Captive Beauty: Harem of Redemption 1, page 18
With feigned nonchalance, I sidled up to her. “Emma—”
“You’re all using me,” she whispered, staring into the fire.
“We’re not.” My tone lacked conviction. I tried again. “Emma, we need you.”
She faced me, her eyes blazing with rage. “All of this is a lie! You and Lucas will say and do anything to make me want you. Kind words, all these expensive clothes, promising to protect Orion… All so I’ll fall for you and break your curse. You knew what you were doing from the start when you drew up that contract.” She flung the note away and it burst into flame, incinerating itself. The charred pieces floated to the floor.
Emma moved away and I caught her arm. “I showed you that note because I wanted you to know the truth. You’ve been wanting to know the truth for all this time. No one here could tell you, but your stalker managed it.” I held her furious gaze. “Yes, I hoped by keeping you here you’d prove to be the one to break the curse. Have we manipulated you? Certainly. At least in the beginning. But now…it’s different. You’re the one, Emma.”
“No I’m not. I’m just a girl whose car broke down in your driveway.” Pain flashed across her features. “Since then, you’ve had every intention of using me to get what you want.”
Irritated at her stubbornness to see beyond the obvious, I reeled her closer. “I’ve already admitted to that. I won’t lie to you, but if you want to get stuck on that point, fine. I won’t apologize for anything. Whether you believe you’re destined for us or not doesn’t matter. We own you.”
She slapped me across the face. The smacking sound echoed through the library.
I gritted my teeth against the sting, and caught her by both arms. “Don’t ever do that again.”
“Go fuck yourself!”
27
Emma
Zane was livid. His grip tightened on my upper arms and his neck had turned a deep crimson. I probably should have been afraid of him, but I couldn’t find that fear among all the hurt and anger. Telling me he owned me were not the words to make this situation better. Why didn’t he understand? As much as I hated to admit it, I was falling for him and Lucas both, but to them this was a game.
They’d been playing me from the start.
My heart felt like it had been torn from my chest and stomped on. I’d gotten way more attached to them than I’d realized. I’d fallen for their manipulations. How was I supposed to know which words were real, and which were said to coerce me?
I’d had no idea the stake in their game was my heart. What were they going to do once they had me and the curse was broken? Toss me away? Laugh about how easy it was to get what they wanted? Such a naive girl, and so easy to fool. Was that what they’d say to each other?
All rich assholes were the same. I knew this from the start, but somewhere along the way I’d lost sight of that lesson. Stupid me.
Cade lived up to my expectations. I had to wonder what his angle was though, he certainly wasn’t after my heart. But Zane and Lucas? Now that I looked back on my time here, I saw every interaction, every gift, in a different light. Manipulation and power, these two thrived on it.
The blade in my chest twisted.
Someone cleared their throat. I glanced over to find Jace lingering near the door. He bowed slightly and said, “Apologies. I wanted to let you know that Lucas has returned, sir, and he’d like to speak with you. He and Cade are waiting in the parlor.”
Zane gave a curt nod as Jace left, before returning his glare to me. “Come. Maybe Lucas will be better at explaining.”
“Let me go.” I pulled away from him. “I don’t want to see Lucas.” And I certainly didn’t want to suffer through Cade’s cutting remarks. I wanted to be alone. I needed time to rebuild the protective walls around my heart so that I could face the bosses.
“You can’t avoid us forever.” Zane released me. He drew in an audible breath and briefly closed his eyes. “What do you want from me, my sweetness?”
“Don’t call me that.” I rubbed my sore arms. “I want you to leave.”
He gazed back at me for a long moment. “Fine. But know that I will do everything in my power to win your affection. In return, you will have wealth, comfort, and anything else money can buy.”
My chest tightened. “But not your heart?”
“No.” His brow furrowed. “I’ve never been in love. To tell you the truth, I don’t think I’m capable of it. Which is a reflection on me and has nothing to do with you. But you can have the rest of me. My body, my money, my power. Anything I have to give, it’s yours.”
