11. Brinley
Chapter 11
Brinley
T he view from the study’s window seat was beautiful, peaceful. But Brinley was starting to feel like a caged animal. For more than two weeks, she’d either stayed in here or the bedroom. The only time she had left was the night she made the mistake of trying to go upstairs instead of just fleeing like she’d planned. She hadn’t even ventured down to the kitchen or around the rest of the house.
Fixing her wavy hair to the best of her abilities and smoothing down the faded blue dress she had been given, she walked to the door and hesitated. Gabriel kept insisting she wasn’t a prisoner, but she hadn’t tested that again since that night. Twisting the doorknob, she peered into the hallway. The empty hallway.
There wasn’t anyone there to make sure she didn’t escape. Perhaps they were stationed near the exits of the home. She wandered down the hall toward the stairs that would lead to the ground floor. It looked so different during the day. She’d seen it when Gabriel first brought her here, but she had been curled up in his arms and in so much pain that she hadn’t really remembered its beauty, its airiness. The dark wood furnishings, the gas lanterns and natural light spilling from high windows behind her, with the open balcony above the ground floor made it so cozy.
She stopped before reaching the stairs and leaned against the wall. She wanted to hate it so much. This was the home of her enemy. These people had killed her family and friends. Well, friend. It wasn’t as if she had more than one. Just André. The rest of her village tended to avoid her. At least, its older inhabitants. Those closer to her age and younger were more obvious with their disdain.
They hadn’t known who she was precisely, just that she was important enough to protect. The other adolescents didn’t care about that. Throughout the years, she’d learned to steer clear of the crueler ones. Apart from André, only one boy had paid her more attention. But even that ended up being a horrible trick.
A shiver ran through her as she remembered the way he’d walked away from her before she could even pull her skirt down and the top of her dress back up to cover herself properly. The way she’d heard him laughing with his friends shortly after, bragging about what they did behind the old barn.
She’d been hurt by his words, but more than anything, she’d been so angry. All she wanted to do was storm over and tell them that he wasn’t even good at it. Not only had he come within a minute, but he’d finished without bothering to make sure she reached her own climax. She ended up doing the job later that night with her own fingers.
But of course, before she could humiliate him and his small dick, the one person who truly seemed to care about her appeared. André had heard everything but still intercepted her, guiding her home instead. He’d made sure she was all right and brought her a moontime herb.
No one that idiotic should be allowed to procreate , he’d said with a wink, making her laugh through the tears. He’d then held her close and reassured her that everything would be all right, that she would find someone who loved her deeply one day.
With a sigh, she headed toward the stairs again, hoping to find the kitchen and maybe something to nibble on. She missed her best friend so much. His absence tore her apart inside. For over a decade, he’d been her guard, her tutor, her confidant. Never did she imagine a life without him nearby. To yell at her for slacking in her lessons as much as to wipe her tears on the extra difficult days.
At the sound of Pax and Gabriel speaking down below in the foyer, she paused. Gabe said something she missed, but his beta’s next words made her stomach churn.
“Some things never change. At least you’d never be bored. Besides, it doesn’t have to be mutual.”
“What do you mean? You want me to play nice until she—and then, as soon as we’re—” Gabriel sighed, hesitating, as if to think through his words. It gave her enough time to creep forward and peer over the banister. “You want me to just bed her until we get what we want and then throw her out?”
Brinley’s jaw dropped. Surely, he didn’t mean…
“Gabe.” To his credit, Paxton sounded exasperated.
“What? I’m genuinely asking because that sounds like our best plan so far.”
She backed away, not wanting to hear any more. Did he really think there was a chance she’d sleep with him? How conceited did he have to be to think sex with him was so good that it would just make her forget she hated him? That she would turn around and thank him by doing whatever he wanted.
Fucking asshole.
At the study door, she stilled. A new, terrifying thought occurred to her.
What if he forced her? He was practically twice her size, and she didn’t have her magic. Swallowing, she glanced around. Despite the small voice inside telling her he wouldn’t do that—he’d supposedly saved her life and then punished the man who’d tortured her in that cell—she couldn’t stay here and find out.
The second-floor corridor was quiet. She assumed the doors lining the hall led to other bedrooms, but it was the spiral, iron staircase that drew her attention once more. She glanced toward the other end of the hall, listening for any sign that someone was coming this way. After a brief second, she decided to take her chances.
Trailing her hand along the ornate railing, she climbed to the next floor. A shorter hallway greeted her with pale double doors at the end inlaid with colorful glass. The sun shining from the other side created rainbows across the walls, a kaleidoscope of magnificent colors.
She neared the doors and turned the handle, smiling when she found it unlocked. Slowly, she pushed inside and stilled, her jaw dropping at the sight.
The huge round room was made almost entirely of windows with a domed ceiling. And plants were everywhere. All sorts of greenery surrounded the space, from short, colorful flowers to trees taller than her. It took her breath away.
She stepped farther inside, taking it all in. Never had she seen anything like it. It was larger than the study and bedroom combined, and despite being crowded with flora, it was so open. For the first time in weeks, she felt almost free. Tears brimmed her eyes as she turned in a circle, her face toward the domed ceiling. Outside, the sun had started its descent, but the room still glowed as brightly as if it were midday. She took the path through the plants, looking around at all the wonders.
“Hello?”
The soft voice startled her. Brinley’s gaze lowered, and she realized this was more than just a garden. A young woman sat on a settee in the middle of the room with what appeared to be a journal on her lap. An easel stood a short distance away, and paintings lay all around in piles. Then, Brinley saw the canopy bed near the wall.
The healer, Brighid, stood from the settee, quickly extending her claws.
