by Rachel Jonas
It was a crazy theory, yes, but during the verbal exchange with Liv and Felix, I found myself sympathizing with them in ways I never would have otherwise. I understood their distrust and secrecy even if it angered me. Even then, I only lost my temper because every second was another spent wondering whether Levi and Corina were safe.
There was even a brief moment I thought it perfectly fitting that they managed to find a way to breach our broadcast security. I’d never taken much time to consider their history, how they—generations later—still carried that brokenness and oppression as if they, themselves, had walked in their ancestors’ shoes. It was unnatural for people—human and Ianite alike—to live in bondage.
For the first time ever, I acknowledged the disparity.
Silas relaxed beside me when I didn’t answer. He was thoughtful as he gazed out the window, probably using his abilities to get a sense of the things I would never say out loud.
“You know … I wasn’t asking because I meant for you to choose,” he admitted. “The decision to bind ourselves to her has already been made, and I don’t intend to break that promise. I only think it’s healthier to own what it is we’re doing. Own that we’ve been aiding and abetting a fugitive, and acknowledge that we have no plans to change our course in the near future.”
I glanced at him as things began to make sense. He wasn’t pressing me with hopes of some epiphany changing my mind. His objective was to lift the veil, to give us both the opportunity to be honest about where our thoughts lied.
Corina—a criminal according to Ianite law—was now ours.
And, in turn, that made us pawns in her cause if we chose not to act against her.
“I’m guilty,” I finally admitted. “Guilty of everything you said. Guilty of feeling connected to a girl I’m not certain doesn’t mean to bring the entire world down on top of us.”
To my surprise, Silas smiled at that.
Facing the road again, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. The world around me suddenly took new form. I’d lived my entire life believing that this façade Ian Percival created was the best version of life, because it suited me, suited my people. But what I’d learned observing Corina—what I learned from Claiming her—was that my perception of reality might be somewhat skewed. A distorted picture was beginning to take form, and it told a different story than the one I believed my entire life.
I’d come to acknowledge a truth I’d always known, but didn’t have the audacity to admit. It was that our dream, to the humans, was a nightmare.
This thought led me to believe I finally figured out Corina’s motive for infiltrating the gala, figured out why she risked her life with such a reckless mission. That undertaking had been a step in a journey she hoped would ignite a change.
One, which would alter the course of everyone’s future.
I wouldn’t pretend to know what her endgame was, but I was certainly committed to gaining a better understanding.
A better understanding of her cause.
A better understanding of her as a person—this girl I was falling for, this girl whose passion for justice was so strong she’d managed to do the unimaginable.
She caused the man set to rule over her enemies to feel the single-most destructive emotion possible when it came to his ability to oversee his kingdom.
Doubt.
***
Trash was strewn everywhere—cigarette butts, empty beer bottles, stubs from lost bets. It would be nearly impossible to find a clue as to whether Corina or Levi had been here, but we had to try.
For my brother.
For the girl who’d recently become my mate.
Silas stood beside me and I almost felt sorry for him. Of the four of us, he was certainly the most optimistic, the most open-minded. It wasn’t far from my thoughts that Felix and Liv might not show. They honestly had every reason to stay away. With what I suspected their lifestyle to be, I imagined they lived in a constant state of fear—fear of Ianites in general—but that sense had to be heightened when it came to the four reigning families. And as I scanned the trees and found nothing, I was almost positive they changed their minds.
“Any idea what we should be looking for?” Silas asked.
Kicking an empty beer can, I let out a sharp breath. “Not a clue.”
It was like searching for one crafty needle in a haystack. Corina was unusual in every way imaginable, including being unusually smart. If she didn’t want to be found, she’d see to it that she wasn’t. Only, it didn’t seem she’d reached her intended destination. If she was taken, if Levi got to her first, maybe one of them would have thought to leave a sign.
“They seemed … interesting,” Silas spoke, cutting into my thoughts as we continued to pace and search through debris.
“Who?”
“Corina’s friends.” He peered up and I guessed the look he gave was because we both knew they were more than her friends. They were a crew of some sort. For what purpose, we could only speculate.
“Interesting is a safe way of putting it,” I mumbled as I stooped to the ground, lifting a sign someone had leaned against the trunk of a large oak.
“You think they’ll show?”
Silas’ question barely got my attention, because I was pretty sure I’d just found a clue. And upon further examination of the duffle bag I’d discovered, I was certain of it.
“This is it!”
I didn’t waste time bothering with the zipper. My claws elongated and I tore through the top, revealing what was inside.
Food.
Just like Elle said.
The sound of dry, rustling leaves floated on a breeze from the distance. Someone was out there. I hadn’t yet caught their scent, but I was on guard just in case it wasn’t someone we invited.
Beside me, Silas was on high-alert, and when he zeroed in on a target, I followed his line of sight to two dark figures nearly hidden among the trees. I sniffed the air and it only took a moment to detect that they were, in fact, human. It seemed Liv and Felix decided to join us after all.
