Serpent's Touch (Serpent's Touch 1)

“But what if I offered you something better? Much, much better.” His soft voice filtered through the wooden walls like a warm breeze from another world, coaxing and tempting.

There was danger in its seduction.

I shouldn’t listen.

Nor should I reply.

I should turn around and run, but I asked, “How?”

“I can take you to my father’s palace. At my side, you’ll always have peace and respect. No one will hurt you ever again. I’ll take care of you for as long as you live. You’ll want for nothing. In Ellohi, you’ll have both fun and security. I can give you a new life, Amira.”

I listened to his voice, luring and mesmerizing. But his promises sounded like little more than a rustle of leaves in the wind—soothing, but fleeting. For Kyllen to take me to Lorsan, he needed to be free himself.

“All of it is impossible, Kyllen.”

He shifted inside the crate, and I realized one sound had been missing throughout this conversation—the sound of rattling chains.

Had Kyllen freed himself from his restraints? But how?

“Oh, it’s very possible, Amira, my dear human friend.” The voice continued to tempt, sweet and tender like a lover’s. “You need some courage to change your life, but you are strong and courageous.”

Strong and courageous? Me? That was a lie.

“I…” I tried to protest.

But he wouldn’t let me say a word. “Look at how far you’ve come already, how brave you have been by taking care of me.”

I had defied Madame’s orders, hadn’t I? I’d broken the rules and continued breaking them daily. I wished to be brave…

The footfalls of a brack passing by stole my voice and made me shrink further into the shadows behind the crate.

So much for being brave. Every sound scared me. I wished to be strong, but my actions had consequences. If I were discovered…

Chill ran down my back. All it would take was a brack or Madame catching me speaking to Kyllen. I dreaded to think what she would do to me then, what she’d do to Radax…

“I have to go.” I scrambled to my feet.

It was time for me to leave, anyway. Madame had several shows for her VIP clients scheduled every day. She served them food and a special drink that I had to prepare from the ingredients she gave me.

This was my reality.

Kyllen’s beautiful tree palace was literally in another world. And to me, it would never be anything more than a dream.

“Wait,” Kyllen stopped me. “I have a present for you.”

“For me?” I paused with a rush of surprise. Other than a cupcake for my birthday from Radax each year, I never got any presents.

“Step back from the crate,” Kyllen warned. “Make sure you’re not looking inside.”

I took a step backward as instructed, but kept my eyes on the opening in the roof of the crate.

A hand slid through the bars, holding something. The hand had four fingers and a thumb, just like mine. His skin was lighter on the palm, deep tan with a faint tint of green. The color darkened over his knuckles and on top of his fingers, with a mesh pattern of tiny, elongated diamonds—similar to the designs on a snake’s skin. It looked almost black in the muted light inside the tent.

His hand fit easily through the bars, with no metal cuff around his wrist to stop it. He released his fingers that looked both strong and elegant, leaving a small object on top of the crate.

“I made this for you.” The hand disappeared back into the crate.

The object shimmered. It appeared to move, illuminated by the strings of lights above.

I didn’t get presents. If someone saw me with this one, there’d be questions. I shouldn’t touch it. I should just leave.

But curiosity got the best of me. I stepped closer and quickly snatched Kyllen’s offering, as if it would disappear if I lingered.

It was a dragonfly. Beautiful and fantastical, it appeared real at the same time. Its iridescent blue-and-green wings moved, trembling delicately, as if the magical creature was about to take off and fly away. Its shimmering glow spread over my palm where I held it.

“It’s for your hair,” Kyllen explained. “Do you like it?”

I realized it was a barrette, with the clip on the bottom. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Even the most elaborate hair accessories from Madame’s collection lacked the lifelike tenderness of this one.

I stared at it, speechless.

“You do have hair?” Kyllen asked, concern in his voice. “Most humans do, I believe. But maybe I should’ve asked you first.”

I smiled. “Yes. I have hair, Kyllen.” I fingered my long, dark braid, most of its length tucked inside my scarf and hoodie. “Lots of it, actually.”

“Good.” He sighed in relief.

“You made this. It’s amazing.” The dragonfly looked more beautiful than any I’d seen in nature, yet it seemed alive.

“I promised to show you what my magic can do. Here it is.” He sounded pleased with my delight.

The barrette was a true miracle, and Kyllen made it from all those loose bolts, beads, and wire strings people had discarded and I’d collected for him. I vaguely recognized the colors of the beads of the broken necklace, the copper of the wires, possibly the spring from the pen, but the rest of it was unrecognizable, new, and…undeniably magical.

A shimmering feeling of wonder enveloped me when I stared at Kyllen’s gift. Magic seemed to swirl all around me, almost tangible and very real.

“Amira!” Madame’s voice shot though my bubble of wonder like a bullet, shattering it to pieces.

I froze in horror.

“Oh, no… I really have to go.” I shoved the dragonfly into my pocket, dashing out of the room.

I found Madame in the VIP room next to the large, round cage that was empty. Radax was there, too. Madame held his arm, digging her long, sharp nails into his bicep.

“I’m here!” I nearly screamed, my eyes drawn to the thin trickle of blood running down his tattooed skin from under her nails.

“The camyte drinks are not made,” she stated tersely.