17. Chapter Seventeen
17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
ELODIE
A firm grip tugged at my shoulder, and I was wrenched back into my skull with a painful snap of my mind. A gasp escaped as my consciousness settled itself, my head pounding at the force. Fog still covered my vision as a low voice hissed at me to keep walking while I tried to figure out what the fuck just happened.
I continued on, almost blindly, until my eyes cleared and a large black door with intricate etching came into focus, two guards standing either side. Frowning in confusion at the familiar wood, I shrugged off the hand still gripping me.
What had I just done? A pull began in my chest, heart speeding with a mix of anticipation and a weirdly strong desire to go through that door.
The guard’s hand fell to his side as he stepped away from me, matching frowns on our faces as we looked at each other. He knocked twice and my attention return to the door. His side-eye was getting annoying. A moment later it swung open, and he pressed me forward into the room, my feet scuffing on carpet as the door closed with a defining thud, sealing me inside.
The room was filled with a stuffy warmth that came from a large fire set into one of the walls, its scent filling my senses along with something I couldn’t quite pin down.
There was barely a second to compose myself, to attempt to calm my racing heart or take in any of my surroundings before my eyes collided with a gaze that must have been trained on the door before I had even stepped through.
My breath left me in a whoosh of air as Marcellus’ ice-blue eyes pinned me to the spot as magik crackled under my skin.
He took a step my way as I dragged in a clear breath, the pull in my chest lessening as his towering form came closer, looming above me despite the distance between us still. Alongside the warmth that infused the room, a new heat flooded my body as our eyes remained locked. Part of me cringed at the memory of my breakdown in my room, but another part of me craved the contact between us. To be held again by this stranger.
He wasn’t wearing his cloak with the symbols, and I was glad; I needed my mind in the here and now. The scars that raked across his face shone pink against his dark skin, and I itched to reach out and touch them.
Would they be smooth as the hidden silk against my skin or rough under my fingers?
Marcellus was the Prince? That made no sense…
Movement caught my attention and reluctantly I pulled my eyes from his. Though I wanted desperately to step closer, I kept my feet rooted to the spot as I swept my eyes over the other people in the room. Knowing that Marcellus’ were still firmly on me had the inner me preening at his attention.
There were three other people in the room with us and despite the heat, it felt anything but cozy in here. An older man with a face rounded by age and overconsumption wore a long navy cloak that draped over a matching body. His black hair was slicked back and sprinkled liberally with grey as he stood watching us closely, brown eyes soaking in every interaction between Marcellus and me.
Moving past him my eyes fell to the only woman in the room. She was tall and willowy with perfectly curled blonde hair that hung past her shoulders in a way I had never been able to perfect. A sickly peach dress clung to her pale figure, and while she was severely lacking in the hips department, she more than made up for it in other areas. A thick silver necklace wound round her neck and a heavy citrine gem the size of an egg sat nestled in her impressive cleavage. Her eyes glowed— actually glowed —in a colour almost the same as the jewel she wore. Right now, they were narrowed at me, and I bristled at the mean-girl energy she brought to the room.
The man standing in between them was big—not Marcellus big, but still overly large. A dark tailored shirt pressed tight against the muscles of his arms and across his chest. Considering the buttons didn’t gape from the pressure they were clearly under, I knew for sure there was magik at work there. Matching dark trousers fitted his equally muscly legs, and he was especially easy on the eyes as they travelled back up his body, landing on his face.
A halo of golden ringlets fell to his chin, shining in the flickering light of the flames. An actual golden circlet set with small rubies sat nestled in the curls—delicate but powerful. The gems called to me like so many others had before, and as I took a small step forward, Marcellus stirred behind me.
So, this was the Prince then, not Marcellus.
I took in his face; the full, high cheekbones and dark green eyes that glittered like emeralds. A flicker of recognition passed through me, but I was too busy staring to pay it any attention, and as a lazy smirk pulled his lips, I knew that he knew I was checking him out.
“You’re late,” he drawled, crossing his arms over his broad chest, and I caught sight of a golden ring set with another ruby glinting in the light. “Been busy assaulting anyone else in my palace?” The woman next to him tittered a laugh and I finally registered that ounce of recognition as his voice washed over me. Puzzle pieces snapping violently into place.
“Oh, fuck no!” I growled. A huff of amusement came from Marcellus’ direction while the short man released a sound of indignation. “ You’re the Prince!”
