Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
E moni stopped and looked around at the bleakness of their world without any hints of the midday sun that we’d left. After taking in the exterior of the castle-like stone building, her brows inched together at the dark grays and deep currants, the bushes encircling the building and the lush forests next to it.
Losing step with me as we entered the home, her head snapped in the direction of the departing guards who followed Areleus. Slowly she took in the grandeur of the room. Her appreciation for art extended beyond music, and it showed as she moved throughout the area to look at the art and sculptures atop pedestals. A smirk curled at her lips at the number of winged sculptures, I was confident finding the same irony that I had. At least her first visit was as a guest; mine had felt more like imprisonment.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it,” I said, moving close to her, aware of Dominic’s watchful eyes.
“I had great expectations.” She looked over everything visible. “And it still has exceeded it. But the darkness is creepy.”
“Wait till you see the garden and the black flowers,” I told her with a grin. Expecting the information to pique her interest, I was surprised when it didn’t. Instead, she returned a tight reserved smile, her eyes skating over me and moving to Dominic.
He looked between the two of us, surveyed the room as if he was trying to look at it through Emoni’s eyes. Then his gaze returned to Emoni with intent focus. Expressionless, I couldn’t figure out what went through his mind. He excused himself, and in the graceful sweep of preternatural movement, he was out of sight.
“What happens when things go further with Dominic? Will you stay here?” Emoni asked, seemingly having difficulty looking away from the space Dominic had occupied just seconds ago. It was a brazen reminder of how far from human he was.
My response was quick and reflexive before I could give it any consideration. I shook my head. I didn’t want to live here or be part of this world. Not this part of it. I just wanted Dominic. Was it possible to have him and not all the things connected to him?
“Is he willing to give this up to be with you? Is that possible?”
I blinked back tears of frustration and answered with a half shrug. The words wouldn’t form. There were many things in my mind that needed to be sorted out.
“If he can’t, will you always be in some form of danger because of your relationship with him? Oh, come on,” she scoffed in response to my look of confusion.
“Once this is over, the Dark Casters stopped, edicts in place and reinforced, infighting put to rest, and everyone confident I didn’t have connections to the Dark Casters and their magic, I’d become a non-issue.”
“You’re being overly optimistic. Na?ve. I may not know much about their world, the politics, or the dysfunction that accompanies being a person with magic, but I can spot when people despise someone. No matter how this situation is managed, there is sheer animosity for Dominic and his family. And the looks they gave at the mere mention of Helena.”
Helena hadn’t made a positive impression on Emoni during their first meeting, either.
“Are you prepared to have a relationship with the Lord of the Underworld?”
“That’s not his title.”
“Not yet, but whenever he”—she scrunched her nose—“when they… when the… you know?” When he kills his father. It was a distasteful thing to think and even harder to say. I was surprised at her astute reading of the situation.
“I’m quite observant. One would have to be particularly dense not to see the malicious intent they have for each other. It will end badly for one of them. The hostility between them won’t be resolved by something trite like a spirited game of chess. Just straight to murder.” She winced.
“You gathered all of this from a day with them, yet you don’t realize Gus is in love with you?” I asked in an attempt to pull her thoughts from the dark place they had clearly delved into.
“He’s not.”
Her selective observational skills should be studied.
Emoni’s lips parted to say something else but closed, her teeth gripping her lips, leaving me speculating whether she could read my thoughts on my face. Dominic had confessed that he loved me, and we hadn’t had a chance to discuss it. Before I could get into the subject with Emoni, I wanted to talk to him and make sense of my complex feelings. My heart wanted to throw caution to the wind, but my mind was in a perpetual state of risk analysis assessment.
Emoni studied me for a few minutes before allowing herself to be distracted by the sculptured art.
“What happened between you and Jackson can’t factor into whatever decision you make.” Jackson cheating with a former best friend had crossed my mind and the betrayal still stung. But Dominic and Jackson were entirely different and so was this situation.
“I hadn’t really thought about it,” I said.
She frowned and mouthed, “Liar.”
