Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
Sasha was in trouble.
She knew it the moment the world of Vile’s library reformed around her. Was there even any point in running? Probably not. It was probably like running from a mountain lion—it’d just encourage him to chase her.
Rage filled the room like a palpable fog. She took a slow breath and braced herself for what was about to happen to her. Flashes of imagery of him pulling her limbs off or disemboweling her played through her mind.
“Think you’re clever, do you?” The snarling words came from right behind her.
“I couldn’t let you—”
He grabbed her by the upper arm and whirled her to face him.
Before she could react, his hand was around her throat.
Or rather, she thought it was his hand at first. But it wasn’t.
The room around her was almost consumed by those strange, drawn-on, black tendrils that seemed to spread from him whenever he was angry.
And from the darkness, too many eyes. Too many of those purple, strange, inhuman eyes were glowering at her in matching anger.
It was one of those tendrils that had coiled around her throat and was cinching tight, limiting her air, but not cutting it off all the way. Not yet. The thing yanked her backwards and she had no choice but to go with it, staggering to keep her footing.
Vile followed after her, wearing his own face—his purple eyes dark with fury. “After all I was doing for you! That is how you thank me?”
Gasping for air, she grabbed uselessly at the thing around her throat, trying to get her fingers under it to pull in more breath.
She hit one of the long reading tables that ran the length of the impossible library as the tendril kept pulling her backwards.
But it didn’t stop there. It pulled her down until her back was flat against it.
He was going to kill her.
Maybe he’d skip the game entirely and just kill her for keeps.
Vile loomed over her, his lip curled in disgust. “I wanted to ease you into all this, I really did. But I see now how pointless that endeavor truly was.”
“I wasn’t going to”—she could just barely get enough air to speak in bursts—“let you kill Sidney.”
He slammed his hands down on the table on either side of her, blotting out the dim light of the amber stained glass lamps overhead, his purple eyes eerily and faintly glowing in the darkness. “Then you’ll die in her stead. Don’t you understand? In games where someone wins, someone has to lose.”
“And you don’t care which.” She tugged at the thing around her throat. But it was impossible to grab. It wasn’t slimy, but it was extremely slippery. She couldn’t get a purchase on it no matter how hard she tried.
“Precisely.” Lifting one of his hands, he placed his palm against her cheek, his thumb resting against the underside of her chin.
He studied her for a moment before a slow, terrible smile crept over his face.
“At first, I thought I had clearly picked the more entertaining twin. But now, I wonder if the sexual one would be more fun. I wonder how she might take to my more…twisted instincts.”
“Don’t—you—dare—” That got her struggling for the first time since they’d reappeared. She kicked and punched at him, forgetting the thing around her throat in her attempt to get him away from her.
He merely laughed like the villain he was. It was made no less terrifying by how perfectly it would’ve fit into a Vincent Price movie. More of those inky-black things snapped around her wrists and ankles, pulling her back down to the table. “How sweet. You think you have a say in the matter.”
“Leave. Her. Alone!” She glared right back at him, not caring about her own safety at that point. She was stuck. There was no saving herself. She could only worry about Sidney. At least she had Virtue to protect her, for as much good as that would do.
“Why should I?” Vile rested his thumb against the hollow of her chin. His gaze flicked to her lips and lingered there. “Give me a good reason.”
That…stumped her. Because it’s wrong. Because you should. Because I said so. Because. Or else.
All of them were shit reasons said out loud. Her threat was vapid and empty, and she had nothing to back it up.
Her words were raspy and breathless. “If I agree to play along, will you agree to leave her alone?” It was a stupid gambit. He could just do whatever he wanted. But she had to hope that above all else, he wanted her to play his stupid game for his own amusement.
That seemed to intrigue him. Tilting his head to the side slightly, he hummed, his gaze still on her lips as he pondered it for a moment.
“You’ll stay in character, stay on my side, no longer act against me?
If I agree not to specifically target or otherwise act against your sister?
Now, we have to make it very clear that if I, in the fiction, would do so logically, I have to be allowed to do so.
I can’t very well pretend she doesn’t exist.”
“But you can’t go out of your way—break character or logic—just to hurt her. If I make you angry.”
He leaned down a little closer to her, resting his weight on his elbow. She could feel the warm length of his thigh pressing against hers. The tendrils around her tightened ever so slightly.
