Inside the Valor Pit, the deafening roar of the crowd threatened to shake the very heavens.
“Elves versus beasts—begin!”
With a violent clang, the iron cage sprang open. A black bear with blazing red eyes charged at me, rancid breath hitting my face. Before I could dodge, its claws slashed deep into my shoulder. Blood splattered across the arena floor.
The crowd went wild. Screams, whistles, savage cheers.
“Rip her apart! Kill the elf!”
Gritting my teeth against the pain, I waited until the beast lunged again. Then, with every ounce of strength, I wrapped my arms around its thick neck. It thrashed furiously, claws carving more wounds into my body, but I held on. I didn’t let go until it collapsed beneath me.
I dropped to my knees in the blood-soaked sand, breath ragged and shallow.
Then, without warning, six panels of transparent glass rose from the ground, trapping me like a captured animal.
“The auction begins,” said Garrett from the high platform. His voice was flat, devoid of any warmth.
“The right to use this elf for one night. Starting bid, 500 gold coins.”
The crowd fell into a stunned hush—then chaos erupted again. Eyes full of greed and lust locked onto me, slithering over my bruised and bloodied form. I heard someone swallow thickly. Laughter, vile and low, buzzed in my ears.
“I’ll pay 501!”
A one-eyed man with rotting teeth stood up, grinning wickedly. His odor reached me even from where he stood.
“No matter how much they bid, I’ll always add one more! I’ve never tasted an elf before. Tonight, I’ll savor her slowly!”
His gaze dragged across my body, stopping at my battered legs. He licked his lips.
Silence.
Everyone knew Felipe Lowry. The most depraved man in Silver Creek. Women who fell into his hands never came back whole.
As I was dragged away, the last thing I saw was Garrett turning his back to me—without even sparing a glance.
That night was hell.
I passed out again and again, only to be jolted awake by buckets of freezing water. The pain never ended. My body was broken, my soul hollowed out.
By morning, my legs were bent at unnatural angles. There wasn’t an inch of skin left unscarred.
“She... she might not last through the night,” a trembling voice murmured.
“If she dies, you all die,” another snapped. “Heal her or lose your heads.”
But I couldn’t hear clearly anymore. Pain had consumed everything.
In the darkness, my mind drifted backward.
I was once the happiest elf in the forest. He was the lost boy who stumbled into my world.
He stood in the sunlight, smiling.
“Jayne, wait for me. I’ll come back and marry you.”
But when he returned, it was with soldiers and fire.
His sister had disappeared. The world blamed the elves.
He believed them.
He burned the forest himself. My people fled.
To protect those who remained, I offered myself. I let him take his hatred out on me.
If it meant he would stop hunting them, I could bear anything.
So, even as I was tortured nearly to death, I didn’t say a word.
I couldn’t tell the truth—not yet.
Somewhere in the haze, I heard a sigh.
When I opened my eyes, I was lying in a luxurious bedroom. Elsie—the 99th wife—sat gracefully at a table, sipping black tea. Her crimson nails tapped rhythmically against the porcelain rim of her cup.
