House of Deception: The Unrivaled Series

by Brandi Elledge

  When he started to put the car back in first gear, I came out of my trance, blinking several times. He almost killed me to prove a point.

  Without thinking, I reached over and punched his arm. “You are an insufferable, egotistical, condescending man. I don’t trust you. I don’t like you. And if I had a bottle of serum right now, there is a huge chance that I would inject my own self just so I could obtain more power and whip your narcissistic ass.”

  He looked down at his arm that I had just punched. “Did you hit me?”

  “That is what you comment on? Did you not hear all the insults I just threw your way? Are you daft?”

  A chuckle escaped him, confirming that he probably was. “You know what, my Little Thorn? You amuse me.”

  I tucked my shaking hands out of sight by crossing my arms. “I’m so glad.”

  “So many firsts with you. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

  He drove a safe speed now, but my heart was still lurching.

  “So, I’m bait.”

  “You’re bait.”

  I stared out the window, refusing to look at his stupidly handsome face. He wanted to use me. I wasn’t shocked. After all, he was an unrivaled from the most powerful major house there was, so it wasn’t like I expected anything different from him.

  “And if I’m a dud? If you are mistaken and I have no powers, what then?”

  “Then you will go back to the House of Hybrids and continue to work.”

  “Why mark me even semi-permanently? Which, by the way, I sincerely hope this marking isn’t a forever thing. No offense.”

  “Offense taken.” Another shift of the gears. “Because the House of Deception is no different than any other house. Cruelty and power rules them. They will use anything at their disposal to cut you down if, in fact, you do belong to them and have an immeasurable amount of power. They are terrified of other houses so, as of right now, they don’t compete with them. And since each house governs themselves, that means your biggest worry would be the ones who are on the inside of that house. The House of Deception is the most old-fashioned, stuffy, overbearing house there is. Lucky for us, that’s why they are having a hard time breeding.”

  “Breeding? You make all of you sound like animals.”

  He cut his eyes to mine, and with that one look, I felt myself pushing back into the seat. His next words left chill bumps all over me.

  “We are.”

  For a few minutes, neither of us said anything. I was sure he was picking up on my fear, even though I was doing my damnedest to slow my racing heartbeat with deep breaths.

  “In this new world, you will find that nothing is based on love but power alone,” he broke the silence.

  I sighed, causing him to smirk.

  “Speaking of powers, if you have them, they will be analyzed and evaluated. Your blood will tell which house or houses you belong to. Your blood will also tell the head of the houses who you are most compatible with. If you are a hybrid, like me, then you will have several different matches that could be possible potential mates. Then the head of the house decides who you are to be mated to.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  He cut his icy blue eyes to me. “Do I look like a man who kids?”

  He had a point.

  “The head of the house,” he continued, “matches unrivaled based on the offspring that the combined bloodline would produce.”

  I was shocked. How much more twisted could these people possibly be? The unrivaled didn’t even get a choice in who they would like to marry?

  The engine whined as if it was attuned to my thoughts and feelings.

  “The House of Hybrids gives others an option, as you know,” the Puppeteer said.

  I scoffed. “One where parents aren’t forced to kill their kids.”

  “I’ve seen your memories—”

  “Thanks for the reminder,” I cut him off with a glare.

  “As harsh as your circumstances have been, you haven’t truly endured anything.”

  “So says the rich dude with running water, fancy suits, and food in his belly.”

  For a brief moment, his icy-blue eyes left the road and pierced mine. “If you think that hunger pains and an unsanitary environment is as bad as it can get, then the unrivaled will have a field day with tearing you apart.”

  His words raised the hair on the back of my neck. Ignoring the tension that now filled the car, however, I asked, “So, you have me all dressed up to be bait for what? And for who? The House of Deception?”

  “I don’t want to give all my secrets away just yet.”

  “I’m walking into all of this blind.” Anger coated my words. “If I’m to be your pawn in this game of checkers, the least you could do is give me the details.”

  A sexy smile covered his face. “The first thing you need to know is that I don’t play checkers. That’s for boys. Secondly, there are no pawns in checkers.”

  Anger was flying from me, and his response was laughter, which just added fuel to this burning fire inside of me.

  “Easy, Little Thorn. That temper of yours will serve you well, just not against me.” His light tone evaporated. “We’re close. Keep in mind that this house is not a predictable one. Their powers are based on lies and manipulation. If you come across danger—and I promise you will—then the mark will protect you.”

  Yeah, if it appeared soon.

  “How?”

  “I feel you, Little Thorn.”

  The way he said that had a strange sensation sliding over me.

  Clenching my knees together, I clung onto my anger. After all, it was the only safe thing to hold onto when it came to the Puppeteer.

  Forcing myself to think of something besides the sexy smirk on the Puppeteer’s face, or his deep baritone, or the way he smelled like sin and power, I thought back to what Lana had done with the candlestick. With just a thought, she had it turned into a reptile that slithered on the floor, waiting to strike fear into whomever came near.

  “How much of what I see tonight will be real?”

