“Onyx, everything is under control,” Atticus said calmly, following me. “Why don’t you spend some time in the reading room. Afternoon tea will do you well. I could use some myself.”
“No, thanks,” I snapped, unable to hold back the anger. Olwen was protecting Mom not for her or my sake, but just as a statement to Petra and the Summer Court. He would not let them steal from him again. He was a prideful ruler, putting his need for respect above the well-being of others. Mom had been a pawn, and so was I.
To make the afternoon pass faster, I retreated to the basement gym and trained, shooting at targets and throwing daggers at invisible enemies. Atticus stayed out of my way. It was only when my muscles trembled with exhaustion that I dared to go back upstairs.
Instead of going to my room, I headed straight toward the Evening Room. It was seven in the evening, and Olwen should be back by now. Indeed, I found him seated at the icy table. He sipped beer and surveyed me with an unconcerned gaze as I walked in.
“Did you find my mother?”
He spoke with infuriating calm. “Yes. We have successfully moved her to a safe house. Thank you for bringing this up to me, Onyx.”
I breathed out some of my anger. Maybe I’d been wrong about Olwen looking at Mom just as a pawn in his power game. Perhaps I’d interpreted his words wrong. “Thank you for moving her.” Relief gushed in through my shoulder blades. Petra wouldn’t be able to get to my mom. Mom would live. I would have one less life to worry about.
Olwen studied his beer glass. “Yes. Removing your mother from her apartment and placing a few guards there in case Petra comes sniffing was an excellent idea.”
My jaw clenched, and it took everything I had to keep my fury in. My pulse roared in my ears. Before I could say a word, I turned away, left the room, and let the door swing shut behind me.
14
Onyx
The next five days were hell. I tried to channel all the anger I felt toward Olwen into finding Petra, but I had no success. And neither did the vampires. The full moon came and went, and still we didn’t locate her. We had failed. Right now, Petra was probably in the faeland, gathering her troops, getting ready to kill me.
I was still furious with Olwen, but since he was my only source of information, I headed for his study the morning after the full moon. Atticus trailed me silently, and I tried not to snap at him that I was capable of walking by myself around the mansion.
“Come in,” Olwen boomed after I knocked, and my shoulders dropped with relief. He was here. He would have answers. I might not like them, but knowledge was power.
I entered the study and inclined my head respectfully. “The full moon has passed,” I said, feeling stupid by stating the obvious, yet not knowing where else to start.
Olwen nodded. “I’ve sent a messenger to the faeland. The best spies of the Winter Court will monitor the Summer Court for changes.”
Atticus came alive at that. “That’s wonderful. We’ll know immediately if Petra has returned.”
Olwen shook his head, eyes darkening. “I have spies in their court, but not in the house of the royal family.”
“Who knows about this place?” I motioned around the room, redirecting the conversation.
Olwen shrugged nonchalantly, clearly not concerned about this. “Vulthus and a few other vampires, and my guards. No Summer fae should know about this place as we have taken measures to keep it a secret. The only Summer fae who knows is that girl you were desperate for me to employ.” His words ground together as he spoke the last sentence.
I clenched my teeth at that. Lily worked day and night, doing anything she was asked with a smile on her face, always going the extra mile, and yet, he still thought of her as something less than his other servants just because she was a descendant of the other court. As if she could control her lineage.
But I hadn’t come here for Lily. I needed to know about the barrier magic. If Thorsten had been able to break through it, Petra might as well. “What about the spell around the mansion? Could Petra slip past it if she used glamour to take on the form of a Winter Court fae?”
Olwen shook his head. “That’s not how it works. The spell doesn’t react to what one looks like, but the intention of the being. If they’re here to harm me or anyone in this house, they’ll be repelled. And in addition to that, the front of the fortress is heavily glamoured and disorients all but Winter fae and a few vampires I’ve given a pass.”
