Odette didn’t do anything about it, though. She only let it fester and mutate, thinking of ways that she could hurt Claude. Even if he tried to hurt her again, she would be able to sleep well knowing that she delivered a harsh blow to him. Watching him bleed would make her very happy.
The door handle jiggled once again and all thoughts of revenge left her mind, replaced by the cold fear for him.
“Hello, Odette.” Claude’s mood had not gotten any better either, it seemed. “You haven’t moved since I left you.”
Odette didn’t respond to him.
“I would have hoped that you had done as I asked,” he continued, unlocking her cell door. “But we’ve already established that pain is the best motivator for you. How about it?”
“I couldn’t get in touch with him,” she lied. Her voice was scratchy from his torment earlier. “Like I said … he isn’t always around.”
Claude made a noise in the back of his throat. “So, he might be there tonight?”
“I hope so.”
He motioned for her to join him again at the table. She ate. Took her pills. Drank her water. Stared at him.
“Tell me, Odette, between the two of us, who do you prefer?” Claude asked quietly.
Odette frowned, clutching her own hand for comfort. “Between who?”
“Grayson and myself.” He wasn’t annoyed that she had asked for clarification, thankfully, but that didn’t mean she was in the clear yet.
“I don’t like either of you,” she rasped. “You’re both abusive and crazy.”
Claude waved his hand, like it didn’t matter that he was certifiably insane. “You have to choose one of us, that’s how you play the game, doll.”
Odette wanted to snarl or roll her eyes but she stayed calm. “Right now, I would pick Grayson.”
“Cute,” he snickered. “Young love.”
“No. I just don’t want to be anywhere near you.” She was walking on thin ice, insulting him again. Odette wondered if she had just become so suicidal that death-by-Claude had become her subconscious’ favorite way to go.
Claude merely shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry to disappoint.”
I’m sorry that I have to look at your face, Odette spat in her mind, staring down at her lap. She twisted her ring around, wishing that she was back in Oregon with her family.
“Hmm …. If I had to choose between you and Greer, well I just don’t know. You’ve both got the same-ish looks, although she is a whole lot taller than you and I. Her sadistic side would be very compatible with mine, haha … I just don’t know about what I would do if she became obsessed with me.
“But you’re pretty fun too, doll. Well, I assume you can be when you aren’t all mopey. That’s what you get when you deal with angsty teens, though. But you … I think I would have to go with you, doll. At least, with you, I don’t run the risk of being killed if I don’t accept your feelings. HAHA!”
Odette hardly listened to him. She was more focused on not making any sudden movements that would gain his attention. That was when her ring did something strange. The jewel—which was normally very dull in color—seemed to come to life and pulse with vibrant blue color. The flash only lasted for a second but she was positive that she hadn’t imagined it.
“What is it?” Claude asked suddenly.
Odette blinked, shaking her head. “What is what?”
“You made a face,” he narrowed his eyes. “I want to know why.”
“I didn’t know I made a face, I’m sorry. It was nothing,” she lied while squeezing her fingers.
Claude’s lips twitched, the second sign that he was about to lose it. “About ninety percent of what leaves your mouth is lie and I’m just about sick of it. I’m giving you a chance to redeem yourself here, Odette, and I think that you should take it.”
Her stomach dropped. “I think that you’re paranoid, Claude. I’m telling you, it was nothing.” But, as soon as she said the words, she wished she could take them back.
Claude busted out laughing his raw, animalistic guffaw. Spit flew from his mouth and splattered on Odette’s skin. “I’m the paranoid one? Oh no, no, no. Darling, you are the worst case of paranoia I have ever seen! Scared of the dark, scared that you’re going to see some dead bodies. Scared that your boyfriend’s always one step behind you. You’re always so scared, it’s ANNOYING!”
He leaned across the table and grabbed a fistful of her hair roughly, yanking her to the middle of the table to meet him.
