by G. Bailey
My sweet Aura. Luckily, the dressmaker made a spare. Behave today or I will start killing them. Starting with Landon and ending with Maxx. Austin.
I scream as I rip the note up and throw the bits all over, frustrated that he came into my room and that I can do nothing but listen to his threats. Aliana slams the door open and runs into my room, pausing when she sees there is nothing but me sat in a pile of ripped up paper. Aliana is still in her white pyjamas, and I’ve just woken her up. When I glance at the clock on the side, I see it’s only six a.m. anyway.
“Are you okay?” she asks, folding her arms.
“Austin came in here last night and left me a note with that goddamn dress!” I exclaim, and Aliana flinches ever so slightly, but I catch it.
“I’m sorry he scared you. I don’t think he understands how frightening he can be at times,” she says and comes over, picking up the dress. “At least you will look stunning in this today.”
“Stunning as my heart breaks into millions of little pieces,” I mutter, and she hangs the dress on my wardrobe handle.
“If I could help you escape, I would. I don’t think you deserve this, and Austin does not deserve you as a mate,” she tells me, and I somewhat believe her.
“Did you know we are cousins?” I ask, wondering.
“No, I didn’t… are we really?” she asks, her face lighting up in happiness.
“Yeah, my mum said her sister was mated to your father. She said Austin isn’t my biological cousin, but you are,” I tell her, trying not to think of mum too much. I’ve not seen her since she attacked me, and I don’t want to see her anyway.
“I don’t know much about my mother. Only that she died when I was a baby. I never even knew I had an aunt,” Aliana tells me.
“If things were different, I could see us being good friends for a long time,” I say gently.
“We still can be,” she replies.
“No, we won’t because the first moment I get, I’m going to kill Austin and then escape,” I tell her, expecting to see revulsion or fear on her face, but instead, there is no expression. She just looks at the door for a moment before looking back at me.
“If you get a chance to escape, don’t hold back. Run at it and have a normal life,” she says and shakes her head after, plastering a fake smile onto her face. “Let’s get ready. It’s going to take us a while to make either of us look so beautiful that no one notices how miserable we are today.” I almost smile at that. I don’t care how much makeup or how nice Aliana can make me look, today I plan to make sure Austin’s death is the only thing talked about in the dark clans for years.
Chapter 16
Aura
“Aura, you look wonderful,” Aliana comments, watching me stare at myself in the mirror. I have to give it to Aliana, she has done an amazing job of making me look pretty. My hair is half up in a plait, the rest falling down my back in perfect curls. The makeup she has put on me hides my freckles and makes my skin seem flawless. Like a damn doll. The pink dress fits me like a glove; the back of the dress is open, and the front pushes my boobs up in the most revealing way possible without them falling out. The rest of the dress falls to the floor, and Aliana clips a cloak around my shoulders. A white metal clip holds it together at my throat.
I glance back at Aliana who looks more stunning than anyone in a tight green dress that has cold shoulder cut and falls to the floor like mine. “You can do this.” That’s all the encouragement Aliana can manage to tell me before she walks out of the room, leaving the door open for me to follow. I lift my hands into the air in front of me and, without having to think much on it, they light up with a burning pink light. The light is so pure…and so deadly. I just have to hope my plan to kill Austin will work. I have to hope I am stronger than he is. If I am part of the true light, then surely some deep part of me must be powerful enough to stop him. To kill him.
“I hope you aren’t planning on burning me. I didn’t think going down in pink flames was the way I’d die,” Landon’s kind, joking voice says behind me, and I turn, dropping my hands and the light as I run at Landon. He hugs me close when I get to him, and I could almost cry at seeing him okay. Alive. I pull away from Landon to really look at him in his black suit and white tie. His hair is styled nicely, and he is glowing white ever so slightly still. Though when I meet his eyes, there is untold pain and regret in them. Something I know too well.
“I missed you,” I admit.
“Me too. I’m glad to see you alright, even in that god awful pink dress,” he says, picking at the itchy lace near my neck.
“If I ever get mated for real, I want to wear anything but pink,” I tell him, and we both laugh for a second until I hear voices in the other room. I look over Landon’s shoulder to see Okeken stood with Aliana, talking quietly. His eyes meet mine like he knows I was watching him, and he waves a hand for me to come to him.
“Don’t worry. We have a plan,” Landon whispers so quietly that I almost miss it before he turns around and walks over to Okeken and Aliana, with me following a few steps behind. Landon wraps an arm around Aliana when he gets close and kisses her forehead. Very good acting.
“What a lovely day it is for a mating ceremony. I do hope Landon’s and my dear daughter’s is next,” Okeken exclaims, clapping his hands once before dropping them as Landon and Aliana mumble quick agreements.
“I’m sure that would be a lovely mating,” I bite out, and Okeken ignores my tone, offering me his arm. It’s only then I take in the white, crisp suit Okeken has on and how flawless it is. I almost want to find some mud to throw at him to ruin the perfect look.
