Chapter 3 A NEW CAGE: CASSANDRA

Something monstrous tore out his heart and he fell on his side dead with his eyes opened. I could not clearly see what manner of creature sent the prince to his untimely death but I could feel its immense power even though it was going to happen somewhere in the far uncertain future.

I gasped for breath as I felt the prince jerk back in terror, his face white with fear as he glared at me in shock. I was back to normal but still felt the pain of needles on skin. I was cold and shivering as my breath returned to normal.

"What did you do to me?!" Styx demanded in a tight terrified voice. His big frame was pressed far against the wall as he watched me with abject fear.

I coughed and held my neck.

"Answer me, you witch!" He thundered impatiently.

"I did not do anything to you," I said helplessly.

"Do not lie to me!" Styx retorted angrily. I jerked back in fear from his angry tone.

"I am many things, my prince but I do not lie, I have no reason to." I replied fearfully.

"Then what the hell happened just now?" He demanded. "Answer me or I will have your head cut off this instant!"

I knew that what he said was not a threat, I could feel the certainty in his words.

"It's a vision...it is what happens anytime I touch someone," I said in the best way I could.

Prince Styx said nothing for a while as we both swayed gently in the carriage. He watched me intently as if he was seeing me for the first time all over again. He nodded in a way that told me that he had figured me out.

"This was why they kept you locked away," He said with a finality in is voice. "You are cursed and they dared to give you to me."

I could not bear to look at him due to the intense humiliation I was going through.

"Your visions, do they ever come to pass?" Styx asked me in a low serious tone.

"Yes," I whispered.

"So, my death is certain," he replied. I said nothing.

"How do I stop it?" He asked. I slowly shook my head. "I do not know, my prince."

He grunted angrily and I knew that he was fighting the urge to put his hands on me. He wore his gloves and put his left hand outside the window of the carriage. Movement immediately slowed to a halt. An armoured soldier on a horse stopped beside our carriage and bent down to look inside.

"My, lord?" The armoured soldier asked.

"Remove this thing from my sight and place her with the load carriage," Styx coldly ordered. "And make sure you or anyone else must not lay as much a finger on her."

The door of the carriage opened and I stood up in haste wanting to leave his presence as quickly as I could. I got down from the carriage and was led down to the end of the convoy. I was ushered into the last carriage filled with loads and chests that I suspected were filled with gold and precious stones. It was tight, uncomfortable and I had to squeeze myself in before I could even sit.

The journey began again and I was left alone to my thoughts. I cried. I shed so much tears as I swayed to the movement of the box I was kept in. I realized with great despair that I was nothing but mere property.

I had not even reached the final destination yet and I had already revealed what sort of cursed freak I was to the first person that paid as little as an attention to me.

I calmed myself and wiped my tears again for the second time. There was no point in shedding tears, so I began to think about the vision that I saw of Prince Styx.

What could he have done to deserve such a terrible ending? I knew he was a powerful Lycan so whatever it was that was going to claim his life had to be more powerful than him.

From what I read from father's old library, Lycans were a different and more noble breed of werewolves. Much more powerful, stronger and they tended to live more longer than regular werewolves like father and I. It was why they at the top of the supernatural food chain. Being near one had revealed to me just how powerful they were.

My head swirled with question as the journey continued and I fell asleep.

I jolted awake immediately the carriage pulled to a stop. I was not a deep sleeper. The door of my small carriage was opened and I stepped out. The sun was already setting and it would be total night fall soon. I stretched my limbs and adjusted my dress.

My eyes widened in shock at the sight before me. Thousands of soldiers armed, heavily armoured with swords and spears all took a knee before the prince. It was a very enormous palace ground with towering buildings so it only made sense that there were plenty of men.

The prince beckoned to me and I walked closer to him. Together we walked among the bowing soldiers as they parted for us.

Ahead of us on the shinning marble steps that led to the magnificent place stood a large heavily bearded man with thick long hair and a very beautiful mature woman beside him. Mere looking at them, I knew that it was the king and queen. I noticed that a man a bit younger looking that Styx stood by the king. He was handsome.

By the queen's side stood two very beautiful ladies. They resembled the queen and I assumed them to be the princesses of the palace.

Prince Styx leaned close to me and whispered in my left ear.

"Say nothing of what happened today or else, you will not live to see the next morning."