“You want to be scared?! HUH?! I’ll give you something to be scared of!” Using all his strength, he threw Odette by her hair across the cell until her back connected with the metal bars. “I’ll make you terrified of me, you stupid girl!”
There was a streak of blood on the concrete from where it had scraped her shoulder, the wound stinging fiercely. Odette just wanted to pass out, that way, she wouldn’t have to live through the pain. She would just deal with the repercussions when she woke up.
Unfortunately for her, she was going to stay wide awake for the whole thing.
His first kick to her gut was hesitant if she had to describe it, almost like he wasn’t sure if that was the attack he wanted to use. It knocked the wind out of her and she grunted, reaching for his leg to stop the attack.
Claude kicked her again and it was much harder this time. “Let go of my leg, you child!” he shouted, trying to kick her and shake her off of him at the same time.
Odette’s agony couldn’t be hidden any longer. She cried out, digging her nails into his leg. She wanted him to hurt too.
Suddenly, everything grew quiet. It wasn’t because Claude stopped his assault but because of a great energy sucking the spirit from Odette’s surroundings. Then there was a great crack. The cell bars shook roughly, banging against the back of her head. Claude staggered back in shock.
Odette couldn’t move—her ribs were surely broken—but a sick sense of dread filled her. She knew who it was.
“Step away from my girlfriend.”
XXVI
If she wasn’t in so much pain or in danger of passing out, Odette might have felt a little more afraid. She would be lying if she wasn’t somewhat grateful for Grayson’s appearance. He was, at the moment, the lesser of two evils.
Claude regained composure and smiled. “Grayson Mages, as I live and breathe. I’m a big fan of yours, ya know? I hope you’re here to make a trade … for Odette’s sake.” He wrenched her upright by her hair and she screamed. The pain in her stomach was excruciating.
Her gaze locked on her “saviors.” Grayson, Greer, and Thorn. A sick feeling of gratitude filled her. If they were there, they were willing to negotiate. She didn’t want to think about what would happen after.
“Why shouldn’t I kill you where you stand? You’ve put your hands on what is mine, I don’t appreciate that.” Grayson rivaled Claude’s anger easily.
“Because, then, you’d really lose your princess. She was so anxious to be rescued, you wouldn’t want her to turn right around and run away again.” He pulled on her strands harder for emphasis, drawing a pained whimper from her.
Panic flashed across his eyes. “Stop hurting her or I swear—”
“Swear later, little boy. Give me your amulets and the monster and then you’ll get your girl,” he instructed. He grabbed Odette’s left hand and waved around the ring playfully.
Odette yanked her hand away, cradling it against her ribs. “They won’t,” she hissed. “I’m not worth that much.”
Grayson, however, grabbed his amulet in his hand. A blue bubble surrounded it and then popped as he ripped it off his shirt, tearing the fabric in the process. He was determined, staring Odette down the whole time. “Don’t doubt me.”
“Brother, don’t—” Greer started but she was cut off when he snatched her headband off of her head. Instead of a soft popping, it was like shattering glass. The purple aura that surrounded Greer broke into thousands of pieces, raining down around her before vanishing. “NO!”
/> He snapped the headband and slid the amulet off of it. They both sparkled in the dimming room, even though there was no real source of light around. “Take them and give Odette to me.”
Claude reached through the bars to accept the amulets, Odette pressing against them uncomfortably. She had silent tears pouring from her eyes and she looked at Thorn in the back of the room.
“Ha! Would you look at that, Odette? You apparently were worth it,” Claude cooed in her ear, shoving the two amulets in her face. “You have been a true doll. Thank you. I could just kiss you.”
“But you won’t,” Odette wheezed, her hands clenching into fists. “I would bite you.”
“Oh-ho my! Confidence out of nowhere! See, this is why I want to keep you all for myself. You’d be such a fun toy to break.” He spun her around to face him, taking her in.
His eyes aren’t blue, Odette noted. That’s good. Thorn hasn’t done anything yet.
“We have a deal!” Grayson shouted. He reached through the bars and grasped the fabric of her skirt, pulling her towards him. “Give her to me now or face the consequences.”
