by D. D. Miers
I hadn’t meant for her to catch me. Why was I staring? It was the weak spot inside of me that still hoped she would change. Not for me—for my sisters’ sake. Protect them, save them.
But who the hell was I kidding? I've taken care of my sisters since I was fourteen. It's always been the three of us against everything. Even against her. Hoping Lila would change was like hoping a starved cheetah wouldn't devour a zebra resting in its den.
"Nothing," I said.
“Clearly you have something you’d like to say, so just spit it out.”
“I doubt you really want to hear it.”
She crossed her arms. “Childish as always.”
“What can I say? I learned from the best.”
Her sparkling lilac eyes burned into mine, all the unspoken things we wanted to say to each other simmering just below the surface.
Bastian appeared just in time to end our silent standoff. In this light, he almost looked human, his hair smoothed back from his face, the edges hitting his shoulders. A crisp, white dress shirt, black slacks, and crimson loafers covered his tall, slender frame. Bastian was coldly attractive, in a way that would fool most humans, but I saw the true nature of his deception. Bastian was like a beautiful, aged painting–flawless from a distance, the image of perfection but up close, cracking apart.
"Ivy." He walked around the sofa and took my hand, gently placing his lips to my flesh. "It's always a pleasure when our paths cross."
He always did this. Pretended I had somehow come to him of my own volition. Wishful thinking on his part.
"Bastian."
He grabbed a glass of red wine and sat on the long, elegant, Victorian sofa. Bastian's home was an odd mix of the old and modern world. Sumptuous and decadent, yet oddly hostile.
He reached a hand out toward the space beside him. "Sit."
Just as I hit the cushion, a woman brought a plate filled with all the delicacies I always loved. Every favorite treat I couldn't resist.
When it comes to the Fae, it's best to never accept anything they give you. Especially if it seems free. Everything comes with a price. Since Bastian already owned me, there was no point in holding back. I dove into the chocolate truffles, popping one slowly into my mouth. The divine flavor seduced my taste buds, rich dark cocoa with hints of citrus. My sisters and I don't have a lot of money. We get by—but barely. We didn’t have money for chocolates or fancy clothes or expensive drinks. So, I took my luxuries where and when I could
He watched me savor the small orb with an interest that set off my guard. He'd made no secret of his desire for me. In fact, he often brought it up. But owning me and having me were two very different things. As much as he could control me in most ways, there were limits to this arrangement.
"What am I doing here?"
Bastian turned to Lila and the living statues. “Ladies, if you’ll excuse us.”
It was the first time I’d seen him treat his half-naked companions as people and not objects. The act was oddly disconcerting.
When they left, he leaned in close. “I am in need of your . . . special gift."
I swallowed a rush of anxious energy. He'd never asked me to use those areas of my powers, and yet, all the while, I’d been anticipating this moment. My debts before this had been standard. He'd used my unnatural strength and stealth but never the part I keep hidden from my sisters.
"There is a gentleman in possession of something I desire.” He handed me a photo. "His name is Dante."
My eyes slowly swept over the man in the image. Even on paper, there was no missing the intimidating, commanding presence he exuded. My stomach churned with something I’d thought long gone. Was it desire in me? Oh bloody hell, Ivy. I had to shut this down quickly. Dark, powerful men only wanted two things from me: My body or my abilities. I learned that the hard way, and I sure as hell wouldn’t fall for another one. I didn’t need a man in my life; I mean, why else do women have vibrators?
“What is he?”
Bastian sat forward and snatched the photo from my hands. “It’s not your concern.”
There was something in his gaze. Irritation? Jealousy? I brushed it off. “What makes you think I can get anything from him?”
Bastian’s eyes flowed over my body, tracing arches over the exposed tops of my breasts in my leather vest. “You’re exquisite.”
“So that’s it? You think I’m hot enough for him?”
Bastian smiled. “You’ve no idea of your unique gifts, Ivy. There is so much more to you.”
