Chapter 22
Zara
Bile rose in the back of my throat as I was jostled. My body was shaking, my head was pounding, and whatever or whoever was shaking my bed was going to be murdered.
Groaning, I sucked in a breath. The sounds of hooves hitting against earth sounded and fuck.
Was I on top of a horse? What had I gotten into last night?
But wait? How was I sitting upright? Whose hands were on me?
My back stiffened as I realized I was leaning against a hard chest, and strong muscular arms were wrapped around my waist. The foggy memory of last night tore through my mind, and I jolted forward, but his grip on me tightened, pulling me back.
My eyelids were heavy, and I tried to open them, but the blinding light made it hard to see anything other than the calloused hand that was now slapping across my mouth.
The scent of rain filled my lungs, and I went to bite him to try to escape, but a strong, awful smell of peppermint and cloves wafted up my nose.
My muscles instantly loosened, my body sagging once more, and I cursed, gaining a small chuckle from my captor before passing out.
*
I awoke again, and this time found myself on a cold, damp stone floor.
Pushing myself up, I winced at the pounding still happening in my head.
The smell of must and mold filled my lungs, and I scrunched my nose at the dank odor.
My vision was still blurry, but I was able to make out that I was in some sort of cell.
Long, dark, barbed metal poles were sunk into the floor a few feet away, the space between them full of gnarled, threatening pieces of spiked metal.
“Good, you are awake.” The sound of Jaxon startled me, and I spun, scrambling slightly backward.
“I thought I might have used too much nightshade powder, but fortunately or unfortunately for you, it looks like it worked out.” Jaxon's voice echoed around us, and I found him sitting in a chair in the corner of my cell.
The barbed metal doors wide open next to him.
I went to shadow but winced as my magic was choked out. A sharp sting pinched at my ankle, and I glared down at the silver charm, the memory of what happened a blurry image in my mind.
“Xavier,” I growled, and Jaxon smirked at me, his golden eyes flashing with amusement as he ran a hand through his tousled blonde hair. He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees as he looked down at me on the damp floor.
“Seems you aren’t so hard to capture after all,” he said with a half-grin. “I told you we had to work on your stealth skills. Always so oblivious to your surroundings.” He was chuckling, a smug, arrogant smirk on his lips. I glared at him. I had to think… I had to be clever.
“And who says I didn’t want to get captured?”
Jaxon let out a short laugh and leaned back in his chair. “Right.” He grinned, and I wanted to punch it off his face. “You smelled like the dirty floor of a tavern when Xavier passed you off to me. I don’t think he had to fight that hard to trap you. He probably just found you passed out drunk.”
I got to my feet in a huff, my blood heating in annoyance.
“Well, prince. You caught me. Now, exactly what is it you plan on doing with me?” I spat, resting my hands on my hips as I fought the urge to lunge at him, to bolt for the open cell doors which were clearly a trap.
“That’s not up to me,” Jaxon said, folding his arms across his chest.
My eyes lowered, and I scanned him from head to foot. The sight of him was a little nauseating. The memories of him and me felt like a distant dream, but they were there, and then they were sharp and flooding my mind, making me wince.
Jaxon chuckled again, “You know, you almost look like the old Zara, the human one, like this. Vulnerable.”
I hissed between my teeth, “I was never vulnerable.”
“Sure, you were. You cared about things, us, your friend, what was her name again? Cynthia, right?”
My heart skipped a beat at him saying her name. Did he know where she was? Did they have something to do with her disappearance?
Glaring at him, I scoffed, “Those emotions were planted there. Morgana made me into that person. That wasn’t me.” The lie tasted like acid, and I could tell Jaxon didn’t buy a word of it.
“You see, I don’t think she did. I think she stripped you bare and whatever you felt, whatever you thought and did, was all you, not her.”
“You think?” I laughed. “You don’t know what she is like, what she can do. You know nothing about me. You and your brother need to stop assuming that you do.” My growl vibrated off the walls, and his smirk widened.
“See, vulnerable.”
My cheeks burned and my fists clenched at my sides.
I narrowed my eyes, taking in his features—the stubble along his chin, the sharp line of his jaw.
His hair had grown longer, falling to his ears with a slight curl.
My gaze drifted lower, to his arm, and I looked up at him with a cruel smile, meeting his eyes again.