“You don’t have to be afraid.”
When they didn’t readily come forward, I thought Silas’ greeting might go unanswered. But then, slowly, the two emerged from the woods.
Instinctively, I sized them up with keen eyes. Both were thin, though Felix was significantly taller than Liv. The closer they came, the easier it was to see why Corina had been so adamant about taking them food, and looking after them in general.
I wasn’t sure what the feeling was that sank to the pit of my gut like a stone, but I now found it hard to look either in the eyes—Liv’s bright green and curious, Felix’s stern and framed by blue glasses. It didn’t matter that I was pretty sure we were, technically, meant to be mortal enemies. I couldn’t help but to be concerned.
“You’re … alone?” Liv asked reluctantly, shrugging deeper into an oversized, hooded sweatshirt. Her eyes scanned me quickly, before darting around the woods again.
Silas nodded. “We are. You have our word. We only asked you here to help us find Corina, and hopefully our friend.”
He spoke to them gently, like one would approach a skittish cat. I didn’t doubt that, at the first sign of danger, they would indeed scatter into the woods.
Felix nodded toward the bag I held, our one and only clue. “Is that the one you said Cori had with her when she took off?”
“It is. Loaded with food just like we were told it would be.”
I glanced down at the provisions, and did what felt right, what felt … natural.
“Here,” I sighed, offering the tattered bag. “She’d want you to have this.”
The two shared a look I could only describe as a mixture of distrust and disbelief. After a few hesitant seconds passed, they accepted.
“… Thank you,” Liz quietly offered, as Felix draped the bag crosswise over his chest.
It wasn’t until I gave them this peace offering of sorts that they relaxed a bit.
“We uh … we
found this on our way over. About a mile in that direction,” he added, aiming a thumb over his shoulder. “We spotted it next to a beaten-up bike and tinted helmet.”
I stared as he dug into his pocket and pulled out a necklace—a large red stone linked to an onyx chain.
“Levi,” Silas sighed. “This must be the necklace he gave Corina.” He reached for it, and Felix dropped the large stone into his hand for him to examine it closer. “He mentioned in a text that he’d placed a tracker in it. This necklace was what led him to her, but … I have no idea where they could’ve gone from here.”
Frustration was thick in the air as I watched Silas scan the woods again.
“I don’t even know where to start,” he conceded.
My gaze was trained on Liv and Felix as they watched Silas. I imagined they had observed our people from the outside for a long time. It was even quite possible they had never been this close to an Ianite before today. In which case, seeing that we weren’t all heartless and cruel must have come as a shock.
“I uh … I have a theory,” Felix piped. “The races are run by roamers, so they patrol the area pretty heavily while they’re going on. It’s possible someone may have seen something.”
“It’s also possible they had something to do with Levi and Corina’s disappearance,” Silas added.
Felix didn’t disagree. “So, I think that’s where we need to focus next; finding out who ran patrol last night and see if they know anything.”
I nodded. “It’s the best lead we’ve got.”
“We’ll look into it and be in touch,” I promised. “Will I be able to reach you through the com?”
Felix passed Liv another loaded glance before facing me again. “We were waiting to see if this was all legit first.”
There was no missing how hesitant he was when he extended his hand to give me something, A small device I didn’t recognize.
“Just plug it into your computer. It contains a link to a private network where we can communicate with live video.”
I examined it, thinking of the risk I’d be taking if I followed his instructions. “And how can I be sure it doesn’t contain a virus?”
He smiled. “You can’t really. No more than we could be sure this wasn’t an ambush.”
He had a point there.
“We’ll be on every night at midnight to check in with our own findings and to see if you two have gotten anywhere,” Silas added.
“We’ll be there,” Liv agreed.
Her gaze slipped to the bag Felix carried and although she didn’t thank us again, I knew the look to be one of gratitude.
“Later,” was all she said in parting, leaving Silas and I to stand alone in this new reality we had just created.
I, for one, was painfully aware of how negligent it was to let Liv and Felix just … walk away—two people who could only be fugitives, possibly terrorists. It sank in and it hit me hard. What we’d done here today, all for the sake of finding Levi and Corina, may have been the most blatant act of treason our Dynasty had ever known.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Levi
I knew she was tough—in every sense of the word—but something I hadn’t realized was that a soft vulnerability existed within her too.
Sure, it was hidden deep, but I saw it plain as day now.
Last night, her episode went on for a full three minutes as I held her, and she shook violently in my arms. My intention had been to keep her from getting injured while it went on, and I meant to stop cradling her once it was over, but … I didn’t. Instead, I allowed myself to enjoy the warmth of her against my chest, the mild, feminine scent she carried. I hadn’t done that in a while; hold a woman just for the sake of holding her, not expecting anything in return.
As the tremors subsided, she regained a bit of strength. I fully expected her to shy away, or even run away when she realized who’s arms she was in, but neither of those things happened. Instead, smooth heat encircled my neck when she locked both arms around it, resting her forehead in the crook of my neck, returning what had somehow become an embrace.
