“Hmm. Then let’s get her to join our little party as well,” Jack said. He turned to a man standing against the wall whom Keira had not noticed before, and gestured him towards the door. Keira watched him leave the room, bemused. She was sure he was human, but why would Jack use humans, and why would they help Jack? He had not been the only human in the room, either: another half dozen stood silently against the wall.
Keira turned back towards the two dragons as Max waved his hand in her direction.
“What have you been doing with her? She looks a little the worse for wear.”
“Does she?” Jack said. “Yes, I suppose you are right. She’s been locked in the dungeons.”
“Ah.” Max paused. “You may want to keep her in good health if you wish to use her to force Aaron’s hand.”
“She’s alive, isn’t she?”
“Yes, but for how long?” Max pushed himself from the chair and walked over to her, pacing around her in a circle. “I could feel the blast of cold air as soon as she entered the room.” He stopped in front of Keira and placed a hand on her arm. His eyes flared for a moment, and Keira could feel the warmth suddenly spread through her. Jack rose to his feet, and Max dropped his hand, his eyes turning back to their regular shade of gray.
“What are you doing?” Jack said. “I thought you were here to offer your allegiance.”
“I am,” Max said. “But my argument is with Aaron, not his wife.”
“Hmph,” Jack said, returning to his seat. The door opened and Anna was pushed into the room.
“Keira,” she gasped. Anna took a step towards her sister then stopped as she caught sight of the two dragons. “Max. What are you doing here?”
Out of the corner of her eye, Keira saw Jack smile. “Isn’t this a lovely reunion,” he said. He turned to face Anna. “Max is joining me, my dear.”
“No!”
Max was staring at Anna, but he dropped his eyes at her exclamation of horror.
“Oh yes. Tell her, Max.”
Max glanced at Keira before turning his gaze back to Anna. “It’s true,” he said. “I refuse to support Aaron any longer.”
“But why?” Anna said.
“Because I am tired of Aaron telling me what I can and cannot do.” At his words Keira pulled in a breath of shock. He turned towards Jack. “He humiliated me in front of humans. He would have me babysit the women, and he blamed me when you danced with Anna. I cannot take it any longer.”
“I quite understand,” Jack said with a tone of sympathy. He turned to Anna once more. “You see, my dear, it is quite true. What I cannot understand, however, is Max’s obsession over you.” Anna glanced over at Max, startled.
“Obsession?”
“Jack, you misunderstand,” Max said. “This chit needs to learn a lesson, and I intend to teach it to her. She has been a thorn in my side since Aaron ordered me to Storbrook.” Anna glared at him in fury.
“And how do you intend to do that?” Jack asked.
“I plan to teach her that I am her master, and that she needs to serve me.”
“Ah,” Jack said. “And when she has learnt this lesson?”
“Then I don’t care what happens to her,” Max said. “Give her to one of your human minions, if you choose.”
Keira heard Anna’s sharp intake of breath, and felt her own catch in her throat. “No,” she whispered.
“Quiet,” Jack said with a glare in her direction. He turned back to Max.
“And this is your condition?”
“It is.”
“Very well,” Jack said slowly. “You can have her until her usefulness runs out, but she is not to leave this island. And I will be watching you, too.”
Max nodded.
“Of course.”
Chapter 35
Anna stared at Max in horror. She could not believe the words she was hearing. Surely there must be some mistake! But when Max turned to look at her, his eyes hard and cold, she knew there was no mistake – Max meant every word he said. He turned back to Jack, who was pulling a knife from his pocket. He held it against his wrist and glanced at Max, who nodded.
With a quick motion, he pulled the blade over his skin, then held his wrist out to Max. Lifting the wrist to his mouth, Max clamped his lips over the bleeding wound, his eyes not leaving Jack’s as he swallowed, over and over. Anna watched for a moment in disgust, before glancing over at Keira. She was watching the scene wide-eyed, a look of dread written across her face. Anna turned back to Max. He was pulling away from Jack, his eyes burning as he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, the blood staining his skin red.
