Page 68 of Dusk Macabre

Not that I wanted anything to happen to my parents, it just wouldn’t have the same impact for me as it would on a lot of other people, if their family was murdered. Most likely, I’d never even know it happened.

The thought brought me down a bit while I mourned the loss of something I’d never had. It wasn’t for lack of trying on my part, and honestly my parents tried, too. But we were never able to connect in any meaningful way due to their obsessions.

Leander must have mistaken whatever he saw on my face. “I could always force your secrets out.”

His smirk made my skin crawl. I could imagine what methods he would utilize to try and scrape my brain. “No, thank you,” I said. “I think I’ll pass on that.”

“What did you think you would gain by ingesting my blood?” Adrian asked, his voice calmer than I expected. “You now have Fae and vampire blood running through your veins. If your body can even metabolize it properly.”

What was I supposed to say? I wasn’t even one hundred percent sure why I did. The risk was there; I’d known that, but the “what if” and the mystery of the unknown were what compelled me. I mean, come on, I’m already dead so death wasn’t the threat it used to be.

“Just to see what would happen.” I shrugged my shoulders and added for good measure, “Vampires drink blood and I was curious.”

Leander looked like someone had stunned him with a blunt instrument, and I switched my gaze back to an equally shocked Adrian. “What?” I asked.

Adrian answered, “You can’t...” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “The right thing for me to do would be to bleed you dry, remove the stolen material. You just keep making things worse.”

“What are we waiting for? Our people suffer and you just let her run rampant.” The anger in Leander’s voice didn’t match his boyish, almost feminine appearance. I was willing to bet his lethality was frequently misjudged based on his looks.

Adrian moved quickly. “Move her downstairs,” he ordered, before striding from the room.

“What are you going to do?” I asked Leander.

CHAPTER 24

Brittney

The living room floor was no better than the bedroom, hardwood digging into my back. I was unsure how to make my next move but thought maybe I could roll quickly one way or the other, if necessary. Probably not the smartest idea.

“You’ll have to wait and see,” he answered. His smile was sickeningly sweet.

He pushed his palm outward, and it felt like a weighted blanket had been placed on me, tucking around me and wrapping me up like a mummy.

The force of his magic moved my arms to my sides and pushed my legs together at the ankles. My head was forced to the floor, and I could see nothing but the ceiling and the pretty golden chandelier overhead, mounted in the center of a scrolling medallion.

The sensation of my brain not connecting with my body was probably scarier than being trapped in the pit. At least in Kiam’s trap, I had the illusion of being able to help myself, but now I was truly powerless.

All of the windows were too far away, even if I did get some mobility, somehow. So much for my plan to call the damned crow since there was no way to help myself.

I tried calling the bird in my mind, pleading for it to smash its beak through the window and attack Leander. All I could do was stare at the beautiful light fixture swinging way above my head.

After a few minutes, I heard some scuffling noises. The sharp squeak of porcelain against polished wood, the crisp sound of magazines being stacked, and then the solid thump of something being placed on another surface, farther away.

Leander was clearing off the coffee table. Although I couldn’t turn my head, a shadow fell across my vision every now and then as he moved.

The vibrations of Adrian’s footsteps felt unnaturally jarring as he returned. I was lifted from the floor and laid on the table but neither of the men had touched me. My stomach roiled and bile stung the back of my throat. All I could think about was where I would end up after they killed me, and how Kiam wouldn’t be able to find me.

The thought of losing Kiam hurt far more than I’d expected it to and hot tears gathered in the corners of my eyes, marring my sight. Adrian was a blur as he leaned over me, caging me between his arms.

“What are you going to do?” I asked as my vision cleared, repeating the same question as earlier. Neither man ever stated much explicitly, leaving me to try and deduce the truth of their intentions.

Leander pressed his palms together like he was about to start praying and brought his hands to his lips. The small smile hiding behind the gesture was grossly malicious.

The table dug into my spine, far less comfortable than the floor. That may have had something to do with the ominous nature of feeling like I was about to be examined by mad scientists.

No matter how many times I called for the crow, nothing came busting through the window. I drank Fae blood for nothing, if this was all the help it did me. I tried to sneer at the men, but my lips were paralyzed.

Adrian held his hand up like he expected Leander to place something there, but instead, an ornate dagger appeared. The second I saw it; I realized the hold he’d placed on me had softened just enough I could move my head. He wanted me to see whatever he had planned.