind the metal bars before slamming the gate closed. Selina sat on the floor and began to cry while slowly removing her blindfold. All her life, she’d trained to stop this family’s bloodline with her own two hands. She got inside intel from one of the henchmen in disguise, tricking her into believing him as he told her the layout of the building. When she entered through a sky light, she found out she’d been deceived. Her entire world came crashing down around her as she realized she’d never see the light of day again. She had no family left, and her obsession with killing off the rest of her enemies drove the people close to her away. No one would miss her...

~

Selina woke up to the sound of footsteps coming down the dungeon stairs. She quickly backed herself against the cold stone wall, snarling as her greatest enemy came closer and closer. He held a tall lit candle up to his face to reveal himself. She felt a shock through her spine as she gazed upon his flawless, dewy dark skin and piercing blue eyes. She didn’t expect him to be so handsome... She felt her heart pounding as he neared her cage and she grabbed the fabric of her top in an effort to stop it.

“The great granddaughter of my family’s mortal enemy. Hm...” His smooth voice glided like silk across the air into Selina’s ears. “You’re certainly hot-tempered. My henchmen here said you put up quite the fight.” He took a step closer to the bars to get a better look at her face. Her face was pink and puffy from her tears, but he had never seen such beautiful hair and strong body. He admired her well-muscled form and golden skin and took it as a sign of good health running in her family. “You’ve put in the work and now you’re here. I take it you’re disappointed... I learned one of my henchmen had fooled you with a fake tip,” He grabbed hold of the bars with one hand. “I would hate to let your burning soul go to waste. How about we strike a deal. We will have a battle in the courtyard. If you win, you can go free. But if I win...” He paused for a second to raise his chin and look at her through the corner of his eye. “You will stay here with me, forever.”

Selina’s fear took a backseat as her confidence rose. She smirked and turned her head to the side to reveal her neck. I’ve trained all my life to kill this guy... I can’t waste this opportunity! She said inwardly. Selina shook herself off and approached the bars, sticking her right forearm through the grates to shake his hand. “I accept. But don’t think this will be easy!”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” he responded, a small grin forming on his lips.

~

In the courtyard, a few henchmen stood watch as maids and other staff peered through the windows of the dark, ominous-looking castle. The young sorcerer and Selina stood at opposite ends of the courtyard, preparing for their fight. Selina was not magic user. Going up against a sorcerer with such an impressive lineage would be difficult, and required all the strength, knowledge, and wit she had.

A henchman stood near the middle of the courtyard and marked the beginning of the battle. Selina and the young sorcerer stood across from each other, each sizing the other up. Selina had been taking in her surroundings since the moment her blindfold came off and knew the exact moves she would make to counter his.

Suddenly, the young sorcerer began chanting in the Old Language and the wind whipped up around him. Selina waited for an opening... she spotted one, and ran with it. She dashed forward in a zig zag pattern as the sorcerer threw lightning bolts at her feet, attempting to anticipate her movements. They exploded into the ground and threw rubble in each direction. She swiftly dodged each one, narrowly avoiding being electrocuted as she slipped a sharp piece of rubble into her back pocket.

The sorcerer smirked at her nimble footing and summoned a giant wave to crash upon her. This ends now! He thought arrogantly as the roar of the ocean filled his ears and created a shockwave through the earth as it hit the cobblestone.

He looked to where she stood before the wave came crashing down- Where is she?! He started to panic. He was immediately struck with the full force of the wave coming from underground as she was rocketed towards him by the force of the water. She landed an uppercut right on his jaw, sending him flying backwards and crashing into the courtyard fountain.

“Sir!” His henchmen gasped and began to run towards him. The young sorcerer raised his hand as he began to get up. “It’s okay-” Selina jetted towards him and struck him in the head with the piece of rubble she grabbed earlier. She instantly jumped back as he tried to grab her. He shakily stood up, his legs wobbling and his head bleeding. “Looks like I underestimated you,” He panted as he raised his hand to his head wound. “I won’t be going easy on you anymore.”

Selina furrowed her brow. This meant she’d need to take it up several notches! The sorcerer again began chanting the Old Language, but his demeanor was different this time. He had a mild arrogance before, but now it felt like he was taking her seriously. She buckled down and prepared herself for his next move.

His blood slowly retracted into his head wound, which disappeared- he was healing himself. All that work I did, undone with a few words... what a d*** head! She thought angrily and clenched her fists. He continued chanting, and a green light began emanating from the cobblestone. A giant glowing, green, translucent hand grew from the ground behind the sorcerer and began to arch over him. Selina threw her rock at it to check its properties- the rock went straight through. Suddenly, the hand slapped down onto the cobblestone, crushing the ground beneath it and sending Selina flying. Immediately, she got up and ran as the green hand chased her around the courtyard, destroying everything it touched. Selina began to panic. She’d never seen anything like this before! He was way stronger than she anticipated!

The green hand was catching up with her. It swooped down and grabbed her in its fist effortlessly, squeezing just enough to cause Selina to lose her breath. Panting and gasping, she slowly lost consciousness.

~

Selina woke up in a soft, comfortable bed, buried underneath a beautifully patterned quilt. She immediately sat up and looked around. The young sorcerer was sitting in the corner, peacefully reading his tome. He looked up at her and put the tome down on a side table and gazed at her. Her breath became ragged as her eyes filled up with tears. She was no longer a free woman...

She tried to tear away from restraints that weren’t there and threw herself off the bed. “What...? You didn’t tie me up?” She asked, astonished. “No, of course not. Why would I do such a silly thing?” The sorcerer crossed his legs and tapped the side table. “I’m not interested in torturing you. Do you really think I’d allow you such a comfortable bed if I were to do something like that?”

Selina sat on the floor and thought about it. “I guess not.” She heard a rustling outside of the window and looked up. A henchman peered inside. “Everything okay in there, boss?”

“Yes, yes. Everything’s fine. Our guest fell out of bed, is all!” responded the young sorcerer. He looked down at Selina, who had stood up and brushed herself off. I suppose every entrance is guarded... she thought hopelessly. In the presence of such a powerful sorcerer, she was a mere plaything to be tossed aside. Her lost hope resigned her to giving up trying to get revenge and accepting her fate.

“So, mortal enemy of my great grandfather. What is your name?” He waved his hand, causing a quill and paper to appear and begin taking notes. Selina swallowed hard. “What are you going to do with my name if I let you have it?” He chuckled. “I’m not going to harm you; I just want to know what my guest’s name is.”

“Selina,” she said after withholding for a moment. Her stomach began to growl hungrily. It had been at least 6 hours since she had broken in to the place and her body had had enough for today. Plus, it was between 4 and 5 in the morning...

“Selina,” he repeated, cementing it in his mind. The way her name rolled off his tongue gave her shivers. ”My name is Cian. I inherited this castle from my late father. I’m glad he’s gone, because it gave me the opportunity to make a few changes. Why don’t you come with me?” He stood up and beckoned her to follow.
~
(Will be updating soon!!!)