Atticus nodded in confirmation, and I exhaled. So that was why Thorsten was able to enter the garden from the back of the property. It seemed the front of the house was still impenetrable to him, but since he could come through the barrier at the back, he meant none of us ill harm. I had already known that, but it was nice to get the confirmation. After everything I had been through, it was hard to completely rely on my feelings, and it was always good to have tangible proof. Still, that didn’t resolve my worry regarding Petra.
“What if Petra brings a lot of Summer Court fae with her? Can their combined magic break the spell?” I kept my voice level so I didn’t sound like a whining child asking questions.
Olwen rubbed his forehead. “Anything is possible, but it would take them a long time to get through my wards. This would allow my guards to pick them off one by one. Standing targets are easy targets.”
I nodded. So, I was mostly safe here. Good. But I had no intention of becoming a useless Rapunzel. I was a warrior. “What do we do now? Have you found a way to get closer to Vulthus?”
At this moment, Lily entered, carrying a tray of coffee and tea as well as biscuits and sandwiches.
“How dare you come in without knocking?” Olwen glared at her, raising his voice.
Still holding the tray, she managed to sink into a low curtsy. “Pardon the intrusion, Your Majesty. I was told by Elvira to bring in the breakfast tray as soon as it was ready.”
Olwen worked his jaw. Petra’s escape had made him angry, and he was taking it out on poor Lily. “Has no one taught you any manners?”
“It won’t happen again. I promise.” Lily scurried toward the table and set the tray down. She backed out of the room, but Olwen held up a hand.
“Stay.”
Lily froze, terror shining on her face, and it took all of my willpower not to walk over to her and squeeze her hand in reassurance.
The gleam in Olwen’s eyes was savage. He wanted blood. “You never told me about your stint at Stanley MacGregor’s.”
The color drained out of Lily’s face, and she hid her hands behind her back, but not before I noticed the violent tremor in them.
I could no longer stay silent despite Atticus giving a subtle shake of his head, telling me that this wasn’t my battle to fight. Disregarding his advice, I asked, “Is this really necessary? We need to focus on Vulthus and Petra.”
Olwen shot me an icy smile. “Exactly, child. You still have so much to learn.”
I bristled, but didn’t respond.
“Has Vulthus ever visited Stanley MacGregor’s house?”
Lily’s eyelid twitched. She might be a half fae like I, but she wouldn’t dare to lie to Olwen. “Once,” she whispered.
“Tell us all about it.” Olwen remained still. The room crackled with magic.
Lily glanced nervously between Olwen, me, and Atticus, and I gave her a reassuring nod. The quicker she told Olwen what she knew, the sooner he would let her go.
“Lord Vulthus came over once. It was a few days into my contract. I was in the kitchen. This was the area I was supposed to be in. When I had time off, I was locked in my basement room so I could sleep.”
My stomach contracted, and disgust rose in me.
“My chain was long enough to reach from the kitchen into the living room. I was responsible for serving food, cleaning up, and other things…” Lily’s voice trailed off, and iciness bloomed in my veins. Had Stanley violated her? Had he forced himself onto her? If so, I wished I could resurrect the asshole only to kill him all over again, this time slo
wly, making him scream and howl in pain, making him feel the terror he had made her feel. He didn’t deserve the quick death I had given him.
Unaware of my dark thoughts, Olwen waved his hands at her. “Get to the point, girl. What did Stanley discuss with Vulthus?”
“He was furious about Onyx disappearing. He said that Kristen had been punished and that the whole academy is searching as are his guards, but that no one had found her.” She chewed on her lip until a bit of blood showed. “He wanted to speak to me, because he knew we were roommates.”
Olwen’s eyes narrowed, and he glared at me, clearly not thrilled I had kept this detail from him. His attention snapped back to Lily. “What did you tell him?”
Sickness rose up my throat. I used all my effort to keep my face neutral.
“N-nothing.” Tears shot into Lily’s eyes, and I could no longer bear it. I stepped in front of her, shielding her from Olwen.
