by Meg Xuemei X
“You came back for me, Ash.” Violet was full of tears. She reached out to touch Ashburn’s face, but he rose and turned away from her, his eyes scanning the walls.
“Ash?” Violet rose to her feet, too.
Did he see the hidden camera? Lucienne’s body tensed on the pilot seat. Kian had buried it well. No naked eye could spot it.
“We’re being watched,” said Ashburn, his shoulders stiffening.
“Who?” Violet looked around, her hands curled into fists. “Who’s spying on us?” Then a realization came to her eyes. “Gods, the witch queen has a Sky Eye. She turned it on the king and scared the crap out of him.”
“Something is humming here,” Ashburn said, his eyes tracing the wall and settling on the west corner of the ceiling. He kicked a wooden box toward the wall and stood on the box. Ashburn tore the wallpaper off the corner of the ceiling and came face to face with a camera.
Lucienne’s breath hitched as Ashburn looked straight at her through the lens. His eyes turned a shade darker, close to stormy gray. Unwavering, Lucienne stared back. “Like the show?” he asked coldly then slammed his thumb on the lens.
Blackness covered the monitor in BL7. A few seconds later, wavy lines and static danced across the screen.
“Lucia, we’re so busted,” Ziyi’s voice called through the intercom, filling the void. “He also disabled the other cameras in his bedroom and the living room.”
“It’s physically impossible to immobilize three cameras at the same time,” said Vladimir, the intercom capturing his irritation.
“When it comes to Ashburn Fury, we can no longer think in a conventional sense,” Lucienne said. “He just demonstrated a pure mental force.”
“Turn Dragonfly on him, Ziyi, and see how he responds,” Vladimir ordered.
Static filled the monitor.
“Turn Dragonfly somewhere else,” Lucienne said.
“The lens is on Sphinxes,” Ziyi answered.
A red brick house with a vast training ground popped up on the screen.
“Hey, don’t show off my house,” Vladimir said. “It’s as attractive as its owner. I don’t want everyone paying me a visit at night, especially—”
“Girls?” Ziyi asked.
“No girls,” Vladimir said plainly.
She knew he wouldn’t joke about girls when there was a third party present. He only teased her when they were alone, but that was before their relationship had become strained. Vladimir knew how she would react if she felt she were being humiliated and by no means wanted to test her again.
“Turn it back on Nirvana, but not on the Fury house,” Lucienne said.
Static again buzzed from the monitor.
“A membrane. Ashburn has created a sphere above the town. He can block the satellite.” Lucienne drew a harsh breath. “Just like the Eye of Time.”
“He’s become a threat,” Vladimir said.
CHAPTER 14
Lucienne in her rose-red, Francis leather jacket approached the Fury house, accompanied by Orlando and Duncan.
Cam, stationed by the door, saluted Lucienne. Duncan knocked.
Peder answered, a stunned expression on his face—it seemed he hadn’t recovered from the shock of his son’s return.
Strolling beside Peder, Lucienne heard joyful cries and crooning from Clement and high-pitched laughter from Violet. Natural, lukewarm light illuminated the house, comfortable to the eyes without drawing attention from the neighbors. The temperature inside was just perfect.
Quantum energy at work, Lucienne mused. Did the boy produce light and heat with the power of the Eye of Time? She suppressed a mixture of jealousy and amazement. Wearing a sweet smile, she approached the group in the sitting room.
At the sight of Lucienne, Ashburn rose from a chair beside his mother. His intense gaze, though steady and cool, didn’t conceal his astonishment, as if he had déjà vu. As if he had known her from a past life, but was seeing her for the first time.
Lucienne also had a reaction. The moment her gaze met Ashburn’s, the air sucked out of the room. What was happening? What was he doing to her? Was he trying to strangle her by thinning the air she breathed? She gasped for air and threw a frantic look toward Kian, wanting him to confirm her suspicion. But for the first time, Kian didn’t understand her look. He stood with the others to pay his respect to her, sending her an assured look—that he had the situation under control.
No one else seemed to be affected by the thin air. Orlando and Duncan looked fine, effectively blending into the background.