“Let me show her her place, my Prince.” The woman hissed, like actually hissed. Her heeled feet took a step in my direction at the same time movement shifted behind me, and as the subtle grate of metal reached my ears, her eyes flicked over my shoulder before she shrank back. I didn’t know what her problem was, but I was sure one good punch to the tit and she’d go down, especially with the height of those heels.
Good thing, too, as that was probably all I could reach, not that I’m inclined to violence in any way.
The Prince shook his head, waving a hand at her, an infuriating smirk on his face, and he sat down into the large chair behind him. Annoyed I hadn’t recognised him, I searched his eyes though to be fair he had kept a mask on for the entire duration of our previous encounter.
Big Man was the fucking Prince.
Of course he was. I had punched the literal Prince in the face and somehow hadn’t ended up in a dungeon.
Fuck... they must really need me for something.
Whatever feelings I’d felt at seeing Marcellus were quickly pushed aside for the rapidly rising frustration as I realised just how in the dark I was here.
I didn’t even know what part of the world I was in.
I swallowed it down, I wouldn’t let him see. Let them see. It occurred to me then that this was the room I’d seen when my mind had untethered from its rightful place— inside my head. They were the two men talking, the ones having a conversation about a fountain.
“Obviously I am,” he confirmed, eyes glittering with unmistakable glee.
“I didn’t recognise you without the black eye.” I was provoking him, but I didn’t care. It was all I had right now and I was quickly losing my patience. Another hiss came from the yellow-eyed woman, which I ignored .
Who walks around hissing anyway? That’s fucking weird.
There was no black eye—we both knew that—but as his eyes narrowed in anger at my defiance, it fed the energy pulsing through my veins. Marcellus’ deep rumble of laughter washed over my skin sending a pulse of heat straight to my core, but right now, I was too pissed off to focus on that.
“You can leave now, Marcellus.” Big Man, the Prince , continued to frown. His fingers tightened on the arm rests, and I turned to Marcellus, whose eyes were still on me.
“Marcellus.” His voice was sharper this time, and with a look that screamed impending violence, Marcellus nodded his head imperceptibly before heading towards the door. My gaze following as he left without looking back.
I was uncomfortably aware of the fact this was the man who had kidnapped me. Not to mention the other two people in the room who looked like they wanted nothing more than for him to shout, “off with her head,” and be done with me.
I thought princes would have had servants to do shit like that for them.
What made me so important that he came for me himself?
Maybe he got off on going out and doing things like that?
I wasn’t sure which option was worse.
Facing back to him, he had shifted in his chair to slouch to one side, legs spread wide like the dick he was and chin resting on one fist. I felt every touch of his green eyes as they slid down my body, and I wondered if it was him who had chosen this outfit—surely not.
I was already growing impatient, more unsettled with each passing minute. I’d rather be back in my prison room staring out the window than having to deal with this bastard, even if he was a prince.
This room was small and uncomfortably intimate, which meant I was closer to him than I liked as he lounged. It wasn’t quite as big as a throne but bigger than any normal chair, made from a dark shiny wood that mirrored the flames that lined the walls. His buddies had no chair of their own.
Tapestries draped the walls, a depiction of stories woven with colourful threads that nudged at a corner of my conscience. Had I been with anyone else, I would have wanted to get a closer look, but I stayed where I was, feet sinking slightly into the thick carpet. A small cabinet was set against the wall, a gold pitcher and glasses set on top of it along with glass bottles filled with amber liquid. A single, black, wooden door stood closed behind his chair, but there were no windows, no way in or out except the two doors. One he was in front of and one watched by two guards.
“What are you?” Eyes focused on my face with laser precision.
What am I?
“Who are you?” My face scrunching in confusion was the only reaction I could manage as he tried again.
“Who am I? What are you talking about? Why am I even here?”
“Why indeed,” murmured the round man in the navy robes.
“You will answer when the Prince asks you a question,” the woman spat. Her words slid through the room making my skin prickle with something more than annoyance at the audacity of these people.
“In case it slipped that stupid head of his, he kidnapped me .” I kept my eyes firmly on my abductor’s face, an undeniable thrill running through me as anger flashed behind his emerald eyes.
“Answer, human.”
Human? As opposed to what, a fucking alien?
This bitch was starting to get on my last nerve, but his glare remained on me as he stayed silent. I ignored the other eyes in the room boring into me like they could make me answer if they stared hard enough.
“ You broke into my home, kidnapped me, and have the cheek to ask me who I am? What are you, a fucking idiot? Maybe you should have done your research beforehand!” I could feel my anger within me. The same anger that would grow when I’d been called names or laughed at in the playground. Isolated as someone different once again. It was searching for a way out as it fed the energy that filled my body.
