Chapter 26
The tape on my eyelids pissed me off more than it was actually painful.
I had managed to make it all of about twenty feet into the club’s side entrance, only managing to turn about ten men to stone with my powers. I hadn’t unleashed them in so long I’d forgotten the freedom of punishing those who sought to do harm.
My gaze hadn’t truly been mine to wield in too long, and it wasn’t as if I had a lot of opportunities on the island to unleash it. Cliona and the others had managed to take down the fae bastards without much help from me, and I wasn’t sure how they’d react to me after seeing my gaze. I had to maintain my good status on the island for fear of landing back with Thatcher.
So entering the club and watching the fearful faces of men as I turned them to stone, capturing them in their fear for eternity, had been freeing and beautiful and healing in so many ways.
But then it was cut short before I had a chance to truly relish in the glory of my powers.
Of course, the cowards covered my eyes first and had bound my snakes in some sort of mesh prison that kept them from attacking anyone who got close. That pissed me off more than the tape. My snakes weren’t meant to be confined, they were meant to be free and violent.
We’re just fine, girl, Luxor said, his deep voice filling my mind eased the racing thoughts a bit.
Don’t worry about us, Baal said.
We are fine, Omari confirmed.
We love you, Asir said at the same time Xabat said, We are here.
Fuck them up, Faddei ordered.
Stay vigilant, Khons snake added.
Don’t let them live, Titi finished for them all.
“Vinni?”
I sighed in relief at Patrick’s Irish voice.
“Who else did they get?” I asked. I may have been deprived of my sight, but I could sense a lot in my surroundings. First, they had my arms tied behind my back with some sort of enchanted rope that kept me from trying to escape. Even the thought of trying to free myself was met with resistance as if even the idea were impossible in my mind. I heard a faint dripping sound that echoed slightly around the space, so it was somewhat open and not as crowded as it might be. I smelled dank wetness and mold, like we were definitely underground or somewhere that had a lot of moisture buildup. And my ass hurt against the rough stone flooring I was forced on.
The ass cheeks were officially numb as I tried to wiggle, not in an effort to escape but to initiate blood flow into areas not currently receiving it.
“Not sure. I tried to feel around the room and only came across yer body. If they got anyone else, they aren’t in here.”
“Well, hopefully they escaped and can bring in reinforcements,” I said, despite knowing we had been outnumbered from the start. It was as if they knew we were coming since the club shouldn’t have been nearly as crowded as it was, especially with armed guards lying in wait for us.
Sure, getting kidnapped wasn’t ideal, but I surprisingly wasn’t as on edge as I might have been.
Because you are stronger than ever before, Titi said.
I nodded in agreement.
I was strong. I was capable.
“Arch is going to be so pissed.”
Patrick grunted. “Aye. As will my Cliona.”
“Do you think they’ll come when we don’t check in?”
Patrick considered in silence until he said under his breath, “They better leave my mate at home because if she risks her pretty little arse to come and save mine… she does not know the punishment that awaits.”
I chuckled, imagining the punishment Arch might give me when we’re reunited. Because we would be reunited. “That was more information than I needed to know. And what’s with all you males and keeping your females away? It’s the modern age. Also, do you even know your mate? Do you honestly think anyone could keep her from coming to find your ass?”
He sighed before wincing in pain.
“Feck me! I can’t even think about these feckin’ ropes without stinging in my feckin’ brain.”
“Same.”
Silence stretched out at the words not needing voicing. Our options were limited without our vision or ability to move. The ropes wouldn’t be around us forever, surely. We’d have to make a plan when whoever held us came back and let us know why they held us.
I thought of Arch.
Of my mate.
My fucking mate.
I still couldn’t believe the bastard hadn’t told me.
“How long have you known Arch was my mate?”
“That’s really what you want to focus on right now?”
“What else do we have to do? I need to know if I’m still mad at him or not.”
I wasn’t. I already knew I’d chew his ass out or hear his side for keeping it from me. I had kept things from him, but it felt like he had his own story to tell.
“Guillermo told him shortly before he took you out on that date. We have been helping him along.”
I snorted. “Of course.”
“We also were the ones who advised him not to tell you since we didn’t want to spook you away with something so serious. And we told him repeatedly that even if you were his mate, doesn’t mean he could force you into anything. He was insulted we’d even bring that up.”
“I don’t think Arch would ever force me into anything,” I admitted aloud, not only to Patrick but to myself. “Did he tell you about his cabin after the groundbreaking at Venom?”