“Lily has been nothing but loyal.”
Olwen’s eyes narrowed with anger. “Did you tell this Summer fae what you were planning?”
I squared my shoulders. “She knew about me practicing glamour and that I would pick Kristen as the person to turn into. That’s all.”
Olwen motioned to Atticus, who I had almost forgotten was still standing by the door of the study. Atticus gently moved me aside, so that I was no longer blocking Lily.
“Did you repeat this information?” Olwen’s voice was dangerously low.
Lily shook her head. “No, I swear I didn’t. I denied knowing anything.”
“And Vulthus believed you?”
“I don’t think so, but Stanley told him to leave. And he told Vulthus that it was up to him to punish me.” Lily lowered her head.
Olwen wasn’t done. He was determined to hear everything even if it wouldn’t help us and only retraumatize Lily. “What did Stanley do to you?”
More ice streamed into my veins, making it painful to hold it all in.
Lily gave a tiny shake of her head, but Olwen was determined to rip all her secrets from her, no matter how personal they were. “Tell us!”
Lily hugged herself. “He made me undress and then he whipped me everywhere.” Her voice broke on the final word.
“Enough!” I stepped forward. “Can’t you see? She has no loyalty to the Summer Court. She’s been working for you for weeks, doing her best. She belongs to us now, and we don’t torture our servants. Do we want them to leave us and go to the other side?” I had to say those words, had to hope that appealing to Lily’s role and not what she meant to me would pacify Olwen.
He leaned back in his chair. “I’ve heard enough. Both of you, leave. Lily, leave breakfast here and go continue your tasks. Onyx, go and train. Atticus, stay. I have something to discuss with you.”
For once, I was glad to follow Olwen’s orders. I rushed Lily out of the room and into the kitchen where I made her sit down and got her a glass of water and a box of tissues.
“I’m so sorry,” I started as she cried silently, her face buried in her hands. “I should’ve found you earlier.” I shut my eyes, feeling like a piece of shit. “I was heartless, selfish, only thinking about my own survival.”
“You had to.” Lily blew her nose. “You already helped when you switched majors with me and then you helped Virgie at the hunt. Both times it didn’t lead anywhere.” She wiped at her eyes. “I was hurt by you abandoning me, but I understood.”
I swallowed hard. “I’m sorry.” My apologies were useless, yet I couldn’t stop myself from uttering them.
Lily reached out and took my hand. I wanted to pull back, hide from more pain, yet my desire for this friendship overpowered my fear, so I squeezed her hand gently. “I’m so grateful for everything you did, Onyx.” Lily’s gray eyes shone with sincerity. “You got me away from MacGregor. You convinced your father to let me stay here.”
I sighed. “We can never be friends openly. Olwen can never know how much you mean to me.”
She nodded. “I know.”
“And you’re alright with that?” I hated how Virgie had only been friends with us when Peony wasn’t watching.
Lily nodded. “Yes. You have no other choice. I’ll gladly take what you can offer.” She gave me a weak smile. “A hidden friendship is better than no friendship.”
I returned her smile, even as my gut twisted. I didn’t want to live in a world where I couldn’t admit my friendships openly. I shouldn’t have to fear what my father would do to Lily, how he would use her to keep me in line. This was all so messed up. “How many chores do you have left?” I asked.
Lily blinked. “A few.”
I nodded. “I’ll get another servant down here to do them, so that you can rest.”
She shook her head. “No, your father will find out.”
I sighed, realizing she was right. “I’ll send someone down to help you. Please rest afterward.”
Lily gave me another smile. “Thank you, Onyx.”
I rose. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
“I understand.” She threw away her used tissues and started on the dishes in the sink.
I hesitated at the door, but I knew that openly disobeying Olwen’s orders would do me no good. So, I went to the gym and trained harder than I ever had until my toned muscles ached and sweat covered my body. Atticus joined me a while later, and we did different maneuvers—me chasing and attacking him while he defended and vice versa.