I knew he was trying to be honest and truthful, but the truth hurt. Even if I’d wanted his love, he couldn’t give it. What he offered seemed cold and detached. This was a business deal to him—that was all it would ever be. How could he think love could be bought?
I wasn’t for sale.
“Think it over,” he said. “Break our curse and you can have the world. We will protect you. Always.”
That sounded like a lifetime prison sentence. “Just leave—”
A shrill wail sounded through the mansion, cutting me off.
Zane leapt toward me, using his body to shield mine as he glanced around the library. “That’s the mansion’s security alarm. We need to get you to safety.”
The doors swung open. Maeve and Jace rushed toward us.
“It’s Eclipse, sir,” said the butler. “They’ve brought others with them—witches.”
Zane thrust me toward Maeve and addressed the housekeeper. “Get her to her room. Lock the door and seal her inside. Use the wall passages.”
“Yes, sir.” Maeve took my hand and led us over to a section of shelving. She poked the spines of three different books and the wall opened to reveal a pitch black passageway. “This way.”
I followed her over the threshold. Glancing back, I glimpsed Zane leaving with Jace as the shelf swung closed. If Eclipse was here with witches, those magic wielders had to be 5th Circle. They’d come for me at last.
My mind latched onto the postscript of my stalker’s note: Don’t trust Orion. Was my stalker really trying to warn me about the bosses and my brother? Or was his intention to isolate me from everyone I knew? There’d certainly been no warning about this attack, which would have been more helpful.
A yellow-orange glow pierced the darkness. Maeve pointed her illuminated wand tip to the left. “This way.”
We made our way through the narrow, cobweb strewn corridor that had to be between the walls of the library and several other rooms. After several turns, I lost track of our direction. A cold, eerie sensation zinged up my spine.
“My room’s not that far from the library. Shouldn’t we be there by now?” I asked, attempting to see beyond Maeve’s wand light.
“We would be, yes,” she said. “Except we’re not going to your bedroom. A very special someone wants to see you.”
I halted. “What are you talking about? Who?”
In response, she faced me and pulled up her sleeve. Maeve murmured an unfamiliar spell as she pointed her wand at her wrist. Before my eyes, black ink appeared in the stylized V and ouroboros—5th Circle’s mark.
I turned and bolted. I’d rather be lost in the pitch blackness of these corridors forever than be handed over to the dark witches.
A blast of magic slammed into my back. I screamed and face-planted into the rough wooden floor. The side of my head burst with pain. My vision blurred. I couldn’t move my limbs.
“Don’t try to run from me, girl. Now, up. We need to get going.” She muttered a spell and suddenly, I was levitating, then gliding along the passage. We journeyed up a winding stairwell before reaching what I guessed was the attic. A few more twists and turns in the corridors, and Maeve finally stopped in front of a piece of wall. It slid open and I floated through.
The room, similar to Zane’s parlor, was lit with candlelight and a fire in the hearth. This part of the attic was finished, unlike where Cade kept his piano among the storage. I sensed someone else in the room, though I couldn’t see them.
Maeve disappeared around my side and spoke. “Here she is. As you wished.”
“Well done.” His voice held a raspy quality. I thought I recognized it. “You may go. Kill yourself a Penumbra boss or two.”
“Gladly.” Maeve entered my line of sight again as she moved toward the door. “And, Forrest,” she glanced at me, “make it hurt.”
I could hear the smile in his voice when he said, “I intend to.”
If I could move, I would have glared at her retreating back. The door clicked shut and silence settled over the room. For a minute, I thought he might have left through a hidden passage or another door.
“So good to see you again, Emma,” his voice made me inwardly startle. Did it really sound familiar, or was I imagining that? Obviously, he knew me. “I don’t see any further need for such restraints.”
A millisecond later, I fell to the carpeted floor with a thud. Groaning, I stayed down. My limbs tingled as feeling gradually returned to them.