“Son,” Peder said, “this is Queen Lucienne. Her Majesty has been good to us.”
“I know who she is, Papa,” Ashburn said with a slight British accent, turning to Lucienne. “Thank you for taking care of my parents.”
The air returned to the room, though it was still a little too thin for her lungs. Why had she overreacted to the presence of this boy? Nothing had ever shaken her quite like this before, and she didn’t know what to make of it. Lucienne gestured for the group to sit and flashed Ashburn one of her winning smiles.
Jed had taught her to use it as a weapon. “A smile can kill,” he had said.
“Don’t be too overwhelmed with gratitude,” Lucienne said to Ashburn, her enchanting smile aimed right for him.
Ashburn smiled back. “You look different in person.”
“Seeing through the glass is never the same as seeing in person,” Lucienne replied.
Ashburn looked gorgeous in the video feed, but it did not do justice to him in the flesh. Vladimir was ruggedly handsome with a blend of refinement and roughness, but this boy was of mythical perfection. His pale champagne hair had dried, flowing down his broad shoulders. It would probably feel like silk between her fingers, she thought. But it was his eyes that held her captive, their ice blue deepening to a dark shade, their power drawing her in.
Everyone sat down except for Ashburn, as if he were waiting for her to come to him, until, at last, Lucienne did indeed saunter toward him. As she got closer, a wave of energy expanded, pulsing pleasantly between them. A magnetism, unseen and unbreakable, lured her helplessly toward him. Lucienne, oblivious to the world around her, wanted only to reach Ashburn. And no one could stop her.
Ashburn opened his arms for her. His eyes glistened, as if a predator smelled the approaching scent of its prey and prepared to pounce.
Then the mark on the back of the Siren’s neck flared, sending a hot, sharp sensation down her spine. Her mark had never warned her like this before. Lucienne stopped just in time to avoid throwing herself into the boy’s arms. The world and everyone in it swirled back, as if icy water had been poured on her face. Lucienne went white. She had acted like a bitch in heat—and in public!
The tug, however, didn’t weaken. It kept urging her toward Ashburn. The mark on the back of her neck grew hotter as if it would burn her, responding to the call. My mark panics in the face of powers greater than it, Lucienne realized. I must rein in it. She evened her breath and anchored herself by her iron will, disregarding the scorching pain in her chest as she fought the pull. Firmly, she sent a mental message to her mark, demanding it to obey her and have absolute confidence in her. Seconds later, the mark cooled.
The burning in her chest also receded but left hollowness in its wake. Lucienne knew the nagging feeling would go away if she gave in to her desire, but she was not weak.
Kian rose to his feet with an alarmed look; everyone else looked baffled but didn’t know how to react to the interplay between Lucienne and Ashburn. Hissing, Violet jumped out and cut in in front of Ashburn.
Lucienne knew if she stepped one inch closer to Ashburn, the redhead’s claws would go for her face. The girl was marking her territory, defending what she considered hers. Lucienne didn’t move forward; nor did she retreat. She only glared at Ashburn over the girl’s head. Had he exacted some power over her and put her through this? If he had, he’d soon know he’d made a terrible mistake.
Snapping back to t
he present, Ashburn dropped his arms. The muscles in his jaw distorted, and his eyes darkened, narrowing on her, as if he suspected she was the one pulling this stunt on him.
You gotta be kidding me, Lucienne thought wearily.
At an impasse, Ashburn and Lucienne held each other’s gaze, like a lion and lioness sizing each other up. A second later, Ashburn removed his fiery girlfriend from before him. “I can protect myself, Violet. Besides, Queen Lucienne has no intention to harm me.”
Lucienne drew back coolly, looking at everyone with an easy smile. In a clear, level voice, she said, “Ashburn isn’t cursed. I’ve gotten close enough to test him.” She raised her left hand, flashing the group a dark-matter detector on her wrist. “My scanner says Ashburn Fury is as uncursed as any of you.”
Lucienne knew Kian wasn’t fooled. His shoulders remained tense, but he kept a blank expression. At the moment, Lucienne was more worried about Vladimir’s reaction. She hoped he wouldn’t take this the wrong way once he saw the live feed, but she doubted it.