By the time dinner rolled around, my muscles had turned to rubber and my stomach roared with hunger. Thankfully, Olwen was out and no one made a fuss when I asked for my food to be brought upstairs. No one questioned me when I also asked for the servants to leave me alone after.
I had just finished my cheesecake, which normally tasted like a divine slice of heaven, but today reminded me of dry earth, when someone knocked. I glanced at the door. “Come in.” I wasn’t really in the mood for company, but what if it was Atticus with news of Petra?
I waited, but the door didn’t open. The knock came again. It sounded strange.
My heart leapt and my body tensed. What if Petra had gotten in? No, that was impossible. I tiptoed to the door and opened it, but no one stood in the corridor.
Was I hallucinating? Shaking my head, I closed the door. I turned around and clasped a hand across my mouth to keep in the scream of surprise at the person levitating outside my window, his knuckles pressed against the frame. I hurried toward the window and forced it open.
“Thorsten. What are you doing here?” Not wanting the guards to discover and capture him, I added, “Come in.”
He slipped through my window and landed on his feet. Lifting an eyebrow, he studied me. “You invited me in.” Wonderment and relief filled his voice. “That was all I needed to enter the house.”
That made sense. How else had I been able to bring Lily into the fortress?
“I wasn’t in the mood for an execution,” I said wryly.
The corner of his mouth twitched upward. “You do know that if you invite a vampire in, he can come and go as he pleases. That applies to any dwelling, not just those under magical protection.”
I had heard that one before, but more importantly, there was something I needed to share with him. “I figured out why the fae barrier magic doesn’t affect you. It works against Olwen’s enemies, those who wish him or anyone in this mansion harm.” I know you don’t wish me any harm, I added silently. I wish trust wasn’t something we had to work at so hard.
“I figured it was something like that,” Thorsten said softly, his words meaningless, while the genuineness in his face was everything.
My gaze slid down his sexy as hell lips to the shirt that clung to his broad shoulders, chest and torso that ended in a V. The perfect man stood in front of me, and all we did was talk. I was done talking. I wanted to live. Petra or Vulthus could attack at any time. I didn’t want to die as a virgin. So, I stepped forward and grabbed Thorsten’s T-shirt, pulling him in for a deep kiss.
15
/>
Onyx
Thorsten’s tongue intertwined with mine, and his hands caressed my back while I found the hem of his T-shirt and tugged it over his head. Keeping my lips on his, I walked backward until I felt the bed frame behind my knees and toppled down, taking him with me.
Thorsten softened the fall by putting his weight on his elbows. I locked my legs around his waist, and ground my hips into his. Electricity surged through my body. My palms roamed his muscled back and circled around to his chest. I traced my finger first down his breastbone, then down the center valley of his rock-hard abs. Lower...lower...I grabbed his belt buckle and undid it.
Suddenly, Thorsten stopped kissing me and pulled away.
I froze, heat rising into my cheeks.
“Onyx,” he breathed, his labored voice the sexiest thing I’d ever heard. “What are you doing?”
“Living in the moment.”
He shook his head and rolled away from me. “We can’t.”
“Why? I’m no longer at the academy, and I…we can’t get...it’s safe.” I didn’t exactly want to say that I couldn’t get pregnant because I was fae and he was a vampire and that this also made diseases impossible. But given the way Thorsten’s face froze for a second, he knew exactly what I was insinuating.
He sat up, distancing himself even further from me. I tried to pull him back down, but he scooted away further. “This isn’t right.”
I sat up as well, disappointment tugging at my heart. “Why? I thought you wanted to be with me.”
“Yes.” He paused, and every second that passed felt like an eternity. “But not like this. I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
What was he saying? “You aren’t.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Really? Are you trying to say that this has nothing to do with you being afraid? You all but admitted it.”
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