The anger between them fell away instantly like the planks underneath a hangman’s block into something else. Something far more treacherous. Something far more dangerous.
The memory of him as Captain Hook flashed through her mind. The press of the tip of that metal spike underneath her chin as he threatened her. The way that—
He can read minds here.
Remember?
She slammed the door on those thoughts.
“Damn,” he murmured. Lowering his head just a little farther, he brushed his lips against her cheek close to her ear. “It’s a very tempting deal. Very tempting, indeed.”
She turned her head away from him, feeling her cheeks go warm in response to his nearness.
Her skin felt electric. With everything she had, she tried to blot out all thoughts of him.
Tried to block out every reaction she was having.
Screaming silently in her mind at herself for being a fool and an idiot and a moron, she tried to latch onto that as a raft to take her away from the situation.
Don’t think about this don’t think about this don’t think about this don’t think about this don’t think about this don’t think about—
The air felt too close as he whispered to her, his breath pooling against her skin. It sent a shiver down her spine. “Don’t think about what, Sasha?”
He sounded so damn pleased with himself that she wanted to fucking punch him in the goddamn smug-ass, gorgeous face.
That was when she felt it.
One of the tendrils around her ankles had started to move. It had begun to wander, ever so slightly, up her calf. Only an inch. Maybe two.
But the insinuation was enough.
She whipped her head back to him, eyes wide in shock. “V—”
The rest of his name didn’t make it past her lips.
Because his own lips caught it instead.
He kissed her without warning, capturing the sound, as she went to shout at him. His hand caught her chin and held her in place as he tilted his head to deepen the embrace.
Sasha had been kissed before. She’d had boyfriends. She wasn’t a virgin.
But she’d never, in her life, ever been kissed like that. She never even dreamt it was possible. All the tendrils holding her in place, and the one around her throat, released her. Which was good, because she needed every ounce of air she could get.
Instinctually, she grasped the front of his lapels, clinging to him for dear life as he seemed to try to devour her through a kiss alone.
The noise that escaped her throat wasn’t exactly a sound of protest. Neither was the deep growl that came from him in response.
“What the fuck—”
“Brother!”
Vile grinned against her lips before stepping away.
“Deal accepted, Sasha darling.” Vile laughed. “And sealed with a kiss.”
And in that moment, she knew she’d been played.
Fuck.
Sidney couldn’t believe her eyes.
One minute, they’d been standing in Neverland. Then, Virtue had swept her up and told her they had to go save Sasha from being ripped to pieces by what was probably a very angry Vile.
Sasha had nobly saved her from Captain Hook, after all, which would have sent Vile into an angry rage.
So they had appeared in Vile’s part of the library, intending on busting in to save Sasha from danger.
Only to find her on her back on a table, with Vile between her legs. Making out.
Sidney couldn’t believe her eyes. Sasha was sucking face with the guy who had just threatened to kill them both. What the actual fuck was going on? What was she thinking?
When she shouted at them, and Virtue had done the same, Vile had laughed in triumph and said something about a “deal accepted” before strolling away, grinning like an idiot.
Sasha looked like she wanted to melt into the floor in embarrassment. She climbed off the table quickly headed down one of the aisles of books, her face red and obviously close to tears.
No. No way in hell was Sidney going to let her sister escape like that. She stormed after her. “What the fuck Sasha?”
“It’s—it’s not what it looks like—” Sasha went to the far back corner of the row of books, leaning against the wall, her head in her hands.
“Explain!”
“We were arguing. He threatened to hurt you. To do things to you. I—I just—he—it just happened suddenly, it doesn’t make any sense, I didn’t really—I was trying to make a deal with him, and he just—” She was rambling, her hands shaking.
Sidney moved to stand across from her twin, crossing her arms across her chest. “Were you trading yourself for my safety? Was that the deal? A ‘take me instead’ kind of thing?”
“N—no. It wasn’t like that.”
“Then why were you kissing him?”
“He—he just kind of kissed me, it just kind of happened. I didn’t ask for it.”
“Didn’t seem like you didn’t like it.” Sidney made a face. “Seriously, Sasha? He’s trying to kill us both! He kidnapped us. How fucking pent up and horny are you that you’d let him do that?”
“I didn’t let him, Sid, it just happened!” Sasha pulled her glasses off and ran her hand down her face. “Does he look like the kind of person who—it’s like trying to argue with a moving train!”
