by Ivy Asher
He mistakes my silence for capitulation. He thinks I’m going to let him lead this dance to death, but I’m not that bitch. So when he skips away from me, thinking he can regroup and come at me from another angle, I charge him. I hammer the fucker with my own raw power and show him, collar or not, he doesn’t have shit on me.
“Stop!” rings out around me, but it’s not merely a word. It’s a command. One that slithers out of Adriel’s mouth and wraps around my limbs, my mind, my will, and seizes control. I freeze mid-strike, and Adriel’s smirk becomes a self-satisfied grin. “Lower your weapons, pet,” Adriel commands, and that same force flows out of his lips and cloaks itself around me, pushing my swords to the ground.
My mind screams with impotent rage, and my heart is pumping with adrenaline and trying to beat out of my chest. I know that this is wrong and that somehow he’s taken control of my body, but I have no fucking clue how he’s doing it. Is it this fucking collar? Does it make my magic painful and force me to comply? Horror spreads through me like a wild fire, and I’m suddenly certain why Adriel wears a perpetual fucking smirk. Because he always knew he could stop me with just a word.
“Look at me!” Adriel demands, and the siren song he’s somehow released in his tone forces my terrified eyes to his. The sounds of the battle around me shut off somehow, and all I can do is focus on Adriel and anything coming out of his mouth. He steps into me and runs the tip of his blade lightly against my cheek. I scream in my mind, but my lips are no longer mine, and until I’m commanded otherwise, they stay shut and I stay silent.
“That’s a good pet,” Adriel coos at me, and he presses into me to run the tip of his nose up the side of my face. I can’t even shudder away from the feel of him. “You didn’t think I’d actually let you win, did you, pet?” he asks me, the blade of his katana trailing down my chest. “I heard your friends coming before they killed the first of the guards outside,” he whispers into my ear. And now, I’m going to make you kill them one by one.”
26
Panic surges through me, and I know this is about as bad as it fucking gets. I don’t know if he can use this ability on more than one person, but I suspect he can. I initially thought this was because of the collar, but if I really think back to everything that I’ve been told about Adriel, I should have seen this coming. The way Siah, Sorik and Talon said they would feel after listening to Adriel talk, like they were gods and could do anything and would do anything he told them to. When my mother escaped, it was because another nest attacked Adriel. Talon told me that the invading nest was winning the battle, but somehow Adriel defeated them in the end. This must have been how.
The night that I met him, I had a similar cloying sensation that crawled all over my skin, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. But now, as this infinitely more powerful compulsion crawls through my veins, I realize that I’ve missed all the fucking clues. I want to cry as all my darkest fears are volleying images at me of what Adriel could force me to do, but I push back against the dread and try to think through the fog of his compulsion.
I’m certain he tried to use it on me before he collared me that first night, and I try to think back to what was going on in the exact moment that I first felt it. I had just activated my Chosen runes to warn the guys, and then Adriel walked out of the crumbling stone ruin. An idea forms in my mind and I immediately call on my magic. Elation erupts inside of me when I realize, that despite the compulsion, I still can. Agony quickly drowns out my excitement, and I try to hold onto the magic for as long as I can. The pain is searing in its intensity, but I can feel it burning away at the toxic vapors.
A cold hand on my face rips me from my internal focus, and I slam back into the here and now to discover that Adriel is inches away from my face. The desire to headbutt the fucker flashes through my mind, and I’m shocked as fuck when my body responds to my command and does it. Talon always used to tell me that headbutting an opponent was a commitment to pain and should only be used as a last resort. My forehead smashes against Adriel’s nose, and I’m reminded why Talon’s words were accurate as fuck, because even though Adriel scrambles back with a pained shout, I also let out a cry because, fuck, that hurt.
I ready my swords and stride toward Adriel, when he compels my body to once again “Stop!” I immediately call on my magic and let it burn away Adriel’s control, and by the time he steps toward me, his katana ready to run me through, I have a blade up to block him and another slashing down at his throat. He skips out of the way and tries to force me to listen to him again. It fucking hurts, but I wrap my magic in a strangle hold, and its brutal presence in my body keeps Adriel’s power from sinking into me and claiming anything that doesn’t belong to him.