My magik had never responded like this, had never been tied to my emotions at all. It was merely something that came when I called on it, but other than that, it had laid dormant under my skin. I tried to force it back down. Now wasn’t the time to be trying out any new tricks, but my fingers twitched at my sides and his eyes flicked to them before landing back on my face.
The memory of him holding up his fiery arm had me pushing it away even harder. I wouldn’t win in a fight against him, and we both knew it. I might know how to throw a punch, but I didn’t know how to use my magik that way.
Making gems shiny hardly prepares you for a fight with someone who can casually set their arm on fire.
“Out. Now.” As the order rang through the room, the round man whirled towards the door without hesitation, though his companion had other ideas.
The hissing lady stepped towards him, hand slightly outstretched to run a long, painted nail down his bicep. “I will stay with you, my Prince, who knows what tricks this human whore may have planned.”
Rude.
“You will leave, Lyssa.” His teeth gritted as she touched him.
“As you wish, my Prince.” Lyssa stepped back but not before throwing a venomous glance my way as she slunk out the door.
As the door thudded closed, I caught the minute shudder that ran over him, though when his eyes met mine, they hardened instantly.
“Tell me who you are.” Tendons strained on his hands as he clenched the arms of his chair. The small flash of satisfaction at his displeasure for my refusal to answer wasn’t enough to quell the irritation that flared within me.
“What do you want from me?” I countered. There was no point being delicate about it.
“Why am I here? And while we’re on the subject, where even is here?”
He pushed forward out of the chair, coming towards me. The scent of charcoal and maplewood overpowered my senses, and solid lines of muscle grew clearer beneath his clothes the closer he got. The hard glint of anger in his emerald eyes stripped my bravado from a moment ago.
Slowly he circled me, as though each measured step held the possibility to reveal the key to my identity. I stayed rooted to the spot unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing me rattled.
“Take me home.”
He won’t.
He didn’t deign to respond, and his failure to address my demand sent my magik surging once again. He was back in front of me now, not as close as before but close enough for me to see the rubies nestled within his golden curls like burning coal.
My heart rate picked up speed as I struggled with the turn my magik had taken, and it tugged me backwards towards the door. But I wouldn’t run from him; I would stand my ground.
“Take me home.” The words came through gritted teeth as my fingers vibrated with the energy rushing through them. I knew he could sense it in the same way I could sense the magik he had begun pushing to his own fingertips, ready to take me on.
“Who are you?” he demanded, heat radiating from his body.
We were going round in fucking circles, and frustration had sparks escaping my fingertips to dance along the edges of my hands. I hadn’t meant to, but I couldn’t seem to keep a hold on them, and his eyes lit at the challenge as small flickers of flame twisted across his hands, eager to leap further up his arms.
“You don’t get to take me from my bed in the middle of the night then demand answers from me .” The sparks were growing stronger; the power fizzing through my veins felt good, felt right.
I didn’t know if I could stop their progress. I didn’t know if I wanted to.
The Prince snarled at my refusal, heat spiking the room in a sudden flash before it fell away and another tug in my chest urged me to leave, but I was going nowhere.
I guess he isn’t used to not getting his own way.
Flames danced higher up his arms, my own magik responding at the slightest push. It was almost euphoric as it filled me, and I had to fight back a smile.
“You will tell me who you are. What you know!” Anger was etched into every line of his pretty face as orange tongues licked their way up his neck, dissolving into his skin before pushing back out again. The way they consumed his form reminding me sickeningly of how my family had burned in my dreams.
What do I know? Fucking nothing, mate, that’s what.
For a third time, I felt the distinct tug in my chest urging me towards the door and for the third time, I ignored it, instead willing magik to pour from me. Losing my tentative grip as an invisible force streamed from every part of my body, growing bigger until I knew it had formed a shield around me, enclosing me within.
I could feel as it buffeted against my skin, slamming into the invisible force that kept it contained.
Too much. I’d pulled too much. I didn’t know how to rein it in and more worryingly, part of me didn’t want to. Heart pounding in my chest, the rush of magik scraped against my nerves setting them alight in a way so obscene I had to squeeze my thighs together to ward off the growing ache between them.
The Prince responded with his own swell of magik, the heat growing unbearable as beads of sweat rolled down my back when the door behind me banged open. The wood shrieked in protest, but I didn’t flinch, not taking my eyes from the threat in front of me.
The man who had taken me from my home, my family, and who was now demanding I provide him with answers.