15. FIFTEEN #2
Torin’s eyes gleamed. “Your spirits like a flame,” he said. Moving closer “And the more I stroke the fire, the more I see how unique you are.”
If he moves another inch… I’ll crack the bedside lamp over his head, I thought, pulse hammering.
“Keep talking, if you must. I’m not remotely interested in you and never will be.”
“How many times have I heard those words?” he asked. “And how many times have they died on the lips of women who couldn’t resist me?”
I almost laughed.
“You don’t believe me?” he asked, sitting at the edge of the bed.
I pressed myself against the pillows, I refused to give him a show.
“Why should I? For all I know, you could be impersonating one of your brothers. Trusting you is the last thing I’d do.”
Torin smiled. “What’s that expression you humans like? You can run, but you can’t hide? Women always surrender to me in the end. But the chase—that’s the most exciting part.”
He tilted his head, smugness gleaming in his eyes. “Even the deities of the sky have a weakness for me.” His smile taunting. “And I do enjoy an audience.”
“Even if you were meant for me, I wouldn’t choose you, curse or no curse,” I said calmly.
“If I am the one you bind to, then it has been ordained by the stars. I expect you to stay by my side forever. ”
He believes that our destinies are intertwined and because I am human, I won’t fight back. He is mistaken.
With my back pressed against the headboard, I inched closer to the lamp. I evaluated its weight, calculated my swing, and waited for the exact moment he overcommitted.
“I’m not the one for you,” I said, voice steady. “And no starry curse will change that.”
Torin’s smirk deepened, a challenge flaring in his eyes. “You say that now, but in time, I’ll be everything to you. Your resistance will fade. It’s inevitable.”
I shook my head and tried to slip out of bed, planting my foot on the mattress edge.
Before it could touch the floor, Torin lunged—swift as a predator.
“Let me go!” I cried, wriggling to free myself from his grip.
He pushed me back, pressing my shoulders into the pillows. I tasted copper on my tongue as his chest crushed against mine and his lips brushed my cheek.
He’s too sure of himself. That’s his weakness. Came the whispers
Torin leaned in, voice low and sure.
“Time will tell, Tilly. You think you’re above the curse, but it’s already working on you. You’ll have no choice in the end.
“You disgust me!”
“That’s right,” he purred, “fight me. Tell me your desires. I want no timid human at my side.”
“Let me go!” I screamed again.
Torin’s grip tightened, his breath hot against my cheek. “You think you’re resisting? That’s adorable. I love resistance and so does the curse. It feeds on it.”
Seizing the moment of his amused distraction, I yanked the lamp free. He won’t see this coming. My hand closed around the brass, its weight solid and brutal. My steady grip will hit hard, then I can run. Heart hammering. I swung it in a wide arc .
The lamp’s head struck his shoulder with a sharp crack. He paused, and his grip loosened.
He’s off balance. Get away while you can, but there was nowhere to run to.
I reached the open wardrobe, I froze. Inside, sketchbooks. Drawings. Neatly arranged. What on earth? These are mine… I blinked in astonishment and hesitantly reached out to touch them, half expecting them to vanish. But they’re real.
I shook my head as though I’d awakened from another dream. This can’t be happening. Was I imagining things?
“How… how did these get here?”
Torin staggered back, hand pressed to his shoulder where the lamp had connected.
For a second, shock flickered in his eyes, then he laughed.
A low, throaty sound. “I applaud your aim,” he said, wincing as he straightened his cloak.
“You have more fight in you than I thought. Few humans would be able to land that well on me.”
His ease irritated me, he treated my strike like sport. Twat! Next time it will be his irritating head that gets hit.
He stepped around me and moved to stand by the wardrobe.
“Now,” he murmured, voice softer, “let me show you what else I’ve brought.”
Reaching for one of my sketchbooks, I held it in my trembling hands and flicked through the pages.
Drawings of the woods, mythology, my house, and my mother working in the garden brought me to tears.
My chest tightened. Home had never felt so far away.
A wave of homesickness overwhelmed me, and it was all I could do not to sob in front of Torin.
“How… how did these get here?” I whispered, half to myself, half to him.
Torin’s smile returned, but this time it was less predatory, more satisfied .
“I said, I had something else for you. Consider it a demonstration of our power. We went back last night and brought these to offer you comfort.”
I turned to see him standing behind me. When Cillian said they were gone and I wouldn’t be disturbed, I now knew why.
I turned to face him, the shock still settling in. “You… you went back to my house? Did you speak to my mum? Is she ok? Does she know I’m alive?”
“No. We never saw her. We slipped in through your window and quickly took what we felt you needed.”
For a moment, I was grateful they’d brought my belongings. Then I remembered, if it weren’t for him and his brothers, I wouldn’t be in this situation at all.
“The struggle with your feelings and uncertainty toward who to choose will continue, Tilly,” he said, seemingly reading my thoughts. “Despite that, I’m certain you’ll bind to me. And you’ll be mine.”
I wondered if he was being serious, or whether he and Cillian were simply further muddling the truth.
“I don’t believe you. You’re trying to manipulate and confuse me. Maybe the right choice is to make no choice at all.”
His smile faltered for a moment. “That’s not an option, Tilly. You’ll have to choose one of us eventually. Your destiny brought you here.”
“Destiny?” I scoffed. “You and your brothers are the ones who brought me here. This curse or whatever it is, it’s all a game to you.”
Torin’s gaze darkened. His playful tone vanished.
“This isn’t a game, Tilly. The curse is real. And it’s affecting all of us. Including you. Your feelings for Cillian may seem stronger than the rest of us, but those feelings may not be as true as you think. "You see, that’s what it does it confuses, with hate and anger. ”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I don’t have feelings for Cillian, and I certainly don’t have feelings for you. Do you think I’m stupid enough to fall for this?”
Torin sighed, a hint of frustration in his voice. “I know you’re confused. But trust me, things aren’t as simple as they seem.”
I crossed my arms, glaring. “Then tell me the truth. Was Seraphina once like me?”
Torin’s eyes flickered with regret, maybe reluctance but he didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he reached for one of my sketchbooks. I snatched it away before he could touch it, clutching it protectively to my chest.
“My sketchbook is private,” I said sharply. “Is that at least something you can respect?”
Torin raised an eyebrow, then slowly lowered his hand. “It should be obvious by now, Tilly. Seraphina was once like you. She made her choice.”
A cold chill ran down my spine. I had suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed out loud was still a shock.
“Who did she choose?”
“I told you that’s Seraphina’s business.”
I was becoming increasingly frustrated with Torin and his brothers, and the way they continued to ignore my questions.
“Why won’t you tell me?” I demanded, growing weary of his games.
“The thing is, Tilly… you want the truth. But when you find it, you’ll wish you hadn’t. That’s why I won’t tell you. I’ll leave that to my brothers and to Seraphina.”