I slowly turned my head toward the man. His features were clear, no spell concealing them. So this was what a dark witch looked like. He had shaggy brown hair, icy blue eyes, and a crooked nose that appeared to have been broken multiple times. His pale skin stood out in contrast to the black jeans and button down shirt. A black leather jacket was draped over the chair where he sat.
He curiously watched me, his mottled blue sodalite wand aimed at my face. I lifted myself to a seated position on shaky arms. If I ran, he’d easily stop me with a spell. I glanced around the room, seeking anything I could use for a weapon.
He chuckled, drawing my attention back to him. His wand vanished into a pocket and out came a slim dagger. He twirled it in his palm. Fuck, no. I wasn’t sticking around to see what he had in mind.
I lunged toward the vase on a side table and hurled it at him. He leaned to the side, letting the porcelain shatter against the chair’s back. I picked up random objects, throwing them his way while racing to the door. My fingers curled around the handle. I turned the knob and yanked. My freedom—or at least a chance at it—moments away.
The door handle was yanked out of my hand and the door slammed shut. Forrest’s body pinned me between him and the polished wood. He grabbed my jaw and turned me to face him. I shoved a knee into this groin, but before it connected, he caught it with his thighs.
The knife tip pressed into my throat and I froze. I didn’t dare breathe. One movement and it would pierce my skin.
“Feisty as always,” he said. “We’re going to have lots of fun together.” He lifted the blade away to skim his knuckles across my cheek. His other hand moved to my neck and squeezed. I held onto his forearm, trying to break the contact.
“Who are you?” I croak.
His icy eyes held my gaze. “My name’s Forrest. I’ve been hunting you for years, Emma. You’re a slippery little hybrid—until now. Now, you’re caught.” His knife flashed.
Pain shot across my wrist and I screamed. He let me go, bracing himself against the door to block the exit. I gasped at the blood welling up and spilling over my hand. The shallow cut was intended to hurt, not actually cause lasting damage.
Forrest spun the dagger in his fingers, a wicked grin lifted the corners of his mouth. Warily, I backed away. He wasn’t as large as Zane or Lucas, but he was bigger than me, and stronger. He had that slender, but dense build.
I put a chair between us, continuing to back further into the room, then rounded the couch near the hearth. All the while, Forrest watched, spinning that damn knife.
My gaze latched on to a shiny short sword hanging over a portrait. I dragged a chair over, stood on it, and took hold of the ornate ivory handle. When I turned back to Forrest, he was striding forward. The door behind him glowed with a faint purple sheen. He’d probably sealed it.
A second dagger appeared, and he held them low, one in each hand.
I staggered off the chair to the floor. Spinning so my back wasn’t stuck in a corner, I faced him as he lunged. I held the sword in front, it wasn’t a weapon I knew how to use, but it would work. When he was close enough, I swung it at his head.
He ducked the blow. His daggers sliced in a crisscross pattern across my stomach. I yelped, spinning away.
I swung wildly while trying to put any kind of obstacle between us. He kept advancing, avoiding my blade, but making quick shallow slices with his own. Both of my arms, my shoulders, and the back of one thigh stung. He was relentless, and his style was all too familiar. I had nightmares of this, once faceless, hunter.
We’d encountered each other on several occasions before. He’d been the one who’d given me all the scars I already had. Putting all of the pieces together, I realized he’d tried to kill me at the shifter fight, too.
My heart pounded. Though there were several hunters, it was this man who had come close to killing me so many times in the past. Would I survive this time?
“I’m not a hybrid,” I said. “You have this all wrong.” I put a chair in his path and he kicked it aside. I turned, ready to leap over the couch, and my back burned where his blades cut through my dress. Then he was on me, tackling me to the floor. He grabbed my wrist and repeatedly slammed my hand down until I released the sword. His knee drove the breath from my lungs.
“Oh, you’re a hybrid,” he said in my ear. “5th Circle doesn’t make mistakes. Hey, I’ll even prove it to you. What do you say to that?”