Ashburn sank back into his chair, suddenly amused, though beneath his amusement was a palpable touch of awe and fear. The energy between them rose again, with the sweetest, most enticing voice of the sea sirens. Aware of its potent power, Lucienne stepped further back from Ashburn and sat near the end of the table. But as she flung a glance at him, she noticed his knuckles turning white around a clay mug in his hands.
Was he resisting the same pull? Did it inflict him physical pain, as it had punished her when she fought it?
Peder and Clement hovered over their son like protective hens. “You’re clean!” they murmured, in tears.
“See, Mama,” Ashburn patted Clement’s backs, “there’s nothing to worry about.” His gaze remained on Lucienne.
Violet tugged at Ashburn’s sleeve to draw his attention away from Lucienne. “Ash!” she called.
“Yes, Violet?” Ashburn looked at the redhead as if waking up from a dream.
“I knew you weren’t cursed, and without a machine telling me,” Violet said.
“I know,” Ashburn said appreciatively, but angled himself toward Lucienne. “Thank you for declaring me clean with your machine, Queen Lucienne.”
Does he think I’m a fraud? An irritated look flitted across Lucienne’s eyes. Her Siren’s title was more than a queen’s, and her people certainly regarded her as an untitled queen. “Please call me Lucienne.” Her voice was rich as honey.
“That’s very kind of you,” Ashburn said. His eyes turned silver, dropping their dazed expression, but his undeniable curiosity about her lingered like the residue of ancient wine sticking to the wineskin. “I believe you’ve seen me before, through some fabulous lenses of yours?”
He didn’t bother with pretense, and in the process, tried to strip her off her deception.
Lucienne arched an eyebrow.
Violet put her hands on her hips and looked at Lucienne daringly.
“It seems my lenses were humbled,” said Lucienne dispassionately.
“Silly, this is the first time Queen Lucienne has met you,” Clement said. “Her Majesty has been extremely kind to have her people look for you.”
“But she didn’t find Ash,” Violet said. “I helped bring Ash back.”
“Not everything is about you, Violet.” Clement refused to give the redhead credit, and the two of them began arguing. Ashburn darted his eyes between his mother and his friend, looking torn.
An idea shot to Lucienne. This was the perfect time to pick Ashburn’s brain. His distracted state would allow her to more easily read his thoughts. She had to know what he was made of. With that, Lucienne dove into Ashburn’s mind.
A mass of voices and images rose like the high sea in a hurricane. The voices of millions—no, trillions—prowled through her eagle’s wings, tearing them.
Lucienne screamed, throwing her hands over her ears. “Stop!” she begged. “Too much!” Her face contorted grotesquely. “It’s too much! Leave me—alone.”
Kian lunged. He grabbed the seat where Lucienne sat before it toppled and held her in his arms. “Lucia!” he called urgently, his gun drawn.
All of her men, including Orlando, appeared from the shadows and surrounded her in a protective mode. Their eyes darted frantically, looking for enemies.
“Are you all right?” Ashburn asked, crouching beside her. He looked at her with a dark, deep concern, as if he knew what had happened but couldn’t help her.
Kian stared steely at Ashburn and was about to shove the boy back when Lucienne put her fingers on Kian’s arm. “I’m fine,” she gasped. “It’s just a bad headache.” She waved the men back to their former positions.
Lucienne gazed back at Ashburn. The look of horror in her eyes dimmed; empathy and fascination took its place.
A look of gratitude washed over Ashburn’s eyes.
He appreciates that I’m not afraid of him even though I’ve just glimpsed what is inside him. I won’t go back. I can’t. The voices will swallow me. Lucienne shivered at what she had confronted—a sea of cacophonous human thoughts and voices—an army of all the dead and the living since the dawn of the human race.
Jed used to say, “All powers come with a price.”
What price was Ashburn paying?
Clement and Peder turned their gazes from Lucienne’s face to Ashburn’s, then looked away with apprehension and sorrow. In the depth of their minds, they were still afraid their son might have brought back the ancient evil from Hell Gate. To a degree, Lucienne thought, it’s not too far from the truth.
