Chapter 8 Ivy
Ivy
Istared into the face of my ex-mate’s former team member, the numbness that’d been building inside me seeking something other than the indifference or the physical pain.
“You’re as pathetic as that bastard of a king you’ve sworn yourself to,” I said, meeting Zephyr’s red eyes. The vampire’s features contorted in anger, hands forming fists. “How about you come back when I have my power again? Then we’ll see how brave you really are.”
I didn’t see the hand coming until my head snapped to the side. Pain radiated from my cheek, all the way down my neck. Fuck, it hurt. I was basically human again. No more fancy healing. No thick skin.
Despite the pain, I laughed. It was more like a cackle. Full blown manic giggling turned into more. And it definitely startled the vamp, because he stepped back in disgust.
“You insane bitch,” he muttered.
Tears streamed down my face from how hard I laughed. Maybe I was an insane bitch. I definitely felt crazy. Who laughed in the face of their captor? Not someone mentally stable, I was sure of that.
But I wasn’t exactly stable. Zephyr knew that. And it was probably the best-case scenario for Dante. Now, he had proof I wasn’t worthy of being Queen. That one week with him and a dead mate could break me.
The laughter died on my lips, and I fell silent, eyes locking on the vampire’s. His throat bobbed as he stepped back, a flash of something else entering his gaze.
A lump formed in my throat, but I refused to break eye contact.
Fuck him. Fuck his king. Fuck all the creatures who followed him.
Numbness replaced the pain, but I’d wanted to feel something again.
And for a moment, I had. Even if it meant nothing in the grand scheme of things.
Getting slapped and turning into an insane bitch probably wouldn’t amount to anything, but at least Dante and his men would have a good laugh later.
Zephyr sighed. “Get up.”
“No.”
The vampire growled. He was on me fast, hand curling around my upper arm as he hauled me to my feet. I felt something in my shoulder give, the raw flesh of my back, still not fully healed, pulling in pain.
I grunted as he slammed me into the wall, that pain exploding down my spine, making my toes tingle. “You might be safe for now,” he hissed, “but as soon as he has your power, you’ll be dead. And no one is going to stop them from having their way with you.”
A cold chill rolled down my spine. My breath lodged in my throat as I took in the feral, dark look in his eyes.
For a moment there, I’d thought him maybe a mindless follower.
But there was something actually evil about the way he met my eye.
In the curl of his lip as he sneered. In the tightening of his hand.
I wasn’t naive. And I doubted Dante had any morals. So, I wasn’t stupid enough to wonder what he meant by that.
But I was curious about what he meant by safe for now. I’d expected more…violence. Especially after my last vision. Even now, his grip on my arm hurt, but he could have beat me almost to death. Could have stuck his fangs in me and bled me dry.
“Why haven’t you actually hurt me?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
For a moment, the mask slipped. His lips twitched with confusion, but he pulled back with a shake of his head. “The King doesn’t want you harmed. You’re no good to him bleeding out.”
It made no sense. What did they know that I didn’t?
“But once he has my power, it’s fair game?” I snorted. “Yeah, I’m not buying it.”
Zephyr growled. He shoved me further into the wall, causing the metal collar to bite into the back of my neck. “Just be thankful the Seer knows how to lie for you.”
With that, he dropped me. My legs were too weak to hold me up, so I slid to the cold, stone ground with a huff. The vampire didn’t bother looking back as he stormed out of my cell.
Only briefly did I get a look at my mate.
The one who betrayed me worst of all.
He didn’t even look at me. I could still taste his kiss bitterly on my lips. Could still feel him pressed against me.
The door slammed shut, a chill racing through me as whatever runes holding me captive activated with his departure, trapping me once again in a prison made just for me.
The field of soft green grass opened around me. My eyes strayed to the pond of sparkling blue water. Today, a large tree sat at the water’s edge, long limbs hanging over the rippling surface of the pond. A rope dangled from a thick branch, swaying in a ghostly breeze.
I stepped out of the tunnel that was sleep and into the field, letting go of my confrontation with the vampire and embracing the dream world that allowed me a chance to see him.
Maybe it was the only reason why I wasn’t totally broken yet. These brief moments with Ry, a secret my dreams allowed me to have, were the only escape from the pain.
Today, he waited for me in the pavilion.
