Chapter 3
Vivian’s Point of View
Rule three: Malicious compliance is still compliance.
The moment my eyes lock with Sin’s, the humming over my skin surges.
Our mate bond.
Sin and I forged it the night before I was taken back to the Council’s castle. I haven’t even had a full day with him to understand this new magic that flows between us. And yet, even now, there is no mistaking this feeling.
Despite ending my mortal life, the Council’s wards, the collar and the leash, despite every obstacle between us, my mate bond with Sin is still here. Our souls are connected.
My heart beats erratically as I take him in.
He’s dressed in his fighting leathers, and the scruff of his beard is starting to grow back in.
We stare at each other, and the longing that fills me is painful.
I don’t know how much time passes like that, frozen in each other’s gazes, before the glow of his power dissipates.
Stormy gray eyes soften slightly as he scans my body.
No part of him looks relaxed as he searches for injuries, ensuring I’m okay.
He’s breathing heavily, and his fists are clenched at his sides in white-knuckle grips.
It looks as though staying on the other side of this dome is draining all vestiges of his control.
Guilt stabs at me as I realize why he’s struggling. Damien warned me that Sin wouldn’t hesitate to level every last realm if something happened to me once we were bonded. And yet even now, I can see the untouched city behind him.
He’s holding back. Not because he wants to, but because he respects my decisions.
Every fiber of my being is screaming at me to run to him, to wrap my arms around his neck and promise that everything will be okay.
But Leon’s leash holds me still, and I remain planted at the monster’s side.
Still, I’m sure my expression is doing nothing to hide the yearning that presses against my chest.
Leon takes in the exchange between Sin and me, and from the corner of my vision, I see his eye twitch.
Immediately, I tense, preparing for his grip to tighten and leave yet another bruise.
But instead, he gives Sin a cruel smile before pulling me to stand in front of him.
Leon doesn’t stop his posturing until my back is pressed to his chest, and his hand is splayed across my stomach in a possessive gesture.
It feels like insects are crawling over my skin. Chills erupt over me, everywhere that Leon is touching me.
They’re not good chills. They’re the kind you get when the creepy old guy at the family party stares at you too long.
Leon is definitely creepy uncle material.
“You said you weren’t leaving until you had proof that she was unharmed, and I’ve given it to you. Now pull back your attack and leave,” Leon snaps, finally breaking the silence.
Wondering what Leon could mean by the attack, I finally clue in as to why I can see the city beyond Sin.
There’s daylight on the other side of the dome.
My focus shifts to Arianna, who, like Sin, is scanning me from head to toe.
She’s in the same fighting gear I usually borrow from her, and her long silver-blonde hair hangs loose around her shoulders.
She looks downright lethal as black tendrils seep from her, snaking from her feet to the dome.
Only it isn’t a dome – it’s the Council’s wards. She’s engulfing the entirety of the Council’s castle in darkness.
When neither Sin nor Arianna makes a move to leave, Leon sighs, feigning annoyance.
“So disappointingly predictable. You’ve lost, Destroyer, go home and lick your wounds,” he croons.
At the same time, his hand creeps up my stomach, only stopping when his thumb brushes against the underside of my breast.
Every muscle in my body locks as the acrid bite of bile stings my throat. If I had anything in my stomach to throw up on him, I would. After all, he didn’t forbid me from vomiting.
Another solid loophole to explore.
Sin recognizes the cocktail of terror and disgust in my expression, and his tattoos give a momentary glow. Immediately, red light crackles over the wards, followed by another deafening boom of thunder.
He’s attacking the wards – wards that are designed to nullify Destroyer and Creator power.
When Leon doesn’t move his hand, Sin starts to step forward, only to freeze when I give the slightest shake of my head.
Leon gives a small, humorless chuckle, not looking even remotely intimidated.
“My, oh my, such a temper tantrum when you don’t get your way.
You should be a little more grateful, you know.
The Council has graciously decided to pull back their armies, even though kidnapping a Creator and using your Destroyer power in the Otherworld are more than cause for us to attack. ”
Sin doesn’t spare Leon a glance. His attention is solely fixated on me. “Just say the word, kitten. Let me set you free,” he pleads.
My heart breaks. He’s willing to sacrifice everything he and Morgana have been striving for, just for me. Not because he wants revenge, but for my freedom.
“Oh please, if you were going to end the realms, you would have done it by now,” Leon sneers. “We already know you won’t end innocent lives.”
Sin cocks a brow but doesn’t look away from me. It’s as if he knows I’ve been muzzled and he doesn’t want to miss a single expression on my face, lest he miss me trying to communicate. “That was before,” he answers simply.
I frown, tilting my head to the side, wordlessly asking him to embellish.
His gaze burns into me with an intensity that sets my soul ablaze. It’s the same look he gave me on the training field, when he tried to drill into me that I was worth fighting for.