I looked over the picture again. “What exactly do I have to do?”
The smile playing on his lips unnerved me. “Obtain a vial of his blood.”
“You want me to bring you a vial of some guy’s blood? You do know how creepy your request sounds, right?”
“He is not just ‘some guy’ as you say. The task will prove difficult.”
I sat back. “So send a vampire, or better yet go get into a fight with him, I’m sure you’re good enough to get a single punch across.”
“I need it directly from the source and returned immediately. “
“The source?”
“Yes, a very specific source, and there is only one precise way to acquire it.”
A million questions popped in my head, but I only asked the most pertinent to my situation. “Why send me?”
“My instincts tell me you may be the only person to get close enough.”
Close enough. There was no mistaking the implication. He expected me to act as a hooker. Yeah right.
“No way. I told you, there are some parts of me not for sale.” I started to rise from my chair when his hand softly landed on mine. The move was gentle, but his command was clear. Sit.
He moved forward, placing his glass on the table beside him. “I would never have you soiled by such a . . . creature. I simply wish for you to get close enough, bring down his walls, then get what I need.”
“And if I am not getting naked for him, how exactly do you think I’ll get close enough?”
“A tonic . . .” He raised his thumb and ran it across my bottom lip. “On your lips.”
It took me a moment to realize how close he was, and I immediately pushed back to put some distance between us.
“My lips?”
“One kiss, and he won’t be able to fight you. It has to be placed directly onto his flesh. You bite his lip, mixing the tonic within his blood, and he’ll be out before you know it.”
“And why can’t you just use one of these naked chicks hanging around here all the time?”
He slowly lifted his finger to his mouth, his tongue tasting me before he sat back. His eyes closed as he savored it.
“I wouldn’t be coming to you if any other woman had been able to do so; in fact, I’d prefer you never meet him. But the blood in your heart, so specifically dark, will appeal to him.”
The blood Bastian himself put within me.
“Why not just capture him?”
He laughed, as though the idea were ludicrous. “Dante is resistant to normal magic. He needs to be disarmed. So far, I’ve never been able to get close enough to him. He’s quite the beast. I believe you can tame him.”
A beast I was about to get way too close to. “What do you want his blood for?”
"Again, not of your concern, my lovely.”
The inner alarm inside of me started, it screamed I could never trust Bastian’s motives. Did I really want to be a part of making someone else a pawn in Bastian’s games?
It doesn’t matter because you don’t give a shit about anyone else. Remember, Ivy? You, Vi, and Jade matter. Nobody else.
"What do I get out of this?"
He placed a hand over his heart in mock pain. “Is the prospect of making me happy not enough for you?”
I knew my next words would be playing with fire, but this was an opportunity, and I’d become quite the opportunist.
"You've already admitted how difficult this has been for you, which says a lot. If you nee
d this so badly, what do I get if I'm successful?"
People don't give the Fae orders. Bastian could command me to do anything now, and I'd have to do it. Well—almost anything. Maybe I was just getting crazier the older I got.
He looked me over thoughtfully as he contemplated my words. "What do you want? A nicer home? A sizable increase in your bank account? I can do any of these things."
“No. None of that.”
He exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. “Then what would make you happy?”
He already knew the answer to this, yet he was going to make me say it. "Freedom. I don't want to owe you anymore. I want my sisters and me to be free. Free to live our lives as we choose, without any of this."
"No."
He didn't even hesitate in his answer.
"No?" I could feel the blood rising to my cheeks. Of course, he'd make me ask, only to decline me. I knew it was impossible; yet, I still had let some teeny part of optimism inside of me have hope.
Girls like me didn't have time for emotions like hope.
"Then, no. I won't do it." I shot up off the sofa, an attempt to stop the adrenaline-fueled shaking from taking over.
Bastian’s voice trailed after me, but I ignored him and kept going. I'd never disobeyed him before, and a small part of me was terrified of the consequences of doing so. Sure, I put up a fight most of the time, but I'd never said no and left.