My two blades sing through the air, clashing with his sword, rebounding and coming at him again and again. I’m relentless in my attack, and the more hits I make in spite of Adriel screaming out his attempts to control me, the more furious he gets. His features morph with rage when it’s clear that his power isn’t working on me, and his temper flares. His eyes lose their gold and flash all red. He throws his sword in a fit of anger, and one claw-tipped hand reaches out and grabs my wrist as I bring my sword in a downward arc toward him.
I stab him through the stomach with my other katana, but he pushes in toward me like the blade in his gut is nothing.
“You are mine!” he bellows at me, and he presses even closer. He pulls his other clawed hand back, and it’s clear he’s going to try and gouge me into pieces. I immediately let go of the handle of the sword in his abdomen and call a short sword into my palm.
I scream out in pain as even more fire fills my limbs, but I shove through it. I stab up, and the blue of my blade disappears into Adriel’s throat. Claws rake down my left side, but Adriel releases my wrist and clutches at the magic forged blade in his neck. I release my hold on the magic and the blade disappears. I pivot and complete the downward arc of the katana still in my left hand, and Adriel’s neck and head separate from the rest of his body.
I stand there, panting through the pain, and watch as Adriel’s body disintegrates into dust. The collar around my neck suddenly crumbles, and I tip my head back and exhale a deep, relieved breath. I was fully prepared that this metal choker was going to be a part of my look until we could figure out how the fuck to get it off. Each of the guys are still fighting, and I look around at Adriel’s almost unrecognizable throne room. I send a pulse of Sentinel magic out, and all the lamia in a twenty-foot radius instantly turn to ash.
It feels so fucking good to use my magic again without feeling like I’m melting from the inside out. It’s been awful being cut off from the power that’s always been a part of me. It’s like there’s been a wall keeping me from being whole, and I just took a mace and shattered that fucker.
“Awwww, Killer, what’d you do that for? I was two moves away from ashing mine,” Knox whines, and a laugh bursts out of my throat. I drop my katana, and it clangs to the ground. I crack up, and I can’t tell if I’m laughing or crying. I think it’s both, which seems like a solid indicator that I’ve just officially lost my fucking mind. Tears stream down my cheeks, and I bend over, my hands on my knees, to try and rein in the hysterical laughter pouring out of me.
“By the moon, Knox, what did I tell you about breaking the Sentinel?” Aydin chides, and it makes me lose it even more.
Tears drip off my chin and fall to mix with the inches of ash covering the floor. I shake my head, my tears speckling the ground, and I try to get a grip on everything that’s just happened. My mother, Talon, Lachlan, Keegan, the twin’s parents, the blood slave, they’ve all been avenged. And yet, I stand here oddly empty with no idea where to go from here. I look up, and everyone is sort of just looking around with the same what happens now stamped on their face.
Sabin snaps out of the shock first. In five quick strides, he wraps his arms around me and lifts me off the ground. He shoves his face in my matted, dirty hair, and it takes me a minute to hear what he’s
whispering over and over against my neck.
“We did it,” he celebrates quietly, squeezing me to him.
His repeated words against my skin break through the numbness I’m feeling, and I’m flooded with relief. I look around, and I can’t help but feel so proud of the guys and in awe of the skill I just witnessed. All of the training and their hard work made this possible, and I’m so fucking grateful that they’re marked and mine. I hug Sabin tightly, and I look up at the faces of my guys as they all move closer, needing their own hugs and reassurances.
“Where’s Ryker…and Siah…and Sorik?” I question when I don’t spot their faces around me or anywhere in the room at all. Worry constricts around me like a python, and I push away from Sabin’s hold.
“It’s okay, Bruiser, Ryker and Nash are helping the injured. Sorik was hurt protecting Vaughn, but they’re both okay. Siah took him to feed so he can heal. Ryker and Nash took your dad and some injured wolves to a different part of the caves,” Bastien tells me. He pulls me in for a hug, and I wrap my arms around his torso and squeeze him hard.