“Before I found you,” he continues. “There is nothing I won’t do to ensure your happiness. I will burn this world and every other, if it means you’re free.”
His words almost steal my breath, and my heart skips a beat.
Leon scoffs. “Is that right? I imagine your Keeper must have some reservations then, since you’re still doing nothing but posturing.”
“The only reason the realms still stand is by Vivian’s grace. She holds the power here. The moment she decides she is ready to come home, I will not hesitate to end everything that stands between us. I suggest you keep that in mind the next time you lay a hand on her.” Sin’s voice is deadly calm.
My eyes water, and I choke back the tears. Even now, when I’m at my most vulnerable, Sin is finding a way to give me power. “I love you,” I mouth, needing him to hear it, even if I can’t speak.
Sin takes a shuddering inhale, and his fist twitches, like he’s desperate to reach for me.
Leon stiffens but seems oblivious to my silent message. His body is rigid against mine, like he’s ready to attack, even as he forces out a mocking laugh. “Well, isn’t that pathetic. Did you seriously think you could win the hand of my mate? She is fated to me. She is choosing me.”
When neither Sin nor Arianna looks even remotely impressed by his antics, Leon grows even more agitated.
“Do you need to hear it from her, then? Fine.” He grips my chin, forcibly turning me to face him.
“Vivian, I want you to tell Sin that you are choosing to stay here with me, of your own free will.”
He releases my face after issuing the command, and I bite the inside of my cheek, rather than immediately obeying. I only last a second before the leash forces me to comply. But that second is all I need to remember my loophole.
In my best monotone, I do exactly as I’m told. “That you are choosing to stay here with me, of your own free will.”
Arianna snorts, “Oh yeah, Leon. We can really see how she’s choosing you.”
I imagine Leon’s face must be contorting in anger, and I know I’ll be punished for my disobedience later.
But I regret nothing. I’ve hurt Sin enough by choosing to save my friends and turning myself over to the Council.
I refuse to do anything that might hurt him more than I already have, even if it means I’ll face the brunt of Leon’s wrath behind closed doors.
“You’ll pay for that, pet,” Leon whispers in my ear, ignoring Arianna’s taunting. His voice sounds more like a self-satisfied purr when he addresses the others, “Of course she’s choosing me. I could take her, right here in front of you, to make sure you understand who she belongs to.”
His hand shifts to grip the skirts of my dress, and a white-hot bolt of terror pierces through me.
Fuck. No. No!
There’s a blinding flash of red as Sin’s power slams into the Council’s wards again.
At the same time, the darkness emanating from Arianna grows even thicker, and faint tendrils seep through the dome, exploiting every weakness in the barrier.
Distantly, I can hear people panicking behind us as they scream to repair the damage.
Sin looks murderous, and his hand has a death grip on his sword. “Two taps, kitten,” he urges.
Two taps – our safe word when I can’t speak. He’s giving me a way to tell him I want to come home. My heart gives a painful tug, and my fingers twitch, just once. But I hold fast.
I left for a reason. Leaving would lead to the slaughter of countless innocents. Still, knowing that doesn’t make this hurt any less.
I give a slight shake of my head.
Sin’s jaw flexes, and once again, he starts to take a step forward.
“But – I suppose that isn’t necessary,” Leon quickly interjects as he releases the fabric.
Sin pauses, still outside the barrier.
“Especially considering Vivian and I will be married shortly,” Leon adds nonchalantly. He lifts my hand so that my fingers are directly in front of Sin’s face. The gaudy diamond ring is cast in a red glow.
My stomach drops, terrified of how this might hurt him even more.
But Sin doesn’t even glance at the ring. Instead, his eyes narrow on the hand-shaped bruises that are already starting to bloom on my wrist – the ones that were hidden by Leon’s grip when he initially scanned me for injuries.
Shame wells up inside of me. I don’t want him to see me like this, not after all the time he spent teaching me to fight back. It feels like a sliver of the strength I found in the Shadow Realm is shaved away when his eyes come back to mine.
“Kitten,” he growls in a low warning, and I swallow.
Leon follows Sin’s gaze and goes rigid.
“I am doing my very best to respect your wishes. To prove I’m not like them.” Sin’s words are strained. Lethal intent radiates from him, and despite the booming thunder that has yet to slow from his continuous attack on the wards, I hear every word.
“But I’ve never shied away from being a monster in your eyes,” he adds in a gruff tone. For a moment, the glow over his eye falters, and I catch the smallest flash of sadness in them before it’s sealed away and replaced with grim determination. “Two weeks,” he orders.
My brow lifts, wondering what he could possibly mean.
“You have two weeks until I come back for you,” Sin clarifies, before shifting his attention to Leon. “And if you ever try to touch her against her will again – and I assure you, I will know – there are no wards powerful enough to stop me from ending your miserable existence.”