Apparently, my rational mind was losing to the crazy side.
I'd almost reached the foyer when a shrieking noise cut through my ears, sharp and horrid. Debilitating pain spread into every ounce of my flesh, and I dropped to my knees, immobilized. Even when I knew it was coming, I couldn’t prepare myself. Bastian’s magical leash reminded me of those electrical dog collars. One step too far and I’d get a shock.
There was only one way to make it stop. Obey. Submit. Give in.
But I’m more stubborn than a donkey, so I held out for as long as I could. My invisible screw you. When my pride finally gave way to logic, I surrendered to Bastian’s will. Immediately, the pain ebbed.
I collapsed to my knees, panting as sweat spilled down my face. Thirty seconds passed before two high-heeled shoes appeared on the tiled floor in front of me. I raised my chin to see Marla, Bastian’s assistant, smiling at me, her pupils cat-like. She held a towel in her hand.
“Oh, Ivy. How many times do you have to test him?” She dabbed my forehead with a warm towel and handed me a bottle of water.
I took a slow swig and smiled. “I guess I’m just not a fast learner.”
Unlike most of the supes I’d encountered, Marla was kind. She never treated me cruelly or like a pawn.
“You’re smarter than this.”
I laughed. “Apparently not.”
“There is no way around his magic, Ivy. You’re just going to have to work something out with the boss. You can’t keep doing this.” She bit down on her lip. “You’re not the only one who gets hurt.”
Guilt burned a hole in my belly. “I know.”
If I didn’t know a similar pain was being visited on my sisters, even from miles away, I’d probably disobey Bastian more often. But, thanks to our psychic connection courtesy of genetics and Bastian’s magic, I was aware of their suffering.
I took a moment to clean myself up before I returned to Bastian. I’d never seen him directly after one of these spells. A gray pallor had consumed his skin, and dark circles formed under his eyes as a light sheen of sweat spread over his brow. He sat on a sumptuous armchair, smirking, his overall attitude belying the fact he was obviously affected by this, too. I never considered these episodes had an adverse effect on him, too. I didn’t exactly feel sympathetic to his pain, but I acknowledged it.
"I'll make you another offer." He rose from the chair and came toward me, until we were barely a foot apart.
"There's nothing else you could offer me, Bastian."
“Gravestones and wicked bones, Ivy.”
“What?”
“You had to die, return to the grave, so to speak, in order to rise better, stronger with the wicked magic now flowing through your bones.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
He stepped closer, “I didn’t do this to harm you, love. It’s a gift. You can’t seem to accept that.”
“A gift that puts my sister and I into indentured servitude for eternity.”
He stared at me a long moment, then spoke. "Do this, and I'll free your sisters from my call."
His words stopped me. "You will?"
“Terms and conditions will apply, of course.”
He didn't have to negotiate, so I knew if he were to offer something so great, his request in return would be just as large.
"Yes . . . but in exchange, you will remain—forever. You won't ask to be released again, and . . ." His voice trailed off.
"And?"
"And you will allow me a chance to have you."
"I told you, I'm not a whor—"
He tugged on my waist to silence me. "You will allow me to attempt to seduce you."
"Right now?"
"No." He raised a hand and traced the side of my jaw. "Another time, when the mood is right."
From the earliest moments I could remember, my life had been filled with unwinnable circumstances. First our mother abandoning us, and then her betrayal. This was just another to add to the ever-growing list. Maybe it was time to accept the inevitable. If I gave myself up to save my sisters, to give them a chance at happiness, then it was worth it. No matter the cost to me. Right? Besides, Bastian said “an attempt,” which meant I could still refuse him . . . hopefully.
He grabbed my chin with his free hand and forced my eyes to meet his. "But remember this, Ivy. This agreement is not to be taken lightly. Choose this, and you will be bound by it. There is no going back. No undoing." He waited patiently as I thought over his offer. "Do we have a deal?"
