The inside of the tavern was dark--darker than the tunnel it was in, which I thought was not possible; and there was a stench--a stench of alcohol mixed with the smell of rotten moss and dead sea-creatures.

I wanted to vomit. It would have been great if I could vomit all over those two faeries holding me, maybe they would have released me or maybe they would have projected me into some great torture, but all that would have happened if I could actually puke on them. I could not. I could sense a nauseous feeling engulfing me, but nothing came out of my mouth.

A faerie kicked me and made me lose my footing. This time they did not hurl me upwards and I stumbled forward, slamming onto the sea-floor. Had it not been the thick, rotten layer of moss and seaweeds covering the sea-floor, my legs would have been in the same condition as my arms--or it could be worse.

I mentally smacked myself for imagining foolish things like what would have happened if I had puked, instead of being more careful. I tried to get up but my foot was caught in sea-weed---

---I fell again.

The faeries held me by my hair and yanked me up, all the while laughing like monsters. I tried to bend and free my foot but one of the faeries caught my hands and pushed me forwards. I fell again---my foot still wrapped up in sea-weeds. They laughed louder, their voice booming and echoing in the almost empty tavern.

No.

Not empty.

Not the echo of their voices.

I looked around, adjusting my eyes and realized that the tavern was packed and it boomed in the laughter of all those faeries present there. In the darkness, it was almost impossible to see them but I could hear them laugh and I could feel their delight in seeing me--a human, different from their own species--in her hands and knees infront of them. They rejoiced in my misery.

Those heartless faeries tightened their grip on my hair and tried to drag me over the sea-floor. I screamed in pain as my foot was still within the grips of those dangerous sea-weeds.

"Fragile humans," one of the fae growled and slapped me.

I was repeatedly trying and failing to get up from the slippery, moss-covered sea-floor when I heard the footsteps of another faerie coming towards me. I could not see his face, though I glanced a sight at his bright, polished boots--a stark contrast to the dull, dark and filthy tavern. He touched my palm with the tip of his boot and pressed hard on my fingers.

One. By. One.

I brought my other arm, immediately, to my mouth and let out a muffled scream. One of the faeries who had brought me to the tavern tried to grab my arm and separate it from my face, but I mustered every bit of strength I had and held my arm to my face. I could not give them the satisfaction of seeing me in my agony anymore.

I watched those boots move from in front of me and sighed in relief. In a moment, I sensed a cold but firm finger tracing down the spine of my bare back. I sucked in a breath. I should have understood that in Odalis, relief was extremely short-lived. I tried to sit up and take my hands behind me, in a failing attempt to cover my back, but a fae slammed my head down onto the sea-floor.

The fae wearing those shining boots opened the knot at the back of my neck. At that point, even tears refused to come out of eyes, instead, I almost laughed at my situation--a laughter mixed with sadness, anger and desperation. I tried to tie it back but he placed a foot on my hands--hands that were brave enough to let themselves graze the back of my neck, and pressed on them. I bit my lips in an attempt to prevent screaming. My hands flapped like a fish caught in the net--they gasp for air and I gasped for my decency.

"Humans," he said, his voice more venomous than the snakes in Medusa's hair, "Know they can't succeed and yet they try. My dear human, do you ever get tired of trying?" The faeries laughed in unison.

"Foolish human," he spat at me, "Look at her, everyone. Do you think she will be able to fight us?"

A loud 'No' came from every corner of the tavern.

"You hear? You don't?" I felt his hot breath on my ear. "No," he said, "You can't fight us." He spat again. On my face.

The faerie then lifted his foot from my back and sent for strong ropes. Everyone laughed and threw their drinks at me. My head was still held down by another fae. He licked my neck and bit it hard. I writhed in his hold, despising all the touch and equally despising my decision to come to The Obsidian. My own careless decision was responsible for the situation I was in.

The fae wearing those boots then opened the other tie at my back. I held on to my top as tightly as possible, barely preventing it from collapsing.

A fae threw a bone at my arm and it hit at my wound. My nails dug into my skin to prevent me from screaming but still a muffled cry escaped my mouth. More fae threw more bones at me. The bones were mostly eroded and did not have any sharp edges, and I thanked the Fates for that, for I could not even imagine what would have happened if a bone went through my skin.

"Keep your bones to yourself," growled the fae wearing those sharp boots, but his voice lacked the venom, the venom that was very much evident in his tone while he spoke to me. When the other faeries at the tavern broke into hushed murmurs, he clarified, "The ropes are here."