“Uh-huh.” Sidney rolled her eyes. “It’s called ‘no means no,’ sweetheart! Have you ever heard of it?”
“You’re the one to talk. Getting felt up by mermaids and almost drowned?” Sasha glared at her. “You’re going to try to fuck your way through whatever story we get stuck in, don’t deny it!”
“Look—” Sidney pointed at her. “Just because I have a healthy sex life doesn’t make me a—”
“See, brother? I told you this would be fun.”
Sidney broke off. Standing there at the end of the aisle were Vile and Virtue, watching her argue with her twin. Vile was grinning like the cat who ate the canary. He might as well have been eating from a bucket of popcorn for how pleased he looked.
Virtue was frowning, his brow knitted in concern. “Please don’t fight, you two. This is what he does. He tries to split people up. He’s a manipulator, and he’s the best at it.”
“I am not—” Vile paused. “Well, I am the best at it, yes, but I—” He sighed. “Damn it.”
Virtue walked up to them, and placed a hand on Sasha’s shoulder.
“It’s all right. He’ll make you feel vulnerable, alone, and use any attraction you have to him to his advantage.
He’ll make you feel like he’s the only one in the world on your side.
Who understands you. That’s what he does.
That’s his game. And it starts like this.
By isolating you from the ones you love. ”
Shit. Sidney’s shoulders slumped. She walked up to Sasha and hugged her tight. “I’m sorry,” she muttered to her sister. “I get it. It’s the tall, dark, and handsome vibe.” She paused. “And you’re super horny and repressed.”
“I am not.” Sasha couldn’t help but laugh through the last half of her protest.
Vile groaned. “You’re making me out to be some abusive human, brother. I’m not such a pedant. My schemes are far more grandiose than that.” He walked away from the end of the aisle. “Come along, Sasha. We have a story to choose.”
“No, we won the last story, so we chose the next one,” Virtue argued.
“Hardly! Sasha most decidedly won the last story.” Vile turned to face them again.
Sidney went to join the forming argument between the demigods, with Sasha following close beside her. This involved them both. And if this was choosing the next story, it was a matter of life or death.
“But she did so doing a heroic act.” Virtue smiled. “Therefore, the heroes won, and the heroes get to choose.”
“No. Sasha won by performing a cowardly act of mutiny. Mr. Smee overthrew Captain Hook to take control of the pirates. The story ended before we even know whether or not he chose to surrender to Peter Pan or slaughter the remaining Lost Boys.” Vile adjusted one of his cufflinks, looking quite bored with the situation.
“The ending was ambiguous, but the winner is clear.”
Virtue went to argue again, then let out a heavy sigh. “Darn it.”
“It’s all right.” Sidney smiled, nervously. “We’ll get to pick the next one.” What was certain death at the hands of whatever horrifying story Sasha chose? Right?
Virtue reached out to take her hand. She took it, and he gently pulled her close beside him. “That’s right. And I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”
She believed him. She really, honestly did.
Turning her attention to her sister, she frowned. She had Virtue to keep her company and keep her safe. Vile was standing some ten feet away from Sasha, looking at her like a hungry animal. And Sasha had an expression on her face like she was doing her level best not to scream or cry. Or both.
“Well, Sasha darling? Where are we going next?”
“Please, no horror,” Sidney couldn’t help but whine as she said it. “I just—not after what we just put up with.”
“So no fairy tales either.” Sasha chuckled. “Because I don’t know if you’ve read the original ones, but, yikes.”
“Seriously?” Sidney blinked.
“Seriously. Go look up ‘Sleeping Beauty’ if you want to cringe.” Sasha chewed her lip as she thought. “Honestly, Dracula is probably a safer story than anything out of the Brothers Grimm but, no, we won’t start there.”
“Damn.” Vile snapped his fingers.
After a long pause, Sasha smiled. “I’ve got one. Should be relatively safe. And it might give us some room to maybe come up with a unique story and win this stupid game.”
“I highly doubt that, but I can’t wait to see you try.” Vile strolled up to her, still with that rarely-faltering smile on his face. “Where are we headed, dear?”
When she said it, Vile’s instant laughter made Sidney wonder if they weren’t in for much more of a challenge than Sasha had bargained for.
“Sherlock Holmes.”