Lucienne pressed her temples, her head still throbbing in pain. Over everyone’s concerned looks, she explained, “I had a migraine this morning. I forgot to take my medication.”
“I’ll make the herbal tea for headaches,” Clement said.
“Thank you, Mrs. Fury, but please don’t make a fuss,” Lucienne said. “My men carry my medicines.” She turned in the warriors’ direction and called. “Orlando, give me one of your pills.”
“Queen Lucienne?” Orlando moved forward looking momentarily confused.
“The one you pop into your mouth every now and then.” Irritated, Lucienne snapped her fingers.
“Oh, pardon me.” Orlando pulled out a pack of mints from his pocket, opened the box, and offered them to Lucienne. “For your headache, Your Majesty.”
Lucienne picked one mint tablet and inserted it into her mouth. “Orlando, you’re efficient. You’ll be rewarded.”
“I look forward to it, Your Majesty.” Orlando bowed and withdrew back to the shadows.
Kian returned to his seat, his hard eyes staying on Ashburn.
A half-smile sparkled in Ashburn’s eyes. He didn’t move away from Lucienne. She didn’t order him away either. They both seemed to like the cozy closeness between them.
Violet stepped in and put her hand on Ashburn’s arm. “Ash, I need to go. Walk me home?”
Before Ashburn could nod yes, Lucienne chimed in, “One of my warriors will walk you home, Violet. I need to borrow Ashburn a little longer, if you don’t mind.”
“I mind,” Violet growled.
“Violet!” Clement said. “Ash will stay to tend to Queen Lucienne.”
“No one has consulted me,” Ashburn sighed, “or asked what I want.”
“Well, I want to know what you want,” Lucienne said.
“Then make it quick, Queen Lucienne,” Ashburn said. “After that, I need to get Violet home.”
“I promise it won’t be long,” Lucienne said, turning her head toward the door. “Duncan,” she called.
Duncan hurried in and placed a suitcase on the wooden table before his mistress. Lucienne pushed a button on the handle. The open suitcase revealed Ashburn’s interface. “This belongs to you.” She lifted it from the case.
Ashburn took the interface, examining it.
“She broke it!” said Violet, turning to Lucienne with loathing. “I told you not to take it. Just because you’re the queen doesn’t mean you can ta
ke whatever you want.”
“Violet, do you always have to be so rude?” Clement said. “My husband and I wanted Queen Lucienne to have that toy.”
“Learn some manners, peasant girl!” Kian warned. “I can throw you out this moment.”
“No one throws her out. This is my house,” said Ashburn coldly. “And she isn’t just some peasant girl.”
“Ash!” Clement reproached.
Violet grinned. Before she could open her mouth to gloat, Ashburn put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her. “It’s just a game inside,” he said. “If it’s broken, then it’s broken. No big deal. Queen Lucienne’s team took it to try to find me.”
Very smooth, Lucienne thought.
“But Ash—” Violet protested.
“I’m sorry we can’t fix your Picture Box,” Lucienne said. “My team couldn’t access it, but—”
Ashburn moved his fingers across the middle piece of the crystal, and it burst back to life. The diamond and gold city, guarded by a race of half-beast, half-god creatures shimmered on the interface. “It’s fine,” he said. “Your team didn’t break it.”
Lucienne stared at the virtual city with widened eyes. “What is the game about?”
Sending her a cautious glance, Ashburn clicked off the screen. The interface faded to black. “A lost city I found but can’t enter yet.”
He was baiting her. Lucienne felt dust in her mouth. Everything she wanted to find out was at her fingertips, and yet out of her reach. If Ashburn wanted to play games, she needed to be sure to checkmate him first. She pushed a second button on the handle of the suitcase, and another platform slid open, exposing a glass interface. “I have a similar toy for you.” She turned on the interface, opened the World Wide Web, and showed Ashburn a war video game Vladimir liked to play. As his eyes turned dark silver—she’d learned how the color of his eyes shifted according to his mood—she knew the boy was intrigued.