“Fuck you!” I snarled. My entire body ached, the cuts stung. I knew if I gave up now, I was dead, so I had to keep fighting.
“Good answer.” He drove a blade all the way through my palm and into the wooden floor. I screamed. My eyes watered and vision blurred. “That’s what I want to hear.”
He eased off me, leaving me there with the dagger pinning my hand to the floor. I couldn’t move. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I inhaled deep, shuddering breaths and tried not to pass out from the pain.
I needed someone—anyone—to help me. My mind immediately latched onto Lucas, then Zane. Even Cade’s brooding face swam before my mind’s eye. I wanted them. Needed them. But they weren’t coming for me. They didn’t know I was here.
I was on my own.
28
Zane
I tucked my empty gun into my waistband. What had started out as a gun fight had quickly evolved into using steel and teeth. I drove my sword through another wolf shifter’s heart. Eclipse and the witches of 5th Circle swarmed us like ants. Clusters of bodies battled in the main hall. A full array of colorful spells zipped across the space, and metal clashed against metal. Snarls followed the sounds of tearing flesh. The floor became slick with blood.
I sank my blade between a witch’s shoulder blades, then spun to dodge a spell with my vampire speed. Eclipse wanted a fight and that was what they were getting. We weren’t going to roll over and die. Penumbra Syndicate would live past this night.
Further down the hall, Lucas roared, shredding wolves in his unique half-form. Cade, I hadn’t seen in a while.
Samuel and Ash fought back to back. The witch battling with his wand and a cutlass, the fae with brutal, magical vines. Mama Holt roared in her bear form as she cut down wolves with her claws and teeth.
I swung my sword at the enemy, ducked spells, and ripped the throat out of anyone who dared come too close to my fangs. The crash of steel and grunts drowned out all other sound.
My thoughts turned again and again to Emma. Was she safe in her room? She should be, as long as the fighting stayed on the main floor of the mansion.
Our recent conflict, and misunderstanding, constricted my chest. I’d offered her everything in exchange for her heart and she’d acted like I’d insulted her. What more could she want from me? When this fight was over, I’d bring Lucas with me and let him explain. The feral bastard had managed to get closer to her than any of us, which was surprising because I would never call him particularly charming. What was he doing right that I wasn’t?
I hissed as a blade sliced across my calf. Turning, I brought my sword down and decapitated the idiot who’d decided to deliver such a useless blow. Kill your enemy, don’t fuck around with flesh wounds.
Cade, followed by several other fae, swooped into the high-ceiling great room. Flinging spells, they left a perimeter of destruction and dead bodies before flying back out. A group of witches produced brooms and bolted after them. Crashing, explosions, and shouts sounded from the main corridor. My attention caught on a petrified Maeve as she slipped around the corner, face sticken and wand in hand.
I drew in a breath and shouted at her, “Get down! Get to safety!”
Her wide-eyed gaze swept the room and found me where I was holding off two enemies at once. I didn’t want them turning and seeing her as an easy kill. Her features morphed into a mask of determination and she strode forward. What the hell is she doing?
Maeve flicked her wand and a silver glob smacked into my chest. It pulsated and steamed, then started burning through my shirt. I gaped at Maeve before dishing out quick deaths to the wolf and witch before me.
I yanked off my shirt. Where the magic had eaten through the fabric, my skin burned and blistered. I tossed the shirt to the floor and it ignited. That spell was a nasty one designed for an agonizingly slow death.
My narrowed gaze found Maeve. Our trusted housekeeper had just tried to kill me. I was going to have some serious words with Cade over this little surprise. How did we have an enemy within our house and he didn’t know about it?
Maeve’s eyes went round as I strode toward her. She spun on her heel to run, but I caught her hair and slapped her wand out of her grasp. She hissed in pain. I shook her, and she went up on her toes to avoid her hair being ripped from her scalp. She was no match for my vampiric strength.
“You,” I said in her face, my tone dangerously low. “You’ll pay for this.” I gestured toward my damaged chest. But more importantly… “Is Emma in her room?”