“Let me walk you to the ceremony. I wish to speak to you alone for a little while before you join our family,” he suggests, though I know a demand when I hear one. After looking at Landon once for comfort and strength, I take a deep breath before linking arms with Okeken, and he makes us disappear. We reappear in an empty corridor, one lined with fairy lights and pink roses. There are even pink petals on the floor that lead up to the double white doors at the end where I can hear people talking.
“What did you want to speak to me about?” I ask, wanting to get this part over with. I know it’s just going to be about the true light and more crap to try and convince me Maxx is evil, and they are the good guys in this.
“The truth,” he tells me, taking a step forward, and I have to follow. I try not to trip on the dress and the high heels Aliana told me I needed to wear. Austin will be lucky if I don’t fall flat on the floor instead of actually standing at his side. I know I only have to pretend for a bit longer and pray my plan works. I’ve spent hours, no days, going over the plan. It will be the only time Austin is off guard and there will be no way to stop me.
“Oh?” I ask, actually surprised by that.
“See, I’ve always known exactly who you are Aura Scott. It’s only you that has never known the truth. It is sad that you haven’t figured it out or took time to learn our history. The answer is right in front of your face,” he says.
“If this is about me being the true light, I get it, and I don’t want to speak about it with you anymore,” I say, shaking my head. Whatever this power is, I know I need to be with Maxx to access it. I’m not telling the psychopath next to me that though. Not until I’ve had a chance to see if my plan can work.
“No, it is not about that. It is about secrets. I will tell you everything you need to know as long as you mate with my son without hassle or force,” he says. “I do not want to argue with you and make a scene in front of all the clans.”
“What secrets could you possibly know that would make it worth mating with Austin without ‘hassle’?” I counter as we get to the double doors.
“Secrets like who your mother really is and where to find her,” he tells me and knocks on the door like he didn’t just tell me something important.
“My mum is the crazy woman you look after, and of course I know where she is,” I reply. If this is his way of blackmailing me, he sucks at
it.
“No, she isn’t. Your life is a lie, and I can relate to that. I wish for you to know the truth, only when you are part of my family that is,” he says as the doors swing open. I stare at him for a second, running it over and over in my mind. Could my mum not really be my mother? How would that make any sense?
When I finally pull my gaze away, I see the hundreds of people in the room on either side of an aisle. The room is a dome, covered in pink roses and pink decorations. Candles light up a line in the middle, where at the end is an arch with a star in the middle of it. There are symbols all over the arch that light up, and roses swirl around them. It’s beautiful, but it only makes me feel like running in the other direction. I close my sweaty hands into fists and breathe in deep as I try to ignore all the people staring at me. Whispering under their breath.
Right at the end are Austin in a suit and a man hidden in a white cloak with the hood up so I can’t see his face at all. The man holds an ancient looking book in his hands which, as I stare, seems to glow purple ever so slightly. To the side is Landon and Aliana, holding hands, and the person that shocks me the most is standing on the other side. My mum. She is dressed in a tight white dress, her hair is perfectly pulled back into a tight bun, and when she meets my eyes, she smiles.
“She was never crazy…was she?” I ask Okeken, my voice cracking, and he laughs.
“No. I hoped her playing a game with you would make you trust us more. But Andrea is my partner and co-leader of this clan,” he says, and a tear falls down my cheek before I can hide my shock and pain. My mum left me on purpose, and dad must have hid me from her and not just this clan.
“This is a big game to you, isn’t it?” I ask as wedding music starts playing loudly and all the air seems to be sucked out of my body and replaced with pure fear.
“A game I will win, Aura. I have lost too much to lose. Now smile, it is your mating ceremony after all.”
Chapter 17
Aura
Every tiny step down the aisle feels almost painful from the way everyone stares at me and the pressure of my plan bearing down on me. This has to work because a life as Austin’s mate is not one I plan to live long as. Happy, elegant music plays as I walk and meet Landon’s gaze. He looks confident and not worried like I am feeling. He doesn’t know of my plan, so I wonder why he seems so relaxed. Aliana smiles tightly at me, but I can see in her gaze that she wishes she could help me escape here.
I glance briefly around at the people in the room, feeling that they are all darks. It’s strange to be in a room full of my own kind and feel like an outsider. They are blonde or white-haired adults, with the odd bit of colour throughout the crowd. Most are older, and I don’t see any children which I know would make me feel a little better to see hanging around. These groups of men and women are frightening, especially how they stare at me like they expect something of me. Knowing what Okeken thinks of me being the true light and their leader, there is no doubt they really do expect a lot.
I release a shaky breath when we get to the end of the aisle, even if we do stop just before Austin, who reaches for my arm and holds on tightly to my wrist. I have to resist the urge to hit him with something and fight my way out of here. I doubt I’d get three steps before one of them got me. I meet Austin’s gleaming eyes as he lifts my hand and kisses the back.
“You look beautiful, my little Aura,” Austin says, and I force myself to smile at him as he lowers my hand but doesn’t let go of his grip on my wrist. There is a deathly silence as I don’t say a word while I unhook my arm from Okeken.