“Yeah, well, I kinda lied too. What can you do about it?” Claude shrugged. He motioned to Thorn. “You there, you’re mine now. Do your thing and power the amulet up!”
“That wasn’t part of the deal,” Greer hissed. “Thorn, don’t you dare.”
Claude rolled his eyes. “What are you going to do about it, girly?”
Thorn shuffled forward towards the bars, sniffling as silently as he could. Silver tears streaked down his cheeks and he muttered a very quiet, “Y-yes, s-sir.”
“Thorn!” Greer shouted. She lunged for him but Grayson pulled her back by her arm. “No, stop it! She isn’t worth this much!”
The room was silent until a low hum could be heard from inside of the cell. Claude was ecstatic. “I can feel it, I can feel the power! Haha! It’s addicting!” He shivered pleasantly, his eyes fluttering shut.
The hum grew louder until a blue and silver aura began to expand throughout the cage. It grew and grew, getting so bright that it was painful to look at. Then it sucked inwards silently, leaving everyone hanging on edge. They expected a big booming sound or an explosion but there was nothing of that sort, only the deafening silence, ringing louder in their ears than any bomb would have.
Claude opened his eyes. His entire demeanor had changed once more, something darker and scarier in place. “Okay, Mages, are you ready?”
“Are you?” Odette asked. She shoved Claude backwards and he went flying, connecting with the cement wall with a loud crack. “Doll?”
She lifted her hand and sucker punched him in the face. She kicked him in the gut a couple of times, feeling the anger inside of her going over the boiling point. All of her pent-up frustrations were taken out on him and she kicked him hard in the face for good measure.
Odette bent down to his level and snarled. “I want to repay you for everything that you’ve done to me. All of the pain. I think you’ve earned it.”
Claude squirmed beneath her, crying out in surprise. He thrashed around but, for some reason he could not move. It wasn’t because of Thorn. The angel would not help her—he knew that she had to do this on her own—but she realized that it was coming from her. That impressive silver light that pinned him—it was coming from her.
Odette didn’t exactly know how the amulet worked, only that she was making it happen. Every thought, every emotion that passed through her, fueled the thing and amplified the magic until it could not stay contained any longer. She clenched her fist and felt his life force connect with her own for a small moment.
Claude convulsed as though he were seizing. He gaped at her, the way that fish did at humans in their fish bowls, and clawed at the cement floor. Every sound became amplified in her ears in that moment—his heartbeat, the blood rushing in his veins, his gasp for air—before it all stopped. He fell limp. The silver light receded back into her hand and Odette was left cold and exhausted despite the new energy that flowed through her veins.
“He deserved it,” she whispered to herself, shaking her head. If she hadn’t … he would have killed her, or worse. “He deserved it.”
Then why did she feel so bad? She shivered from her nerves but mentally scolded herself. It wasn’t the time to be weak.
Odette knelt down and plucked the amulets from Claude’s fingers. Their power sparked to life as soon as they made contact. It buzzed through her veins, new strength that she had never known in her possession. She could actually feel herself being sewed up, every little injury being fixed. Even her chest felt different. Whole.
“Odette?” asked Grayson in disbelief. She could feel his awe and anxiety slam into her like a brick wall. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to focus.
“What? Are you confused?” Odette exited the cell and nodded to Thorn in thanks.
The twins could see even in the light of dusk that she had changed. Where she had once been a small, sickly pale thing, she had now grown a couple of inches and earned more color to her skin. Her lips were fuller and had a pink tinge to them; her dark circles disappeared as well. All of the injuries on her body—ones that they had seen only minutes before—were gone. There were no bruises and no scars, but she was the same Odette.
Most startling of all—her two electric blue eyes.
Grayson began to approach her but Odette shot her hand out. Translucent silver chains wrapped themselves around the twins and dragged them back against the front of the cell bars. They both struggled against them but it was ultimately useless.