Jack turned to face Keira with a look of triumph.
“It won’t be long before you are wearing a widow’s weeds,” he said with a grin, “but I am happy to take Aaron’s place when he’s gone.” Anna saw a shudder go through Keira.
“Never,” she hissed. Jack shrugged.
“Oh well.” He motioned a man forward, and nodded his head in Keira’s direction. “Take her back to her cell.”
“Wait!”
Jack turned to Max in surprise. He compressed his lips as Max walked towards Keira, but did nothing to stop him. Max picked up a cup of wine, and stopping just a few inches away, he pressed it into her hand. “Drink,” he said. Keira took the cup, her gaze flying up in surprise to meet his before she nodded slightly, and tipping back her head, drained the contents. She held the cup out to Max, but instead of taking it, he placed his hands behind his neck and pulled off his tunic in a quick motion.
“What are you doing?” Jack demanded.
“As I said before, my argument is not with Keira,” Max replied. He pressed the tunic into her hands, and then she was being led away, prodded by the man Jack had motioned forward. Keira turned and looked at Anna, their eyes meeting for an instant before Keira was pushed from the room.
Anna felt tears welling up as her sister disappeared from view. When would this nightmare ever end? Jack turned to one of the people standing at the wall.
“Francis. Give him your tunic,” he said, nodding at Max. “I really have no desire to see your bare chest, Max,” he said. The man, Francis, was shorter than Max, and skinny, but his tunic hung loose around his waist and reached to his knees. He stepped forward and quickly pulled the garment over his head, handing it to Max without meeting his gaze, before stepping back against the wall. Max stared at the man for a moment, then turning towards Jack, pulled the garment over his head.
“So what can you tell me about Aaron’s plans?” Jack asked once Max was suitably attired.
“I’m happy to tell you,” Max said, “but first, send the girl to my chambers.” Jack snapped his fingers and once more Francis stepped forward.
“Take her to the chambers on the second floor,” he said. “And make sure the door is properly secured when you leave.” Francis nodded and took Anna by the arm. He pulled her from the room, dropping her arm when they were out the door. His hand was cold, and Anna stared at him as he walked ahead of her.
“You’re human,” she said. “Why are you doing this?”
“Jack is my master,” Francis replied. “I would do anything to serve him.”
“Such as hold a woman against her will,” Anna said dryly.
He shrugged. “If that is what he asks me to do.”
“And would you kill someone if he asked you to?”
“Yes.” Francis gestured with his hand. “This way,” he said.
Anna followed him up the stairs and through the door into the chamber. A huge bed took up most of the space, but Anna noted a chair and a long table with a ewer and basin. There was a grate in the wall, stacked with wood, but no fire burned. She stepped into the room, turning when the door closed behind her. Francis had gone, and she could hear him dropping a plank over the door. She was trapped, but at least the room was more comfortable than what she’d had before – that room had only had a narrow bed with a dirty straw mattress, a thin rag for a quilt, and a rickety chair in the cor
ner. She rubbed her eyes as she sank down onto the chair, waiting for the inevitable to arrive.
A few hours had dragged by before Anna finally heard the sound of Max’s footsteps outside the door. She rose to her feet, and went to stand against the wall opposite the entrance. The bar against the door lifted, and the door swung open with a creak as Max stepped into the room. He stopped at the threshold, pushing the door closed behind him, before turning to meet her gaze.
“Anna,” he said, taking a step towards her, but she held up a hand to stop him.
“Don’t come near me,” she said, her voice low. “Don’t even talk to me.”
“Anna, please.”
“Please, what? Please understand that you’re a traitor? Please understand that you are going to use me then discard me? Please understand that you have no human feelings? That you really are a monster?” She turned her back to him and looked out the window, unwilling for him to see the tears shining in her eyes, but she turned back in fury when she heard him drawing closer.
“Don’t come near me,” she shouted. Max stopped, then turning around, strode over to the fire grate. A blaze of flame shot from his hand, igniting the twigs and kindling.
