Chapter 40
Marius
I watch from my hidden recess in the wall. Two burly guards drag a smaller figure down the corridor—Brigid. Her dark hair obscures her face, but I'd know her anywhere, in any lifetime.
The larger guard grunts as he wordlessly shoves her roughly into a cell.
The door clangs shut with a finality that’s muffled by the oppressive silence. Faint shimmers of magical wards dance across the walls, pulsing with sickly green light. Designed to suppress her powers, no doubt. Clever .
As the guards' footsteps fade, I emerge from the shadows. My lips curl into a smile as I approach the cell door. Brigid's pale face appears in the small barred window, her gray eyes widening as she spots me.
"You."
I lean against the wall. "Me." A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. "Is that any way to greet your liberator?"
“Did you have something to do with this?” Her voice is edged with suspicion, the words hanging heavy in the stagnant air between us.
I raise an eyebrow at her accusation. “So quick to assign blame. Have you considered that perhaps the Council had their own motives for locking you away?"
Confusion moves across her face, marring her normally composed countenance. Her brow furrows. Confusion, but also something else. I wonder if Brigid understands more than I realized.
"What do you mean?" Locked up in a cell and she’s still defiant. Good girl .
I step forward, my boots scraping against the floor as I trace a finger along the cold iron bars across the narrow window in the door. "Let's just say the Council's intentions aren't as pure as they'd have you believe. They fear what they can't control." My eyes lock onto hers. "And you, little bird, are especially uncontrollable."
For a moment, her guard drops, and her face softens, but it’s quickly replaced by a hardened expression.
"Why should I trust you? You always seem to show up when there’s trouble, conveniently.”
Laughter escapes in a dark chuckle. "Right now, I'm your only chance at freedom." I pause for effect, letting the weight of my words sink in. "Unless you prefer to rot in this miserable cell? Maybe you want to wait around to see what the Council has planned for you?"
She challenges me with an unwavering glare. Her jaw is set in a stubborn line, the muscles twitching with conflict. I can almost see the gears turning in that clever mind of hers, weighing her options, calculating risks and rewards.
Finally, she speaks. "What's your price?"
My smirk widens. "Let's discuss that after we get you out of here."
Brigid's eyes widen in surprise as the lock on the cell door clicks open. She takes a hesitant step forward.
"Why are you helping me?"
I push off from the wall. "Let's just say I have my own reasons."
Her eyes narrow. "And what would they be?"
I shrug. "We have a common goal, you and I."
She studies me for another long moment. "We absolutely do not."
Holding her gaze with my own, I move my hands in a pattern in front of me.
Brigid’s eyes widen as her own magic surges back. "How did you—"
"Magic, my dear. The same magic that the Council fears so much."
She studies me with renewed interest, her gaze lingering on the intricate black tattoos that adorn my arms.
"Questions later. We need to go." I reach out my hand to her.
She hesitates, then moves forward towards me, almost close enough to touch. Her magic is palpable, the shadows dancing at her feet. Fuck, she's intoxicating like this.
"You should have taken my offer earlier," I murmur. "Could've avoided all this unpleasantness."
She scowls. "I don't make deals with devils."
I laugh softly. "Oh, little bird. You have no idea what I am, but it’s not that.”
Our eyes lock. For a moment, I see her. The rage. The raw power barely contained.
A door slams in the distance. Brigid tenses. "Let's get out of here.”
I nod, fighting the urge to pull her closer. To claim her. Not yet. Soon.
Footsteps echo down the corridor, growing louder.
Brigid's magic coils around her like a protective cloak. I turn towards the sound, positioning myself between her and whatever is coming.
Four figures burst around the corner, instantly recognizable—the Council's loyal lapdog Lochan, with his self-righteous scowl, and Callen, the feckless prince, with their mutt friend barreling close behind. The bloody druid is with them too, as silent and creepy as ever.
"Get the fuck away from her," Callen snarls, magic sparking at his fingertips.
I smile, relishing the fury in his eyes. "Or what, little boy? You'll run and tattle to your daddy?"
Lochan steps forward, his voice tight. "We're here to rescue Brigid. Stand aside."
"Rescue?" I laugh. “From what, exactly? The Council's twisted version of justice? You’re the Council’s bitch, Lochan. Brigid’s not safe anywhere near you."
Brigid's hand brushes against my arm, her touch electric. "Marius," she whispers, warning me.
I ignore her, my focus on the idiots in front of me. "Tell me, do you even know why she was imprisoned? Or do you just follow orders like good little puppets?"
Callen's face contorts with rage. He lunges forward, magic flaring—
"Stop!" Brigid's voice calls out. She steps forward, placing herself between us. "This isn't helping."
She turns to talk to the others, her voice firm despite the slight shaking in her hands.
"We need to get out of here. Now. Before the guards come back."
"We have a plan. There's a passage—" The mutt reaches out a paw, trying to grab her but I step in front of it, blocking him.
"How cute," I interject, unable to resist. "I'm sure the Council has no idea about that."
Brigid whirls on me, gray eyes flashing. "Enough," she hisses. "Can you get us out of here or not?"
I pause, studying her. The fear is still there, but buried beneath it...
"Of course," I murmur, allowing a hint of approval to color my tone.
She holds my gaze for a moment longer, then nods sharply. "Let's go."
As we move towards the exit, I can't help but cast one last glance at Brigid. She's magnificent like this – all fire and shadow, finally embracing her true nature. A pawn no longer.
The stomp of boots on stone sounds behind us. Brigid freezes, her magic flaring instinctively.
"Shit," Callen hisses.
I turn to see the Council's guards rounding the corner. They’ve brought friends.
This might get interesting.