The table, rather than set with a drink tray, now had a lavish meal set up.
There were cakes and other sweet treats to one side, the other filled with sandwiches and roasts.
My mouth watered immediately. Even a dream was better than the slop transported to me in my cell.
And it smelled a hell of a lot better, too.
Ry smiled, eyes bright as I made my way towards him. My gear disappeared, quickly replaced with a dark blue sundress. The hem brushed the top of the grass swaying against my calves. Once again, my feet remained bare.
My mate stepped out from the protection of the pavilion and held out a hand to me. “You look stunning.”
My cheeks warmed as I placed my hand in his. “Thank you.” And he looked even better; there was something about a man who looked like he’d stepped out of a period piece that made me swoon. Ry wore a white button-down that was open at the chest, with billowing sleeves cuffed at the wrists.
Today, he had no scars marring his flesh. Just pale, moonlit skin unblemished by his terrible past. There was no sign of the daggers that struck him in the cottage. No wound from his father’s shadows as they sliced through his chest.
Dark trousers hugged his legs, and leather boots stopped at his knees. There was no sign of damage. Not even his hands had any scars, unlike previous visits.
I tore my eyes from his body to meet his stare. “I miss you,” I whispered.
The sweetest smile pierced his lips. Ry stepped towards me, bridging the gap between us. He didn’t pull me flush against him, but I felt the warmth of his presence. “I’m right here,” he replied, just as quietly. “I haven’t left you.”
A lump formed in my throat. But you have, I thought. I wouldn’t say it aloud, not as tears burned the corners of my eyes. Instead, I used my free hand to cup his jaw. “I know.”
Orion’s eyes softened as he leaned into my touch. But the world around me shuddered, darkening. I pulled away from him sharply. No. No one could disrupt this. No one was allowed to darken our dreamscape.
Ry’s hand fell from mine as he, too, glanced around the space. “Ivy…” he warned.
But it was too late.
I was pulled out of the dream with a gasp.
I didn’t get a chance to protect myself as a fist slammed into my injured shoulder.
Pain crept through me from the blow. I tried biting down on a whimper, but as the world came into focus and the dream fully fled my consciousness, I was dragged back into my waking hell.
Back to my cell and the male who held me prisoner.
Tears burned my eyes, partly from the pain, and partly because I’d wanted a little more time with Ry. But they dried up quickly at the sight of Dante kneeling beside me.
He cocked his head. Not a single strand of dark hair moved out of place. I couldn’t help but stare at the top of his head, at the amount of gel he must be using to keep his hair so…perfect. Goddess above, it made me sick. Staring at him, so unbothered, so…cruel.
Dante’s lips twisted darkly as he stood. “There you are,” he murmured, fixing his coat with a roll of his eyes. His arms went behind his back as he stepped away from me, letting his blue eyes roam my body. “Get up.”
I glared up at him, hoping I didn’t look as pathetic as I felt. Which was ridiculous. I most definitely looked pathetic, sitting on the cold stone ground with my gear basically ruined.
“You’re going to have to drag me kicking and screaming,” I replied, voice hoarse, “because I am not doing what you say.”
Dante pressed his lips into a firm line. But instead of responding, he took another step back. “Get her,” he said, barely glancing at the soldiers behind him.
I hadn’t noticed them before, but two Fae males stepped out from behind Dante, filling my vision. I didn’t recognise either of them, which brought me some relief. It would have been easy for Dante to make Hawk do his bidding. That would have made me move.
But the two males appeared rather out of it. There was a dead look in their eyes; not the kind of dead look that came with evil men in general. No, this dead look came from intense mind fuckery.
I was grabbed by the arms and hauled to my feet. They weren’t gentle about it, but they weren’t as rough as others would have been. They set me on my feet, but didn’t release me, especially not as Dante waited by the door.
“You’re going to be good,” he said, eyes narrowed. “Or your friends get hurt.”
“You don’t have any of my friends,” I sneered. “Because if you did, you would have paraded them in front of me days ago.”
Dante chuckled, the sound cold. But he didn’t respond right away.
Instead, his hands went to the collar around my throat.
For a moment, I thought he might take it off.
But instead, it remained. The chain attached to it fell away, hitting the ground with a loud clank.
I held my breath as I waited for him to take the chains off from my hands and feet.
When they fell away, I felt like I could finally breathe again.