“Congratulations, Aura Scott. We welcome you gladly into our family, and I cannot wait to see where the future leads us all,” Okeken formally greets me and bows his head. His words send the audience into hushed whispers, and I have to make myself keep eye contact with Okeken rather than looking at the people. I nod back, keeping up the pretence as he moves to stand next to my mum who happily kisses him. It’s gross to see her like that, betraying my dad. He loved her so much, and I must have been blind to miss this side of my mum, it seems. Well, maybe my mum. It’s all so confusing.
“This way,” Austin says, pulling me in front of the man in a hood and never letting go of my arm in his tight grip. It’s like he expects me to try and run away. Only a fool would do that, knowing they couldn’t escape. The man opens the book in front of him, which is glowing purple now I’m close enough to see it clearer. Inside, the pages just look clear for a moment before they start to show white writing which I can’t understand.
“Before stars. Before light. Before our very planets existed, we were all one. Time has let us grow into the light we are today. This book is from old times, long before our people knew what they were. They understood love. They wished for a way to bond, to ensure their magic and love were eternal. Thus, the mating bond and ceremony were created,” the man under the hood proclaims. His words are slow, almost blocked out by the sound of my fast beating heart. “Dark light, we ask you to bless this ceremony. To bless the love of those who wish to join—”
Just as the man in the hood gets to the middle of his speech, the ground shakes hard enough to send us all falling to the floor, and several people scream. I roll across the ground and cover my head, hearing the sound of glass smashing and massive explosions. The explosions finally stop, leaving my ears ringing as I open my eyes and sit up.
“What is going on?!” Okeken roars from somewhere behind me as I meet Landon’s eyes. He winks and crawls to me, trying to reach for me, but I shake my head. I instead turn to find Austin in the chaos of running people and the room falling to pieces. I finally spot Austin as he stands up off the ground, and I pull myself up, running for Austin. He smiles when I get to him and grab his hand.
“See, you do love me. You would have run if you didn’t,” Austin cockily grins, and I ignore Landon’s shouts for me as I picture Maxx in my mind and feel myself fading away. I scream in pain as every part of my body hurts as I disappear with Austin and collapse into a room, ending the pain. I’ve spent days—weeks—with Maxx, going over how to flash, without him realising I was only ever going to figure out a way to make sure I take Austin straight to him rather than just leave. The room is shaky as I brace myself, not as badly as the wedding room but enough to make the light in here flicker, and it’s difficult to stand still. I gasp as Austin wraps his hands around my throat, slamming me to the floor and kneeling next to me as he holds me down. Now he finally realises I am not in love with him. That I don’t have any feelings other than hate.
“Why the fuck did you flash us without my permission, my little mate? When did you learn to do that? Are you the reason for whatever is going on out there?” Austin growls, squeezing my neck tighter, and I only smile as a shadow steps behind Austin, placing his large hands around his neck.
“No. That would be me, and you need to let go of my mate before I snap your neck,” Maxx demands. Austin lets go of my neck, finger by finger, before putting his hands in the air, staying on his knees. I crawl away, rubbing my sore neck as I sigh in relief. It worked. I came to Maxx, and now he can end Austin’s poor excuse for a life.
“Now shut up and don’t move, or we will see who is stronger when I drain you,” Maxx warns Austin, who nods once in agreement with bulging eyes. Maxx slowly moves his eyes from Austin to me, and I finally take in all the changes to Maxx. His skin is pale, covered in cuts and bruises. He is thinner than before, and his hair is messy, but it doesn’t take away from how handsome he is anyway. In the corner of my eye, I see the burn marks covering every inch of the room and how massive parts are nothing but the metal. There is nothing in the room other than a mattress and a toilet. Maxx doesn’t even have a shirt, and he has the same jeans on from the first time I saw him in this place weeks ago.
“You bastard! What have you and your sick father been doing to Maxx?” I demand, getting up off the floor and slapping Austin hard across the face. He growls, but Maxx only squeezes his neck tighter when he tries to get to me.
“I’m alright, Freckles. It’s over now,” Maxx gently tells me before we hear a massive bang in the distance. A second later, it feels like the room is falling, and we all float into the air with the fall. I scream, reaching for Maxx as he reaches for me, but before we can touch, the room crashes, and I hit the rocky ground with a severe smack.
Chapter 18
Maxx
Coughing heavily, I roll onto my side in the rubble and dust around me before pushing myself up to look around at the place we have fallen into. Using my hand to shield my eyes from the dust still falling, I glance up to see a massive hole in the prison I was kept in above. It looks like a bomb or something strong exploded into the side of the room, collapsing the floor into this empty room. The room still has walls just about, but the floor is smashed into bits of metal, stone and rocks below us. I’m worried about the fact it could fall through any moment now. Loud bangs and screams fill the air around me as I search for the only person that matters in all this chaos. Aura.
Seeing her appear in my room was better than any dream, even if she was dressed up for a wedding and holding my enemy’s hand in hers. The determination she must have had to flash Austin to me is insane. And gives me another reason why she is perfect for me. Aura is my soulmate, and no matter what, I will find a way to make sure we have a future. I love her.
I lift myself to my feet, ignoring my aching bones and the dizziness I feel from lack of food for weeks, even longer. They tried torturing me, then tried starving me with only water from the toilet to drink. Nothing worked, and my dreams with Aura gave me the strength to carry on. Now she needs me.