My sisters’ faces flashed in my mind, and I knew my decision was made before I even had a chance to give it a second thought. I'd survived this long, what was forever?
"We do."
* * *
Gravel scuffed beneath my shoes as I trudged up to the front door of our basement apartment. Although I’d shared this place with my sisters since Jade was in middle school, it had never really felt like home. Worn paint chipped along the door frame and too many cracks lined the walls. It wasn’t anything close to a five-star hotel, but it was ours.
I'd wasted the last few hours sitting in the parking lot at a 7-Eleven, contemplating my task. The compact painite red-diamond switchblade Bastian had given me twisted and swirled between my fingers, as countless thoughts swarmed my mind. There was something oddly beautiful about it. The way the colors blended and swirled made it appear as though the metal was constantly moving and shifting.
Bastian wouldn’t tell me much. Except it was made from some of the rarest metals and gemstones on earth and the only way I’d be able to collect my trophy. Dante's blood couldn't be retrieved with any ordinary blade. I wasn't sure if Bastian was playing with me; however, as a rule, I didn’t refuse free weapons.
By the time I got home, I hoped my sisters would be in bed, and I’d be able to avoid any unpleasant conversations. I dreaded explaining myself to them. Vi, and especially Jade, were too smart–smart enough to worry through all my protests.
The living room lamp glowed like a lighthouse against the dark ocean. No chance of getting out of the talk, and no more time to delay. I had fewer than two hours to get to the airport, and I needed to pack and get my ass through TSA. Bastian's protective magic would only be temporary for allowing me to leave Shelton Sea, and I had to make the most of it.
I jiggled my key in the old, sticky lock. By the time I pushed the door open, Jade was already rushing to greet me.
Her arms flew around me in a tender hug, made all the more stifling by the sticky heat of the air.
"What took so long?" Violet asked from her spot on the sofa. Sh
e was sprawled out on the shabby cushions with bits of stuffing pulling free from the arms. Just like when we were kids, one leg dangled over the back, as if she was daring a monster living in the gap underneath to grab her.
"Bastian." I squeezed Jade tightly one last time before I stepped away and retreated to the fridge. The rattling of our AC had gotten louder since last night. "I'm fine. Honest." I snatched a beer out and popped the cap.
Jade hopped onto the counter and tightened her arms around herself. "You're never gone this long."
"Did he hurt you?" Violet demanded from the living room.
The girls never spent much time with Bastian, thanks to our deal. He’d become a mysterious, foreboding figure in their lives. All they knew was he made me sad, distracted, angry, and, on the rare occasion, injured. Naturally, they hated the man.
"Everything is fine," I shot Jade the most genuine smile I could manage. Drops of sweat slipped down my blouse, and I placed the cool bottle against my skin. "How come the air's not on? It's hot as hellfire in here."
"It is on," Violet groaned. "You've been hanging out in the lap of luxury too long, you forget how the commoners live."
Jade chewed on her lower lip as she perched on the kitchen counter. "What does he need you for this time?”
"Nothing major." I stared at the peeling linoleum. The cool beer in my palm offered a small reprieve from the sweltering heat. "A simple pick-up. You’ll barely notice I’m gone. Maybe a couple of days at the most."
"You’re leaving town?"
"A couple days?"
My sisters shouted their objections simultaneously, and Vi jumped up from the sofa, folding her arms across her chest.
"But you can't go past the borders. Not without . . . it happening," Jade said, her eyes widening with worry.
"I can," I assured her. "Bastian's taking care of it. Trust me, I'm gonna be okay.”
The switchblade in my pocket dug into my hip, a silent reminder of the dangerous task ahead. The enchantment placed upon it would eliminate any chance of airport security picking it up, but the inclination to conceal it remained.
"I just hate this," Jade said, her eyes welling up with tears. "You know you don't have to do this alone. I'm old enough now. We can deal with Bastian."