  His lips curled up. “Good question. You’ll know by how I react. If the house looks like it is on fire and I walk on through, then keep your head up and do the same. Preferably without twitching.”

  “And if I see you running, then run?”

  “I don’t run. Ever.”

  Of course he didn’t. “No checkers and no running. Well, aren’t you just a typical badass?”

  A chuckle escaped him. “You do realize that I’ve killed others for insulting me, don’t you?”

  “Dead women can’t be bait, and since you are using me as bait, I feel like you should tell me the full list of your powers.”

  He took a right and started driving down a long, paved road as he down-shifted. “I think we’re out of time.”

  He didn’t want to answer the question, then fine. There was a good chance that I would get a front row seat on what the Puppeteer could do anyway.

  We pulled into a flat driveway, and the car began to slow in front of a white house that was not as big as the House of Ash or the House of Hybrids. It was still huge but, in comparison, it didn’t stand out as much. It was three-stories and was shaped in a pattern of four squares that connected under one roof. There were balconies that jutted out here and there and columns that gave the house a stately look.

  He parked right outside the house, but before he got out of the car, he said, “Remember that, if the serum gets in the wrong hands, all humans could die in a war between the unrivaled. You seem fond of these humans, so remember their faces when you are dangling in there as bait.” Without saying another word, he got out of the car.

  Ugh. I hated him.

  Fumbling with the handle, I jumped out of the car and trailed after him. He was so confident in everything that he did or said. It would serve him right if these people didn’t have a clue who I was and it was determined that I was just human. After all the energy and time he had wasted on planning to use me, the
look on his face would be priceless.

  As I followed behind him, I had a smile on my face. Here was to wishing for my humanity.

  Before we could reach the steps two guards at the door cocked their guns and aimed them at us. Within seconds, both guards’ arms swiveled so that they were now pointing the guns at one another.

  The Puppeteer chuckled. “Now, boys, play nice. Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to point guns at people?”

  As I passed by the guards, I noticed the fear in their eyes.

  I grabbed the Puppeteer’s arm, and he immediately looked to where my fingers were. I didn’t care that he had his scary face on.

  “I’m not closing my eyes, so don’t make them pull the trigger.”

  He sighed dramatically. “You are absolutely no fun. None.”

  I watched as sweat coated the guards’ fingers that were taut on the triggers of the guns still aimed at one another, while the Puppeteer continued up the steps to the entrance of the House of Deception. Without knocking, he opened the door and strolled in like he owned the place.

  A man gave us a startled look, but before he could say anything, the Puppeteer had him pinned against the wall by the entrance. Then he held a finger up to his lips before addressing the man. “We don’t need you alerting everyone that we are here. I’d like Lionel to be surprised.” Saying that, he kept walking with me hurrying along to keep up with his giant strides.

  I looked over my shoulder to see the man still pinned to the wall and, through the open door, the guards still faced one another. Their legs were shaking now.

  “For how long can you keep that up?” I whispered.

  “Until I get tired.”

  “And what is the timeframe on that?” I asked, exasperated.

  He shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never grown tired.”

  At the end of the narrow hallway, he threw open French doors that led to what looked to be a grand living area. At least a dozen people stopped what they were doing.

  The Puppeteer clapped his hands. “Hello all.”

  A distinguished-looking man who was somewhere in his forties took a pipe out of his mouth. His salt and pepper hair was trimmed neat, and there wasn’t a hair out of place. His golden eyes zeroed in on the Puppeteer, overlooking me altogether. There was no doubt who the real threat in the room was.

  As the women slowly stood up, an extremely handsome man in his twenties moved in front of an older woman. They both had similar features, down to the dimple in their chins, so it was a guess on my part that he was trying to protect his mother from the Puppeteer.

  Good luck with that.

  “And to what do we owe the pleasure of this impromptu visit?” the older man with the pipe asked.

  “Lionel, dear, overconfident, pompous Lionel, I’m here in this shithole because I have questions that I need answers to.”

  “And what if we don’t want to give them to you?” the handsome guy asked.

  I sighed. This wasn’t going to go well.

  The Puppeteer looked at me and asked, “Am I boring you?” There was a small smile curving his lips, and I could tell that the humor in his voice had shocked our audience.

  Then, without even moving, the Puppeteer had the handsome guy sidestepping his mother and flopping into a chair. The man struggled, but it was evident that he couldn’t get up.

  The air became heavy, and a curtain of black fell. The sun no longer shone through the huge windows. The room was nothing but darkness, and I could no longer see an inch in front of me. Then there was the unmistakable sound of dogs howling, their ferocious growls getting closer, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

  Remembering what the Puppeteer had said, I tried not to panic or twitch, but I did scoot closer to the man who all feared. My arm brushed up against his and, at first, he flinched, but he didn’t move away from me. Then there was light radiating from his palms. The Puppeteer had two flames flickering brightly in the palms of his hands, casting a breathtaking glow upon his beautiful face. My lips parted as the flames grew higher and higher. Suddenly, the darkness faded away.

  The Puppeteer looked at the handsome guy. “Good call.”

  All of a sudden, everyone moved like robots as they found a place to sit.