“Anna, I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, turning from the fire and pacing the room.
“Of course not,” she said in a withering tone. “You are just going to use me.”
“I’m not going to touch you,” he said.
“That will be interesting,” she sneered. “How are you going to make me serve you without touching me?”
“I’m not,” he said with a sigh. He stopped pacing and sat down in the chair, dropping his head into his hands. “I am not going to force you. I’m not going to touch you. I’m not going to come anywhere near you. I’m going to stay right here, while you stay” – he waved a weary hand around the room – “wherever you want.” Anna stared at him in confusion.
“What do you mean?” she said slowly.
“I mean just what I say. I wanted to keep you safe from Jack, and this was the only way I knew how.”
“Safe from Jack? You betrayed Aaron, choosing to serve Jack instead, and now you want to keep me safe from him?” Something flashed in Max’s face, but it was gone in an instant.
“What happens between me and Jack, or me and Aaron, has no bearing about how I feel about you.”
“Do you really think I could feel anything but revulsion for the person who betrayed my sister’s husband?” she demanded. “The man who welcomed you into his home?”
Max glanced up at her, then dropped his head back into his hands.
“I suppose not,” he said.
Anna nodded her head, but the fight had suddenly gone out of her. Walking over to the bed, she lay down, dragging the quilt over her body.
“Goodnight,” she heard Max say, but she did not respond. She never wanted to respond to Max ever again.
He was still in the chair the following morning, his legs stretched out in front of him, his arms crossed over his chest. She opened her eyes to see him watching her, and she turned her head away. Max’s betrayal came rushing back to her as soon as she opened her eyes and saw him sitting there. She pulled the quilt over her head as the questions pounded through her mind. How could he have done that? Aaron had trusted him. Tears sprang into her eyes, and she blinked them away, furious at herself. Hearing Max rise from the chair, she turned to see him approaching the bed.
“Go away,” she said. “You are a traitor. I hate you.” Max stopped, his eyes narrowing.
“No, you don’t,” he said. “Don’t say that.”
“I do,” she said. “Just leave me alone.” She turned her head and buried it in the pillows, and after a moment she heard Max move away. There was a splash of water, and then a few moments later, the sound of the door being opened.
“I’ll see you later,” he said, and then the door was closing, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She lay in the bed, weeping silently into the pillows for a long time; and when the tears finally stopped flowing, she stared at the ceiling, counting the cracks.
A long time had passed before she sat up in the bed, her face turned towards the window, and looked down at her gown. It was the one she had worn to the ball, although it was now grubby and torn. Her hair fell tangled around her face, and she pushed her fingers through it, trying to tease out the knots. It seemed she could not pull her fingers through even the smallest hank of hair without meeting with a tangle, and she longed for a comb to aid her in her efforts. A slight rustling sound made her jump, and she turned to see Max standing at the door, bare-chested, watching her futile efforts.
“How long have you been standing there?” she demanded. “And where is your tunic.”
Max shrugged. “I went for a short flight, and lost my tunic along the way.” He walked over to the jug of water and dipped a linen cloth into it. He wrung out the excess water and moving towards the bed, held the cloth out to Anna.
“Clean yourself up,” he said. “Jack has requested your presence at dinner.”
She eyed the cloth suspiciously for a moment, then took it from him gingerly, careful not to touch his fingers.
“Why?”
“He wants to see if you are suitably chastened.”
Anna laughed sardonically. “Then he is in for a surprise.”
Max looked at her carefully. “Anna, I cannot tell you how to behave or what to say, but if Jack knows that I have not carried out my threats, he may decide it would be more entertaining to pass you along to someone else.”
“But you made an agreement with him.”
“When you make an agreement with the devil, it is foolish to think he will uphold his end of the bargain. Right here, in his lair, he is king, and he can and will do whatever he chooses.” Anna looked down, her mind racing as she wiped the cloth over her face and down her neck. She could do nothing about the state of her gown, but she smoothed it down with her hands regardless.