I took Patrick’s silence as an “of course he fucking did, he can’t keep his feckin’ mouth shut.”
“I don’t know how much detail he went into. But when I… when I freaked out? I’d never seen someone jump as quick and as far away from me in my life. Even if I was out of my mind with fear and discomfort, he didn’t for a second think to work around my consent or invalidate it.”
“Good. Anything less is despicable, and I’d have kicked his ass before getting Cliona to kick him off the island.”
I chuckled again. This was one of Arch’s best friends.
“He’s lucky to have you in his life, Patrick.”
“You both are, I’m feckin’ great.”
I snorted and shook my head.
“Cocky males everywhere. Haven Pass must be a magnet for them.”
We sat in silence once more, ignoring the pitter-patter of the water dropping in the corner. The temperature seemed to rise instead of getting colder, which told me the sun was hopefully still rising, so we hadn’t been out for too long.
Before long, what sounded like a heavy and probably rusted door swung open with creaky hinges in the opposite direction of where we sat.
“Who’s there?” Patrick asked immediately, lowering his voice to something more menacing, something promising violence.
“Lavinia, be a doll and tell your friend how it works around here.”
My blood froze at the sound of his voice.
“Thatcher,” I muttered, mostly to let Patrick know who we were dealing with.
“Good girl,” the male I’d spent almost a year learning to forget exclaimed.
I gagged at the sound of those two words on his tongue.
“What do you want?” I kept still and would be as direct as possible. I heard multiple footsteps against the stone flooring. There was no way I could let Thatcher’s presence get under my skin or give away how much I wanted to rip his skin from his bones before feeding it to starving fish in the ocean.
“You know what I want,” he said, his British accent off-putting. I wasn’t sure how I ever compared Arch and his brother when we first met. They may have shared similar genes, but even their voices were completely different. Where Arch was cocky with a sense of humor and joy, Thatcher was pretentious in a way that could make someone punch a baby. He was like every dick bag in every teen movie who was rich and privileged and would probably be able to pay his way out of any sexual assault allegations instead of getting actual punishment.
He was a fucking tool.
“I really don’t. I left your dad and severed the curse you had me under. You should have let me go,” I said, gaining back my confidence with each word. How dare he take me against my will? How dare he take Patrick? How dare he run his brother off? How dare he betray his mother and sisters by perpetuating his father’s bullshit?
“Yes, you do, my sweet girl.” I flinched as I felt his voice nearer my ear, followed by his fingertip on my cheek and chin, caressing it like a lover might right before he dug his fingertips in lower on the sides of my throat, beginning to choke the air from my lungs. “You know that you belong to me no matter what kind of blood curse there is. I don’t need my mother’s magick to bind you to me, Lavinia. You are mine no matter where you go.”
“No, she isn’t, you feckin’ bastard.” The rage in Patrick’s tone on my behalf calmed the venom beneath my skin, rising to the surface, aching to strike at Thatcher’s face.
“No one asked you to speak, undead filthy rat,” Thatcher seethed in Patrick’s direction. “I didn’t even want to bring you along, but someone told me a zombie fae was rare, just like my girl is here.”
“I’m not your fucking girl, asshole,” I said and kneed upward, missing what I assumed was his dick by a few inches but felt the grunt as my kneecap sank into his inner thigh. “Get your hands off me and take off my blindfold to face me like a real male might.”
The bastard only chuckled. “I might be sure of myself, but I’m not an idiot, Lavinia. Your gaze is why you are so precious to me,” he said in a lower voice, trailing his disgusting fingers across my chin one more time. “That and your juicy fucking ass.”
I heard Patrick squirm next to me before someone slapped him, and his body slunk closer to mine.
“Sit and stay like the good dog you are, and maybe I won’t separate you two.”
I felt Patrick right himself as his shoulder met mine again. It was a comfort having him here. I had my friend with me, and for the first time, Thatcher was near me and I wasn’t pissing myself in fear of what he might do to my body without my permission.
I wasn’t alone.
“Good boy.” Thatcher praised Patrick, and I rolled my eyes.
“My lord?” A masculine voice sounded from the same direction as the door.
“What?” Thatcher snapped back.
“We have a bit of a problem out here,” the same voice said.
“Then take care of it. I am busy.”
“But my lord?—”
“I said deal with it before I?—”
I heard a thwack sound before blood permeated the dank air, and the sound of something sticky and wet rolled toward where Patrick and I were still tied up on the floor.