“Don’t you think it’s odd?” I drawled. “That the Fates gave me a mark so similar to both you and your brother?”
Jaxon didn’t react, only looked at me curiously, trying to figure out what I was trying to do.
I walked toward him slowly, which made him straighten, his gaze narrowing on me with suspicion.
He was sitting with his legs spread, casual, and I stepped right between them.
I ran two fingers down his right forearm, and his gaze slid to the touch, to the matching tattoo on my arm. Mirroring his and his brothers.
Jaxon’s mark only went to his forearm, mine to my shoulder, and Xavier’s fell up and over the top of his chest. I wondered about it, and I looked at him through lowered lashes and gave him a soft, sensual smile.
Jaxon had no reaction, but his jaw tightened slightly. He seemed to force himself to stay still, and I grabbed onto his arm, lowering myself onto his lap so that I was straddling him in the chair. Jaxon again didn’t react, but his golden-hued eyes held mine, something simmering in their depths.
“It got me thinking, what if the Fates wanted me to have you both?” I purred, stroking the tattoo on his arm again.
A prickling sensation spread up my arm but it wasn’t like how it was with Xavier. But it was still there—distant, like an echo. Resting my other arm on his shoulder. I returned my gaze to his. He was staring intently at me.
“Did you feel that?” I goaded. “Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?”
Jaxon swallowed, his jaw ticking again. He moved suddenly, leaning forward, his arm wrapping around my waist. His other palm landed on my hip. I gasped as he pulled me closer, our faces now only inches apart.
“I do feel it, Zara. I have felt it since the day I met you,” he breathed, and he drifted his hand that was on my lower back up toward the nape of my neck.
I hadn’t expected him to take the bait so eagerly, and my stomach twisted slightly at this game we were now playing. His hand moved into my hair, and he grasped it as he held my gaze.
“Still feel it now, like you said.”
Swallowing thickly, I composed myself and smiled softly. This was honestly a little too easy. I leaned forward, my lips parting as his eyes shot down toward them. My hands were drifting lower over his chest and down further until my fingers were wrapping around—Jaxon let out a snorting laugh.
“I don’t think so, princess.” He pulled me violently back by my hair, throwing me onto the floor as he stood.
The dagger I had been unsheathing from his belt, now in his hand.
“But it’s good to know what lengths you will go to.
” Jaxon chuckled, flipping the dagger and sheathing it once more at his side.
“I know exactly what that feeling, that echo, is, Zara.”
I pushed off the ground and lunged, but instead of colliding with his body, I collided with the barbed doors of the cell. A cross between a scream and a whimper left my lips as my skin tore open where it met the door. I jumped backward, falling again to the ground.
Blood now soaked my clothes and Jaxon’s face was twisted in disgust as he looked down at me through the door. I felt guilt wash over me, as well as embarrassment for a moment before pushing the feelings away and scrambling to my feet once more.
“My brother will be happy to know you’re awake and I'm sure he will be interested to hear about this little interaction.” His voice was flat like he was disappointed, and a wave of icy guilt flooded me at the thought of Xavier knowing.
I went to reply, but a deep, gruff familiar voice sounded from down the hall, echoing off the stone and I closed my eyes briefly at hearing it, holding in a groan.
“I'm already here.”
Xavier stepped out of the shadows to Jaxon’s right, and his emerald eyes locked onto mine.
His chiseled face looked haunted, and the smell of smoke wafted toward me.
My gaze landed on his torn clothing, and I saw it was singed in some places.
I couldn’t see any injuries and my shoulders loosened a fraction at that.
Xavier’s eyes were rimmed red, and he looked tired, beaten.
I took a step toward him only to stop myself and roll my shoulders in annoyance.
Xavier smiled softly before he looked at his brother. “I'll find you in a moment, brother.”
Jaxon only nodded, his eyes darting between us before reluctantly leaving, his steps echoing against the walls. We stayed silent until his footsteps faded away and there was nothing and no one but me and him.
Mist evaporated in front of me, and I staggered back as Xavier appeared in the cell.
His hands grabbed onto my arms, his fingers sinking into the fresh cuts on my skin, and I couldn’t help but shout in surprise and pain.
He was pushing us back, and my back slammed against the stone.
The air was knocked from my lungs, but my cry was smothered as his mouth crashed down onto mine, my eyes widening in alarm.