For the moment, she was the one with all of the power.
“Let me explain. I tried to make a deal with Thorn. I offered him my soul in exchange for powers. It didn’t work but I was desperate. I needed him to give me power,” she tapped the jewel of the ring, “so I could escape from Claude. From Sunwick Grove, actually. Thorn, however, told me that it was impossible. He couldn’t give me his power because I was not a member of the Mages family. That is the same reason the amulets wouldn’t work for Claude. He was just too thick-headed to listen.”
Odette swallowed hard, walking closer to the twins. “I really needed a way out. Alive or not, with or without Thorn … when I remembered why you gave me the ring, Grayson.”
Grayson’s eyes widened and Odette was shocked to see that they were also a different color—brown. He seemed like a different person, warmer, not as emotionless. “I gave you that ring … so that …”
“Grayson, you didn’t,” Greer spat. “How could you?!”
Odette glared at the girl and tightened her fist, making the chains warm up enough to threaten her. Greer squeaked and shut her mouth, writhing some more.
“So, I’ve accepted your proposal, Grayson.” Her voice cracked, much to her displeasure. “I am technically your fiancée anyway.”
It was the best compromise she and Thorn could come up with. Odette knew Grayson would hunt her to the ends of the earth if she ran. Thorn mentioned that, should she kill herself, he knew that Grayson would find a way to bring her back, human or not. There was no escaping him. Odette’s stomach rolled just thinking of him trying such a thing.
At least, this way, she had protection from him.
Grayson leaned forward, mixed emotions coursing through him. “Then why are you acting like this?”
“Because I hate you,” she hissed. “You have killed the people that I love. I am doing this so that I no longer have to be sick, and I’m doing this so that I can protect myself from the likes of you for the rest of my life.
“You aren’t going to hurt Thorn anymore either. He is going to be treated with more respect, do you understand? He deserves it after having to put up with both of you for seven years.” Odette glared at them both, standing up taller. “I’m not going to let you all go away unpunished, not for what you’ve put me through. So, until I deem you worthy, I’ll be keeping your amulets.”
Grayson’s lips parted. Odette could hear the way his h
eart thumped faster from fear. “Odette, please …”
The guilt inside of her grew but she squashed it. His pleas were false. “Don’t try to make me sympathize with you! I’m not about to be your next victim, Mages. Understand?” she growled. “And Greer, I can assure you I will never be a victim of yours again.”
Odette shouldn’t have had to feel guilty. They were the ones who hurt her. They would always try and hurt her.
“You’re trash,” Greer spat. “I don’t know what Grays sees in you.”
Despite the overwhelming desire to make her take the words back, Odette couldn’t help but laugh. It was bitter, and it hurt, and she was positive that she was just fighting to keep herself from crying at that point.
Greer stared at Odette with wide, disgusted eyes as she laughed.
“You know what? I don’t know what he sees either.”
EPILOGUE
December
Grayson fixed a glare at Thorn. It irked him that the angel not only got to be free of his room in the dungeons but that his wife had allowed him to have more of a position in the family. Even though he had now taken the job of the butler, Grayson and his sister were limited with just how much they could order him around.
All due to his wife, again.
“Master, would you like your breakfast now?” the angel asked him.
The male pursed his lips, looking down at what had been brought. French toast, fruit, and bacon. “I suppose. Make sure Odette’s is ready as well; she’ll be here any minute.”
Grayson played with his amulet that was on the edge of his robe, finding its weight comforting. It had only been back on his person for about two months, which had caused quite the hiccup with the magic shows at the Tent.
“Thorn, Odette was sick last night. Make sure that whatever you made, you never make again,” he snapped suddenly. Yelling at the creature always made him feel a little better but he really deserved it. He couldn’t have his wife in any pain … not unless he caused it.
Before Thorn answered, Odette’s form appeared through the arched doorway, her white robe fluttering behind her, making her look like an angel in Grayson’s eyes. He smiled at her and she gave him a small smile back.
Violent Delights Page 29