I didn’t think this was possible—for my attraction for her to become anything more than that, but it was beginning to I feared. And thanks to Silas’ bestowal, I was positive it was real.
No hocus-pocus from the Claiming.
Just my true feelings seeping from within.
Corina seemed to come to her senses all of a sudden and loosened her grip. Two whispered words breezed over my ear before she backed away.
“Thank you.”
I simply nodded in return.
There was amazement in her eyes when she did finally meet my gaze. Maybe it surprised her that I hadn’t been turned off by witnessing her seizing, or maybe it was the realization that I cared enough to look after her until the episode ended.
It wasn’t lost on me that things between us weren’t nearly as tense as they should have been. After all, had it not been for her running off in the middle of the night, we wouldn’t be in this situation—held prisoner at the infamous Blackthorn Sanatorium by some unknown captor. Still, even acknowledging that she’d been the one who got me into this, the hint of anger that plagued me was dwarfed by the many other feelings being near her brought to the surface.
For one, I could hardly keep my eyes off her. It wouldn’t be long until I could add my hands to that list as well. Even though she infuriated me, I wanted her.
She awoke this morning with little to say. It was hard to tell if it was due to embarrassment, or if this was her way of keeping me at arm’s length because she felt it too—the hunger, the pull. I definitely felt it for her.
Jax and his lacky arrived shortly after to bring Corina a meal and a small shot of blood for me. Afterward, she was escorted to the facilities as promised. And here I stood, pacing like a madman, awaiting her return. I felt more tense every second she was away.
It was impossible not to imagine this was what Julian must have felt, discovering she’d gone, having no way of knowing if she was safe, or if she’d even return at all. The Claiming had done a number on us both. I’d never known him to pine over anyone, but there was no missing that glimmer in his eyes every time he saw or spoke of Corina. The bond was more powerful than anything I could have ever imagined, and it was enough to convince me Julian was somewhere on the outside, doing all he could to find us.
Frequently glancing at the door, I wore a path in the soft floor, directly in front of the cot where Corina had slept. I, on the other hand, had chosen to stand guard all night, propped against the wall as I watched over her. My eyes focused on those words she read to me before convulsing: “BLACKTHORN SANATORIUM”.
I was certain we both knew the significance of this place, what had gone on here. It was a blemish on Ianite history, and I firmly believed it to be the deciding factor that eventually drove Dr. Percival into hiding.
Asylums had been obsolete for nearly a century. However, long after this facility served its original purpose, it became ground zero for some of the most heinous experiments anyone had ever heard. And the mastermind behind them all?
Percival.
When questioned, he swore all trials had been conducted in the name of science, but not everyone was so easily convinced. Rumors of pregnant roamers being Percival’s test subjects of choice proved to be enough for his team to usher him into retirement while he still had a thread of dignity intact.
And now, the place that had earned its nickname as the ‘House of Horrors’—before its second closing roughly two decades ago—was our temporary residence. A massive building set on a small island, barely large enough to contain it. Escaping would be a logistical nightmare, but it had to be done.
First chance we got.
The high-pitched, metallic screech of the door brought my full attention there, staring as Corina was escorted inside by her arm. The guard who’d given us such a warm greeting the night before was the one tasked to accompany her. He shot me a warning look before shoving Corina i
nto my chest. I held her there, thinking she’d need to be comforted after having been away, but there was no discernable fear in her.
What sort of human isn’t terrified of the likes of Jax?
Every time a new layer of this incredible girl revealed itself, I became even more intrigued.
“Kid. The water,” Jax called out, prompting his young counterpart to enter with a larger bucket to replace the one I’d kicked over in anger.
My eyes didn’t leave him as he scanned the cell before, eventually, leaving Corina and I alone.
She should have been trembling after having been handled so roughly by the roamer, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, her calm demeanor made me wonder what sort of life she’d lived, what things she’d seen that being a part of the grittier side of my world didn’t even make her flinch.
“Did they hurt you?” I couldn’t help but to ask.
Dark waves quivered on her shoulders as she shook her head without meeting my gaze.
“No,” she sighed.
I was relieved to hear it, but was already dreading the next time they’d come for her.
The soft flooring dipped beneath her feet as she crossed to the cot. My eyes were glued to her every step of the way, fixed on the tight curvature of her waist leading into the soft swell of her hips. The mannish side of me, the part that’s hard to quiet at times, beat at the door of my psyche to be set free.
But I wouldn’t allow it.
Once I let him out, once I caved and let him have his way, I couldn’t promise I’d be able to bridle him again.
Especially with how tempting I found the new object of my obsession.
Lost in thought, she hardly looked at me. Actually, she hadn’t done that much since her seizure. This quiet moment between us was an opportunity, one where I hoped to break down this barrier she put up shortly after she regained consciousness.
As I sat beside her, a cautious gaze passed my way. The cause of the look was clear—I hadn’t been mindful of leaving more than a sliver of space between her thigh and mine.