“Okay, I did, a little.” I brought my fingers closer together leaving an inch of space. She closed the distance between us and spaced my fingers wider.
“If it was that little, your face didn’t know it. This family is a mess, magic is the absolute worst—I stand by that. I don’t care that I find it a little fascinating, I miss my wonderful world of blissful ignorance. But with everything that’s going on, your life in constant danger and dealing with the fucking Lord of the Underworld, there’s still an ease to you that I haven’t seen in a long time. You were never truly at ease with Jackson.” She shrugged. “Could be him, or the fact you’re getting laid,” she tacked on, beaming.
“He’s a prince,” I corrected.
“I know what his title is. I’m getting used to his new position and designation.”
“You don’t even call him prince?—”
“Not going to, or lord. I’m just making a point.” The silence was heavy but the mirth that lingered in her was a welcome comfort. “I really don’t want to be that person—but I have to be because I’m always going to look out for you. I know it’s easier to think things will get better and resolve and you’ll have your old life back, with the addition of a sexy man and all its perks”—she sighed, giving the home a once over—“but I think it’ll be more of the same. Consider that with any decision you make and determine if it’s worth it. If he’s worth it. I think you already know that. I’m just the voice of reason you need to hear.”
She wasn’t wrong.
“Let me show you the library,” I offered in a jarring topic switch. She was the voice of reason, but it needed to be delayed in place of more pressing things. Emoni wasn’t likely to drop the subject without some other distraction, and their breathtaking library would be a worthy redirection.
I waved her forward, navigating through the home and ignoring Emoni’s smirk.
“You’ve already made yourself at home.”
Standing at the entrance of the library she exhaled a breath of appreciation. A slow rove of the full bookcases, the ladder that allowed access to the taller stacks, and the seating. The whimsical look dropped from her expression as she snapped her attention to her left, where she got a glimpse of Sabin.
“What the fuck?” she said under her breath, her undivided attention on him.
Mine was on Ileana who accompanied him. She’d arrived from another entrance, allowing direct access to Dominic’s wing of the house to avoid Areleus being aware of her presence.
My interest overrode polite restraint. I quickly moved toward them with Emoni on my heels. We cleared a surprising amount of ground and were at the bottom of the stairs by the time they were midway. Sabin looked over his shoulder with a mysterious glitter in his eyes. He greeted me with a devilish smirk before offering one to Emoni. She stopped on the step and stared after him.
Sabin was enjoying her response until Ileana called him. He hurried up the steps, following her in the direction of Dominic’s office.
Stricken, Emoni hadn’t moved from the spot on the steps. Her lips slightly parted and her eyes sharpened, still looking at where Sabin had stood. “Was that the creepiest or the most exquisite thing I’ve ever seen?” she asked herself aloud.
“For me it’s a little of both.”
She’d known about Ileana’s creatures from my recounting of my time in Vita, Ileana’s realm, but hearing about the creatures and seeing them was quite different. By the time we were upstairs, I could tell from Emoni’s flustered look that she hadn’t resolved how she felt about Sabin.
They’d disappeared into a room. I headed toward Dominic’s office where he met me in the hallway. The dim lights cast a soft glow, accentuating the intensity of his gaze. His eyes homed in on me, searching for information that was easily revealed.
He leaned down, whispering against my ear, “We should talk.” The warmth of his breath against my ear, his lips brushing against it, and the commanding hold he had on my waist was firm but not overpowering, an odd comfort. I couldn’t pull my eyes from his when they connected with mine again, stirring the spectrum of complex and intense feelings I hadn’t resolved. The weight of his gaze bore down, and I saw hints of what I was experiencing mirrored in his eyes. He kept them on me as he spoke to Emoni. “To the left of the hallway, there is a sitting room with a balcony that overlooks the garden.” It was his indirect way of asking her to leave. She got the hint and ignored it.
“Where’s the panther?” she asked.
Dominic canted his head at the enigma that was my friend, who’d discarded any sense of self-preservation in lieu of satisfying her curiosity, and was exhibiting intrigue and wariness in her question.