Indeed, from the corner of my eye, I saw a fae hand the ropes to the sharp-booted fae. I writhed in the grips of the other faeries and tried to free my foot from the sea-weeds, but in vain. The faeries slapped me and held me more firmly. Tears did not run down my cheeks anymore.

I heard the fae wearing those boots chuckle. "I guess I don't need to tie the rope around your feet. You are already bound by the seaweeds. Can she move? Can she?" he growled, and again a 'No' came from every corner of the tavern. I was frantically kicking my other leg, that was not entangled in the sea-weeds. I did not know what to do, how to escape.

I saw him come at my side. "Your hands...," he said, "they surely need to be tied." I looked up and saw him crouch infront of me. The fae who had held me by my head released me and I sucked in a cry as he pinned me to the ground with his foot on my leg.

Amidst those faeries, in the foul smell of the tavern, with cries threatening to rise up my throat...my heart felt heavy and breathing seemed an impossible task. I closed my eyes shut and brought my hands closer to my chest, tightening my grip on my top, determined not to separate my hands from my chest.

The fae howled and grabbed my arm. I was silent till then but I could not be anymore. I opened my eyes and looked into the eyes of the fae. He had a devilish glow in them.

I acted on my instinct, without thinking of the consequences. "Foolish humans you say?" I asked with all my hatred and courage. The laughter in the room ceased. I was thankful my voice did not waver.

The faeries loosened their grip on me. The fae wearing those exquisite boots loosened his grip on my arm. I took the opportunity and bit him hard, with all my teeth. Ever since, the other fae had released my head, I was looking for this one single opportunity, but was unable to distract the faeries, to cast away their filthy eyes off me. The fae fell back on his arse. The tavern gasped. They did not expect me to act that way--they were surprised, but their shock would soon wear off. I needed to come up with something else.

I heard a humorless, cold and yet a familiar chuckle. Then, I heard footsteps approaching me. With much difficulty, I sat back, my whole body aching. Still clutching the top to my chest, I turned back and saw Ryan.

He crouched beside me and tied my top at the back. Then at the neck. With quick and firm hands. I still did not separate my arms from my chest. I could not--I could not believe my top was tied at the back, securely--I still felt that it was going to tear apart from my body.

I could not believe Ryan was there. I blinked repeatedly, until he pinched the flesh on my palm and softly whispered, "Don't worry. I am real."

"You---I," I broke into tears and covered my face.

Ryan took my hands away from my face and placed them on my lap. "Why are you crying?" he asked. "You are so brave," he added, "I was about to punch him the moment I saw him take your hand, but then I heard you. Your voice had that determination and at that moment I knew that you were going to do something." He held my foot and started disentangling the seaweeds.

"You should have punched him. Why didn't you?" I threw an accusing look at Ryan, which he did not notice.

Ryan messaged my foot and sent that cool sensation down my veins. After releasing my foot from the seaweed mess, he said, "I couldn't. You needed to be tend to at first. Moreover, I doubt my punch would have had the same effect as your bite."

I sighed. Arguing with him was useless.

He stood up and gave me his hand. I took his hand and stumbling, rose to my feet. The aches were worse while standing. Ryan wrapped his arm around me and ran his fingers through my hair. His touch was soothing. I leaned into it.

"You all," Ryan said, rather growled addressing the faeries at the tavern, his voice icy. "You will remember whatever I'm going to tell you now."

"Prince," started the fae wearing those exquisite boots. Ryan cut him off with a glare.

"So I was saying, you are never to do that to anyone again. You do that and your existence will be the same as these bones that you, so diligently, threw at her."

"You forget that your father isn't the King anymore." A faerie dared to say.

I looked at Ryan, afraid how he was going to react, but he smiled at me and looked at the direction of the voice. Releasing his hold on me, he bent down to pick up a bone from the sea-floor. Crushing it with his hand, he said, "Oh, my father does not have to be the King for me to say true to my words. I know you all know that." His voice was calm yet powerful. The tavern remained silent.

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OKAAYY..Ahh..Why didn't Ryan punch the faeries?!! They are so cruel!

PS: These faeries will learn their lesson. If not now, then later :)

Anyway, Hope you liked CHAPTER 23.
This tavern scene is one of the most intense scenes I wrote.

And yes, do vote and comment if you are happy with the chapter. 😊😊