Page 23 of When Roses Burn

“Oh, believe me, young caster, it is. One doesn’t forget eyes that color,” the elf said.

The man across from me arched an eyebrow as the corners of his full lips twitched in amusement. He knew he terrified me, and it pleased him. That was also something Seth would never tolerate.

He couldn’t stand to see me frightened. He was always so protective of me whenever we were around other eternals, as he sought to shelter and assure me everything would be okay. No one was allowed near me, and the one strigoi who dared to touch me walked away without a hand.

I always felt safe and cherished with Seth. I’d never felt more threatened than I did now as this man relished my terror.

No, no, no, no, this cannot be him! I’d known the harem would change him, but not into this!

“Seth’s eyes are blue!” I blurted. “They’re the most beautiful blue I’ve ever seen!”

And they’d always shone with laughter and love whenever he gazed at me. Every time he looked at me, I knew how much he cared for me, even before we started having sex.

“Maybe we know a different Seth then,” the elf drawled, “but I don’t think so. There have been some changes since I last saw him. The head with holes is a new addition. It looks nice, by the way.”

“Thanks,” the beast replied.

His gravelly voice also didn’t match Seth’s, but he hadn’t denied the elf’s claim. I blinked as I tried to assimilate this man with the one I once knew, but it was impossible. The two different men wouldn’t merge in my mind.

While I’d considered Seth a man the last time I saw him, compared to the one in the doorway, he was only a child. A child who’d become… what exactly?

I almost sank onto the mattress, but if I did, I might never move again. I didn’t know what to say or do; I felt trapped in a world that held a reality I didn’t understand.

All these years, I’d yearned to find him again so I could kiss and touch him and tell him how much I loved and missed him. And if this was Seth, then all he wanted was to hate me.

“If you’re really Marina’s daughter,” the elf said, “then that’s the Seth you’re looking for.”

“But his eyes,” I breathed.

“I don’t go by that name anymore,” the beast growled. “So stop saying it.”

A breath swelled up from my lungs and lodged in my throat to create a weird croak at this confirmation of the elf’s words.

“Then what do you go by now?” the elf inquired.

“Knox.”

“Interesting,” the elf murmured.

I found absolutely nothing interesting about any of this.

“And what is going on here, Devnair?” the beast inquired as he waved his free hand at my bloody palms and the blood-soaked vines.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Knox

The elf managed a small shrug in response to my question, even with the vines encircling his wrists. “Oh, you know, the usual. A caster comes in, rapes and abuses us, then leaves us without so much as fucking thank-you. Although the night casters always return. It’s time for your girl to join the party.”

Devnair said this in a flippant tone, but rage burned in his eyes, and his nostrils flared as he glanced at Briar. I understood his hatred for all things caster; it resided in me too… except, I loathed her far more than he could ever imagine.

Briar’s jaw clenched in the stubborn way that used to let me know she was irritated. At one time, I’d found it endearing; now, it incensed me. She had no right to argue about anything in this shithole.

“I was trying to free you,” Briar retorted.

A harsh bark of laughter issued from me. “Were you now?”

Briar’s lips compressed as her gaze slid to me before dropping to the sorcerer’s head.