“It is probably best to go to the sitting area,” Anand urged in an uncompromising tone, having arrived with the stealth and silent grace that allowed him to be unnoticed until that moment.
Emoni and I startled at his sudden presence, but Dominic wasn’t surprised.
Anand nudged his chin in the direction of the sitting room.
“I’d like to view the library and then the garden, since I’m being asked to leave,” she countered. “And where’s the prison?”
“We’ll go to the library and garden.” Anand changed course toward the stairs. “Not the prison. I’ve gathered that you are quite persistent. Let me assure you that you’re not more than I am. We have our itinerary, and there won’t be any deviations from it.” His deep chuckle came in response to Emoni’s sneer.
Dominic’s fingers laced through mine as he guided me to his bedroom. Closing the door behind me, he led me to the sofa. Pulling me into his lap, he cradled me against his chest. “I should not have said that to anyone before I said it to you.”
“It’s fine.” The public declaration was undoubtedly as shocking to him as it was to me.
“It’s not fine for me. I wanted to tell you. Should have told you earlier in a more fitting moment than you behind a ward, afraid for your life and once again a tool in a situation not of your making. My father needed to understand the gravity of my feelings and that it drives the decisions I make and the actions I take. Your life and safety aren’t up for compromise.”
The warmth of his body and words was alluring, but I had a longing to see his face as he said them. Turning to face him, my legs astride, I ran my fingers over the pronounced angles of his jaw and the determined lines of them.
“Say it just to me,” I asked softly.
The sharp intensity in his eyes gradually subsided, replaced by a gentle, tender expression that he reserved for me. The quiet longing was evident in his gaze, concealed behind an aura of danger, cool disposition, and casual arrogance that I’d observed during our first meeting.
Leaning into me, in a hushed murmur, he confessed.
“I love you.”
It felt like a caress without any expectation of it being returned.
That’s what urged the words to spill from me with ease.
“I love you, too.”
It was the second time I’d ever declared my love to a man. I tried not to make the comparison of Jackson’s pronouncement that came weeks after I’d said it to him. It wasn’t a declaration of his affections of love but rather a surrender.
I adored Dominic’s confession and wanted to hear it again. But before I could make that request, he drew me closer with gentle yet commanding touches. The power of magic crackled in the air and moved around me. I’d never untangle magic and Dominic’s sensual touch as his hand slipped under my shirt, kneading at my skin, sending rushes of heat through me. The world and its problems momentarily faded into insignificance.
Our lips met in a gentle touch before escalating to a fervent storm. A kiss that spoke of all the emotions and things we hadn’t explored. His lips were infused with fiery need and a craving I wanted to satisfy.
Our bodies melded together, him hardening under me. Heavy lidded when he pulled away, half-smiling at my soft pants, he murmured, “When will you move in with me?”
“What…why…what?” I stammered. The words doused me like a splash of cold water.
His chest rumbled from his laughter. “Is that a yes?”
“It’s a what?” I shook my head.
He nuzzled against my neck, jaw, and against my hair, accentuating the touches with soft kisses and nips along my neck.
“Little Luna,” he growled in a low husk.
He pulled away, resting back against the sofa. All humor and levity was gone from his face, a dark cast of concern in its place. “You’re far more careful with your residence than your life. Why would you agree to be used as a lure for Ophelia?”
I knew that topic would resurface, accompanied by a lecture in some form.
“Because Areleus is right. Despite my intentions, Ophelia will want me, and hiding isn’t an option. I want this over and—” I let the rest remain unspoken. He didn’t need a reminder of how much I wanted out of their world because it would be impossible for him not to believe he was included in it.
“I’m part of this world.” His fingers resumed rubbing the skin of my lower back, making me put a great deal of effort into staying focused. “It can’t be separated, no matter how much you want it to be that way.” He burst the delusional bubble I was clinging to.
“Have you tried?” I pressed. Why would he? Immediately I regretted the question although I was curious about the answer. The silence stretched without an attempt at a response. I took it as a tacit no.