“Silva?” I mumble against Bastien’s chest, and I turn to Aydin.
“Stomach wound,” Aydin tells us. “Evrin did what he could to patch it, but he’s taking him to get some extra help from Nash or Ryker. It was pretty bad,” he admits, and Bastien tenses in my arms. “Lachlan?” Aydin asks, his voice just above a whisper.
I look toward my uncle’s body, a dusting of ash now coating it. “He’s with Keegan,” I offer simply, and Aydin’s eyes well up with tears. Bastien wipes at his face, and I hug him harder, wishing I could do more to ease the hurt and loss I know he and the others are wading through.
“I’m going to find Sorik and Alpha Volkov, get some patrols and guards sorted out so nothing else kicks off tonight,” Aydin declares, his voice heavy with the sorrow that he’s trying hard to tamp down.
Something about seeing the ginger giant fight the desolation he’s so obviously feeling shoves the shock and uncertainty I’ve been floating in away. My throat grows tight with emotion, and my eyes sting as I watch Aydin try to blink away his heartache. “I’m so sorry, Aydin,” I offer lamely, hoping it conveys some of the anguish I feel for his loss.
Aydin shakes his head slowly, and then his tear-filled eyes settle on mine. “No, Little Badass, I’m so sorry,” he chokes out, and I push away from Bastien and rush to give Aydin a hug. He squeezes me so tightly he’s probably going to break something, but I don’t say a word, and he surrounds me with his despair and apology. “I’m sorry you’ll never know him like we did and that he wasn’t what you deserved. I’m sorry I chose him over you in the beginning. Fuck…I’m just so sorry, Vinna,” Aydin whispers in my hair as he crushes me to him, and his words breach my walls and coax out my tears.
I pull back and place my palms on Aydin’s cheeks. His beard tickles my hands, and I watch as Aydin’s pain drips down his face and darkens the red hair. My eyes bounce back and forth between his for a beat. “He saved me. In the end, he took the sword aimed for me,” I reassure him. A sob escapes Aydin’s lips, and he shakes his head furiously as tears pour down his face.
“Good,” he tells me, his voice laced with mourning. “Then he died the person I’ve known and loved.”
I nod my head in agreement, and Aydin pulls me in for one last bear hug before stepping away and doing his best to shake away his hurt. “I’m just going to go and get everything settled and safe,” he declares.
Bastien pulls me back into him, and I cling to him like a lifeline as Aydin makes his way over, bends down, and pulls Lachlan into his arms. He lifts him up and drifts out of the room, and we all hover in the sadness left behind.
“Sharing is caring,” Valen announces, his cheeks wet and his eyes filled with grief. He steals me away from his twin, and my mind flashes to Lachlan and Vaughn for a moment. My dad is alive, but I have no idea how to process what he is. He feels neither here nor there, and I don’t know what that means for me or for him. I exhale a deep shuddering breath and then push the ache and disquiet away. I’ll let all of that sucker punch me in the face. Tomorrow. I squirm in Valen’s hold until my arms are around his neck, and I’m suddenly driven hard by the need to touch all of my Chosen and feel that they’re all okay. I practically tackle Knox next, and he laughs as he catches me.
“I’d kiss you, but you seem to have a little lamia on your face,” he teases, the levity not quite reaching his eyes, and then he proceeds to motion to my entire face.
I move to wipe my face on my arm and quickly realize I’m covered in ash and blood. We all are. Torrez shakes out his fur, and then in a blink, he’s shifted back into a man, a very naked, very sexy, battle dirty man. Groans of objection escape out of all the guys. I laugh as he pulls me in for a hug, loving the feel of his warm skin.
“Dude, go wolf until we can find you some pants. No one needs to see your hard-on,” Knox grumbles as he dramatically covers his eyes and then tries to cover mine. I swat his hand away and then look my fill with a salacious, teasing smile on my face.
Torrez’s laughter rumbles against my cheek, and I pinch his nice naked ass.
“Patience, Witch,” he teases with a wink before shifting back into his wolf and rubbing up against my side. I groan and push him away from me as he does his best to make me even more disgusting than I already am.