Standing up, she nodded to Max, indicating that she was ready to go, then followed him as he led her out the door. As they walked along the passage, they were passed by one of Jack’s humans. Stopping him, Max pointed to his tunic.
“Your master will not wish to see me only half dressed,” he said, as the lackey quickly handed over his garment.
“Thank you,” Max said with a grin. It vanished a moment later as he strode ahead of Anna, heading down the stairs to the same room they had been in before. Jack was seated in the same spot as the previous day, his eyes watching her closely as she entered the room. As she passed the threshold, Max pushed a hand against her back, causing her to stumble. She reached out to catch Max’s arm, but he stepped away, allowing her to fall on the floor. Anna bit her lip in anger at the humiliating display, but kept her eyes on the floor as she slowly pushed herself onto her knees.
“It looks like you have begun your lessons well,” Jack said. Max didn’t reply, and Anna glanced up to see him nod grimly. His eye caught Anna’s for a moment, and she hurriedly looked back down again.
“You’ve seen her, now,” Max said. “We don’t need her presence here to spoil our meal. Let me send her back to my chambers.”
“No,” Jack said. “It will be entertaining having her here. Perhaps she can amuse us while we eat.”
“Amuse us, how?”
“Hmm, let’s think. She can serve us our food … after she’s removed those rags she’s wearing.”
“No!” Max took a step towards Jack as the other man turned to him with raised eyebrows.
“No?”
Max stopped, his eyes meeting Jack’s as Anna glanced up in dismay. “I cannot, of course, tell you what to do, but I for one will not enjoy the display. Just look at her – she is dirty and unkempt, her hair is tangled, and she does nothing but scowl. I find I enjoy her best when it is dark.” Max walked to where Anna knelt on the floor, and wrapping his hand in her hair, pulled her head up. Anna kept her eyes on the ground but could feel Jack’s eyes on her, and when Max
released her hair a moment later, she allowed her head to fall to her chest. “Furthermore,” Max continued, “I had to use some rather, er, extreme methods of persuasion, and her body may be a little marked.”
Jack laughed. “Well, I can see your point. She does look too scared and unkempt to be much entertainment anyway.”
Anna felt a wave of relief wash over her, but she kept her eyes cast downward as Jack waved someone over. “Take her back to his chambers,” he said. She felt someone tugging her arm and she rose from the chair, keeping her gaze carefully on the floor as she was led from the room.
Chapter 36
Keira sat on the cold stone floor, holding Max’s tunic over her chest and across her shoulders. Beyond the confines of the castle, the wind howled, whipping around the scrubby bushes that clung tenaciously to the sandy soil. There had been a violent storm the previous night that drove the rain through the bars of her cell, soaking her meagre coverings and leaving a puddle of water in the corner of the room. The tempest had lashed the waves into a frenzy, and the roaring of the ocean had been incessant until it finally died down shortly before dawn. The gray bank of cloud remained, however, preventing even a single ray of sun from breaking through.
The tunic did not offer much warmth, but every added piece of protection against the cold helped. She was grateful for the little bit of aid that Max had rendered her, though she was still in shock at his desertion from Aaron’s side. She could not believe that he had chosen to align himself with Jack, knowing the terrible things he had done. When he had spoken in anger about Aaron’s treatment, she had thought he was bluffing, and that his promise of loyalty was a ruse.
But she knew the significance of the blood bond. Max had willingly drunk Jack’s blood, binding himself to the other dragon and throwing off Aaron’s claim over him. He had broken his vow of fealty and proven himself a traitor. She pulled her knees up to her chest, fighting the wave of nausea that had suddenly welled up.
“Keira? Keira? Are you there?” A soft voice broke through the silence and Keira rose to her feet, wrapping her hands around the bars in the window to hold herself up as she looked for the person behind the voice. As he dropped into a crouch, Max’s face appeared at the bars. She pulled away, but not before Max’s hands clamped down on hers.
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