When his lips parted to answer, I covered them with mine. A hard raw kiss that he quickly responded to. His fingers sank into my hair, pulling me into him. His tongue exploring my mouth with a primal lust, my body responding. Nipples becoming hard against him. The friction of our bodies pressed together, heightening the response. His hardness pressed against me. We pulled away, both of our eyes traveling to where we connected, aware that nothing could be done about it now. I shifted my weight and scooted back a little, which only served to make his arousal more obvious. He smirked.
“Helena, Peter, and Ophelia,” I whispered, as if he could forget those issues.
A shadow crossed over his features, darkening his eyes. They sharpened as they held mine. “I don’t like the idea of using you as bait?—”
“Incentive,” I corrected with a half smile.
He wore the frustration heavily in his expression. “I found Dark Casters before and I could do it again.”
“Both evaded being found by you, and Ophelia is more skilled than Peter.” And, I suspected, ruthless. “It’s not just subjugating the others you have to worry about, it’s the fall of this realm. Or worse, whatever her plans are for it.”
“And it’s only a matter of time before she finds a way to use Helena,” he added, “or Helena allows herself to be used with the promise of more power.”
I’d considered that briefly but didn’t want to bring that to the forefront and have it be a reminder that he couldn’t wholly trust his sister. Surely it affected his motivation for finding her.
“It would have the best results and satisfactory outcome.”
“With Peter and Ophelia dead.”
Failing in my attempt at a neutral voice, sorrow and judgment seeped into it. “The way the Dark Casters were handled is why things are this way.”
“It’s this way because of how they are. You’ve heard their plans. Fully aware of the lengths they are willing to go through to achieve them. What options are there?”
“You’ve managed to restrict the others’ magic and imprison them. I don’t believe they should go unpunished, but does it have to be death?”
It was always death. Destruction and death. Perhaps I was more optimistic about them than any of their behavior warranted.
Amber eyes scoured over my face; his lips formed a pensive line. When his head canted to the side, it curled into a smile. “You believe this show of kindness would change things?” he asked, curiosity woven in every word. It made me recall him telling me how the long years of living had removed them further from their humanity. Dominic’s piercing curious eyes turned softer. I served as a reminder of something that had diminished in him and his family.
“I don’t think it would change things significantly, but with everything that has happened, I believe the slightest display of ki—” I nixed the use of “kindness” because for some odd reason they had an aversion to it. And “compassion.” As if I was calling them insignificant and ensuring they would be perceived as pushovers. “Valuing lives other than yours and your family’s will work in your favor. The Awakeners, they’re just looking for a reason to dissent and start over again, no matter the promise of punishment.”
He had to have seen their humbled looks of regret. They were a poorly organized group with grand ideas, without the power or the means to be successful in their plans. They weren’t even cohesive enough to collectively agree or decline allying with the Dark Caster. I was certain if the same was posed by the Conventicle or the New Conventicle, they all would have been in or out. There wouldn’t have been any defectors.
Dominic inhaled a breath. Exhaling it, he stood, holding me as he did. He eased me to my feet, then took my hand. “I love hearing your perspective, it comes from such a pure place,” he said, traipsing toward the door, taking shorter steps to help me keep up.
“Is that the polite way of saying na?ve?” I asked.
“No, I meant exactly what I said.” Accustomed as he was to the options of killing everyone, letting destruction reign, cleaning up the mess, or sheer violence and subjugation, I was a different voice and less sought after alternative.
“I don’t know if it’s the most pragmatic way. Don’t hold it against me if it isn’t a consideration I can make,” he said, stopping in the hallway midway to his office. “If you are to be a lure, then my sole objective is to ensure that you come back to me. I won’t be gentle with lives if it is at the risk of yours.”
How could I object to that? Nah, sacrifice me to save people who’d let me die for a Starbucks gift card.
I nodded. He turned and we continued toward his office. “I have a plan that will work. It is more dangerous than I’d like but the best option. I don’t believe you will be in the most danger.”
“Then who will be?”
“Me.”