“Are you all right?” The other woman set aside her journal and motioned for Brighid to stop. She looked a few years younger than Brinley, but she pushed to her feet slowly, as if it was a struggle. “Are you lost?”
“I… No, sorry.” Guilt suddenly rushed through Brinley for barging in. “I was just… looking around the house. I wasn’t aware this room existed, and it surprised me. It’s incredible up here. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Not entirely a lie. She’d known something precious was up here, otherwise why would Gabriel have told her to stay away? This wasn’t what she expected though. Was he protecting the girl or this garden?
The woman’s bright blue eyes widened as she moved closer. “Brinley?”
The shock of her recognition hit Brinley square in the chest, but before she could respond, another voice cut in. A deep voice that sent a shiver down her spine.
“Rose, why is this door open…” Gabriel’s question trailed off when Brinley turned toward him. His concern morphed into anger right before her eyes. “What are you doing in here? I told you never to visit the third floor.”
“I-I?—”
“Get out!” Claws extended from his shaking hands that were fisted at his sides. “Now!”
Brinley didn’t need to be told twice. She rushed past him to the door. Noticing a coat rack beside it, she grabbed a hanging cloak and continued running out. He wanted her gone? Fine. She was leaving.
She ran down the spiral staircase and then the rest of the stairs, not stopping when she hit the wooden ground floor. She raced to the front door and ripped it open. Lifting a hand, she shielded her eyes and kept running. The sun outside was even brighter than in the solarium.
Glancing around, she searched for anything familiar to guide her to the front gates of the town. She wrapped the deep crimson cloak around her shoulders and took off, pulling the hood up.
The village was small compared to the capital, but it still seemed lively at this time of evening. Brinley passed all sorts of shops and homes. Nothing like the extravagance of Créll, and yet, it felt quaint. If she hadn’t known better, she might have even thought it was welcoming.
She wouldn’t be fooled though. She knew that beneath the fa?ade they were the monsters who’d taken everything from her.
Keeping her head lowered, she continued through the streets, searching for a way out. She just needed to reach the tall stone wall, then she could follow it around until she found the gates.
Thankfully, it didn’t take long. She crossed a short bridge over a stream and spotted the wall. Not wanting to draw attention, she didn’t run. When she finally neared it, she let out a breath of relief. She hadn’t only found the wall; she saw the gates as well. And they were wide open.
She walked toward them, only pausing when she saw two large men standing guard at the entrance. They glanced her way but didn’t speak until she was almost out.
“You can put your cloak and belongings here until you return,” one said. “Don’t forget, gates close at sundown. Some possible rogues have been spotted nearby, so we are being extra vigilant and strict about the curfew.”
Brinley looked at him in confusion. She understood they would think she was a wolf—there was no reason for them to think otherwise—but why did they assume she would shift? What if she just wanted to visit a nearby village?
“Miss?” the other man said, a brow raised. “Are you all right?”
“Y-yes. Fine. Thank you for letting me know.”
When she went to continue on her way, the second man said, “Miss, your cloak.”
“I…” She started toward the open path that seemed to lead to the surrounding forest. “I’d like to just keep it. I won’t be shifting.”
They both stared at her as if she’d spoken nonsense. As she began to pass through the gate, they both opened their mouths but then stopped.
“You… you’re not…” The first man shook his head. His eyes widened at the same time as the other’s. “Rogue!”
His shout startled her, but it wasn’t nearly as shocking as his next action. Because instead of chasing after her or stopping her, he began yelling to shut the gates.
Brinley whirled around, thinking maybe someone was behind her, but she was still alone as the tall, iron gates creaked shut. They thought she was a rogue? Why?
She didn’t argue though. Instead, she raced toward the trees. Glancing at the sky, she took note of the sun descending and headed south. She didn’t know exactly where she was, but she knew she was north of Créll. Most of the larger DeLoup packs were.
Based on how long it took Gabriel to carry her here from that small village, she would guess she was about a three- or four-day walk from Chateau des Reines. Longer without a map. Without guidance, she had no way of knowing exactly how long she would be out here in the wilderness. Alone. Unarmed.
She was slightly regretting her rash decision to take off without any provisions or even a weapon to protect herself. But she hadn’t known when she might get another chance. So, she would just have to make do. Her power was dormant, but she wasn’t completely defenseless. André had taught her to protect herself without her magic.
It wasn’t long before the sky started to darken. Normally, she loved dusk—that perfect in between time, where everything was a beautiful shade of blue. When it wasn’t daylight, but not quite nighttime either. Out here in the woods, however, she wasn’t loving it. It only served to remind her that she would be sleeping here in the dark unknown. She needed to find somewhere safe to shelter soon, before she lost the remaining light.
When the first howl rang out, she stilled, holding her breath. She waited, listening for more. Another wolf answered. And this time, it sounded closer. Slowly, Brinley crept to a wide tree trunk, putting her back to it. Surely Gabriel wouldn’t chase after her, right? They had shut the gates, so it couldn’t be his people, which meant… the rogues the guards mentioned were here.
Rustling sounded nearby, and she lifted her hands in front of her. She prayed to the moon goddess to guide her, to unlock her magic if only to protect herself. That was when she saw it and remembered what she wore. The red cloak. It would serve as a fucking beacon out here in the moonlight. She cursed herself and started untying it. Perhaps if she hid it in a bush or?—
A twig snapped. Something was close. Too close. Another scuffling noise came from the other direction. Almost like they were closing in around her, cornering her. She glanced up. Climbing into the tree might be her only chance.
None of the branches of this tree were within reach, but maybe another one?—
Brinley lowered her gaze to the forest before her only to lock eyes with something waiting in the shadows. A rumbling growl permeated the silence.
Before she could decide what to do, the wolf lunged, and she released a blood-curdling scream.