Enoch, Kallan, and Becket stand awkwardly off to the side, and I open my arms in invitation and wait. Kallan hugs me first, and I’m grateful when none of the guys make any sounds of protest. He gives me a couple hard back slaps, and I try not to wince from the pain it causes. I laugh as he releases me and steps back. Enoch steps into me softly, his embrace hesitant and timid. I squeeze him as hard as I can, and when the guys continue to stay quiet, he relaxes.
“I’m so glad you’re okay, Vinna. We were all worried for a bit there, and it’s good to hold you and know you’re fine.”
I smile up at Enoch as we separate, and I hear the faintest hint of a growl behind me. I ignore it and give Enoch a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder. I look over at Becket, and I have no idea where things stand between us. We reached some kind of weird truce when we were in that cell together, but I don’t know if that falls under the age-old clause of what happens in the dungeon stays in the dungeon. Becket extends his fist, and I awkwardly bump knuckles with him.
“I’d hug you, but I know for a fact that you haven’t showered in days, and you’re bleeding and shit.” He gives me a cheeky smile, and a small weight lifts off my shoulders.
“I can take all of you somewhere to get cleaned up,” a voice announces from a doorway across the room, and I look over to find Siah leaning against the frame. His ice-blue gaze runs over me and lands on the blood still slowly seeping out of the claw marks on my left side. Some of the worry that’s settled in my chest—and will sit there until I see Ryker and all the others—recedes ever so slightly now that I can see Siah’s safe and sound and standing fifteen feet away.
Siah waits for a response, and as much as I want to get as far away from Adriel’s lair and all the shitty memories entombed here, between dealing with injuries and figuring out what the fuck to do next, there’s no chance I can leave this place in the rearview mirror tonight.
“Lead the way,” I tell him and then move to follow him out of the room.
I walk through the tall black double doors and try to find some comfort in knowing I will never have to walk back through them again. I wish that fact made me feel better, but in truth, I’m pretty sure this place will haunt my nightmares for a long time. So much death and pain, blood and terror. It’s like I can feel the echo of it in the walls of this place. Adriel is dead, and his reign of terror ends with him, but I don’t know if we will ever be the same after what he’s done to all of us. We’ve lost parents and loved ones. Had our trust broken and our sanctuaries violated by his influence. Each of us has been marked and broken by his brand of pain.
A shiver runs through me at that thought, and Valen
puts his arm over my shoulders and tucks me into his side. His warmth chases away some of the cold from my ruminations, and I bask in its comfort.
“It’s over,” he reassures me on a soft whisper, and I stare in his hazel eyes and feel the truth in his words.
“It’s over,” I agree, and in that moment, I don’t see the scars. I see the good. Like my mate holding me as we walk down a hallway, triumph behind us and possibility leading the way.
27
I follow Siah through another tall set of black doors, and tingles of recognition wave through me. This is where Adriel said I would be staying before I got myself thrown in a cell. The gray bedding is rumpled, and the look of the room isn’t nearly as kept and clean as the last time I was in this space. Someone’s been staying in here, which is weird since wasn’t I supposed to be the one staying in here? Well, before I tried to kill a lamia with a pool cue, that is. That same comforting scent touches the air in the room. And I look at Siah, questions clear in my gaze.
He rakes his hands through his brown hair and steps back from me. “Um, this is my room,” he tells me, and my eyebrows shoot up to my hairline in shock. “I was surprised when he announced this is where you’d be staying. I don’t know if he was doing it because he thought you’d be more unsettled having to stay with someone you thought had betrayed you or if he suspected our connection even then,” he explains.
I think about what it could have meant for a beat and then decide I don’t care. Adriel’s dead now, and I don’t need to spend time trying to unravel his fucked up mind. I step further into the room. Bastien, Knox, Valen, Sabin and Torrez all pile in behind me, and I look around the space, even more curious now that I know who it belongs to. I don’t know Siah well; he’s kind of a hot ball of mystery at this point, and I don’t spot anything around the room that further clues me in to the different facets of his personality.