  My legs started to carry me to a window seat, but the Puppeteer snagged my elbow, rooting me in place. “Sorry. Not you, love.” His touch alone erased the need to obey the power that the Puppeteer had released tenfold.

  I looked around at the furious gazes. There were seventeen people in this room, meaning he had controlled seventeen people without straining. I would bet anything that the guards were still pointing their guns at one another and the startled gentleman was still hanging from the wall like a spider caught in a web.

  There was a scuttle behind us and, without turning around, the Puppeteer said, “Ah, newcomers. Come join us.”

  In the same robotic movements, two women, in their late-thirties, early forties, came around the doorway and sat at the base of the huge fireplace. One was strikingly beautiful with honey-colored eyes, and the other had a hawkish look to her with black hair, bushy eyebrows, and facial features that were extremely narrow.

  Addressing his puppets, the Puppeteer said, “Now that I have everyone’s attention, I’d like to say that I’m saddened by the fact that your house’s numbers are so far on the decline.” He cocked his head to the side. “I can hear a few others farther off, but who would’ve thought your numbers were this low? It’s a shame that your house can’t find compatible matches.”

  I rolled my eyes. I seriously doubted the Puppeteer was saddened by anything.

  He jerked his head toward me, his eyebrows raised. I didn’t know what he was asking, so I gave a shrug.

  He continued, “One could say that this disastrously low number is due to a house that is so self-righteous and riddled with pride that you won’t be able to stop the decline, since you only allow your young males and females to match with a seventy percent compatibility of the same powers. Seems like, at some point, some inbreeding will be taking place.” He pointed to a gentleman in the corner with a large forehead, narrowed eyes, and a vacant look that had nothing to do with the Puppeteer’s persuasion. “Point in case.”

  “Don’t be nasty,” I whispered from the side of my mouth.

  He raked his eyes over my body. “It’s the only way to be loved.” Then he faced his enraged audience once more and tsked. “And if the young don’t find a compatible match from this very house, well, they don’t even make it out alive. Thanks to this old, sneaky dog, Lionel here, the future of this house doesn’t look too promising.” He snapped his fingers. “But I’m not here to lecture you on your biased stupidity. Although, if you do have a plan that could save this house from eventually being wiped out, I’d love to hear it. No, I’m here to introduce you to someone who, there is a good chance, was discarded nineteen or so years ago.” He stepped to the side. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is my aptly named Thorn.”

  No one moved or even spoke, but I had a feeling that had to do more with the Puppeteer than them not knowing what to make of me.

  “I believe that she is not what she thinks she is—human. I also believe that someone bound her powers. I thought I would start here, at this house, considering her rare eye coloring. Now, which one of you will be able to tell me the information that I seek?”

  With a flick of his wrist, everyone was able to move. Some slouched in their seats, some shot dagger eyes toward the Puppeteer, and some turned their hostility toward me. Figures. Everyone was extremely quiet. At this point, I wasn’t even sure if they were breathing.

  The Puppeteer scanned everyone’s face with his icy-blue eyes. “No one has anything to say?”

  He turned to me. “You know what I said about closing your eyes?”

  I shook my head. “No! Don’t start killing people just because—”

  My lips were slammed together as if they had been sewn shut.

  I flung my hand
s to my hips as I narrowed my eyes at the culprit.

  He gave me a wink before addressing the group. “Shame,” he said, “that you have a white rug. I’ll try to keep the blood to a minimum.”

  The older gentleman with the pipe—Lionel—stood up. “I’ll take a look at her to see if she has been bound by someone from my line.”

  With fake-cheer, the Puppeteer said, “Really? That’s so nice of you. Thanks.”

  The man came closer to me and laid a hand on my shoulder. I flinched.

  “Easy,” he said. “I mean you no harm.”

  The Puppeteer scoffed. “That’s sort of funny, considering that, if you do belong to this house, he would have been the one to order your death, if you decided to match with someone outside of this cult—I mean, house. You should really work on your self-esteem issues, Lionel.”

  The man’s cheeks turned red, but he wasn’t brave enough to retort. I didn’t blame him.

  “I can tell you that she does not come from my line. Therefore, I can’t tell if she is bound. She feels human to me.”

  The Puppeteer gave him a nod. “Let’s try out different lines then.”

  “Cal, could you please come assist us?” Lionel said.

  The handsome man stood slowly. When he walked over to us, there was an undercurrent of rage coming from him. He was no fan of the Puppeteer’s, and he wanted everyone to know it. The fact that the Puppeteer had no worries when it came to the handsome guy only infuriated Cal more.

  With one final glare for the Puppeteer beside me, he stepped before me. His eyes were a darker shade than mine. The color was so dark and rich that it gave them an almost hazel tone. His sandy blond hair was cut short in the back and sides, the front a little longer.

  “May I?” he asked.

  I gave him a tentative nod before he grabbed both my hands and took one more step closer to me. There was barely a foot separating us. His eyes never left mine as I felt my palms warm. Then he brought one of my hands up to his lips, lightly kissing the back. Releasing me, he stepped back and faced the older gentleman, completely ignoring the Puppeteer.