I was thrilled.
With Anteros’s hand at the small of my back, even though the plan was insane and probably suicide, I felt safe.
It took a few seconds for the guards stationed at the door to realize what had happened. One had been playing a game on his phone and at first he only glanced at us. He looked, went back to his game, then did a double take. Jumping to his feet, he knocked his friend in the arm while adjusting the gun over his shoulder.
“Holy shit,” he said, pointing his semiautomatic at us. “That’s…” He gulped and turned to the other one. “That’s the Beast.”
“And that’s the fucking princess,” the other said. Eyes wide and guns still pointed, they didn’t say anything else. It was like they didn’t know what to do with us. Slowly Anteros removed his hand from my back and put both up. I followed.
“I think you want to call some reinforcements,” Anteros offered. Hands still up, he gestured behind them to where more soldiers mingled. As if snapping out of a trance, they quickly sprang into action.
“Help!” they called. “Help!” Anteros turned his head, a small smile curving his lips meant only for me.
Black sacks were tossed over our heads, our weapons were confiscated, and we were thrown into a van. We had no idea where we were going, but that was okay. We didn’t need to know. We’d expected that.
So far it was all going according to plan.
Assuming they took us to either Lucia or Nikolai or—and this was a big hope—both, we wouldn’t have to fight our way in. They’d have led us directly to them. I wished I could see where we were going, though. The sacks were made of some kind of felt and my breath was hot and muggy.
The van came to an abrupt stop and I almost fell forward, but someone grabbed me by the shoulder. We were shoved from the car and they ripped off the bags. Bright morning light blinded me and it took me a few seconds to adjust. When I did, emotions flooded my chest.
The penthouse.
Where it all started. I wasn’t sure why they’d even bothered with the bags, but I didn’t care. I breathed it in. The first time had been like a fairytale with the bright lights for Christmas and the brilliant snow. When that illusion had been ripped away, it was like losing oxygen. The lack of snow these past months made it worse. Before it had blanketed everything ugly, and now it was all bitter, numbing ice without any of the beauty of snow.
I looked over to Anteros, who also studied the building. I finally understood what he’d been trying to tell me. We didn’t need to be a fairytale. Fairytales were make believe. This was reality and though it was ugly, it was magnificent.
A soldier pushed me and I stumbled my way through the front door. Anteros growled, but only I heard it. We all piled into the elevator.
My throat clogged when they opened. Floor-to-ceiling windows. Pristine walls.
Home.
But Lucia and Nikolai were there, and I was instantly angry. How dare they be in my home? I was shoved again, stumbling over the threshold. Anteros’s hand briefly touched mine and I knew it was on purpose, knew he wanted me to know he was with me. I glanced at him, saw the rage on his face matching my own. We had to get our shit under control.
With one look at the soldiers, Lucia had them going back the way they’d come. The elevators dinged and then they were gone. It was just Lucia, Nikolai, Anteros, and me.
“Granddaughter,” Lucia said, nodding at me.
“Mother,” I hissed. Fuck. I was already blowing it. I needed to be sweet. Anteros had told me she had one weakness: me. Our plan hinged on me being nice, but seeing her next to the chair Anteros had read in after I’d thrown the apple in the fire thrust me back to the beginning.
Hate. Love. Disgust. Need.
I felt everything like it was the first time, emotions swirling like I was spinning too fast on a merry-go-round. This was our sacred ground and they were unearthing bones without care.
It made my spirit restless.
Angry.
Her eyes grew huge and Nikolai whipped his head from Anteros to her to me. Before I could think, Lucia came and grabbed me, tugging me down the hallway. I threw my head over my shoulder, locking eyes with Anteros, trying to steady myself in his bluegreen depths. There was fear in my throat but this was what we’d wanted—to separate them. I just hadn’t thought it would happen so quickly.
&n
bsp; I’d thought I would have time to prepare, thought we’d get thrown to the floor or they would say something stupid like in the movies—you know, when the bad guys go over their evil plan and shit? Instead it was less than five seconds and I was being torn from Anteros, his stare locked on mine while he and Nikolai got smaller and smaller. Then Lucia shoved me into a bedroom and shut the door.
Blinking, I shifted focus. It was the room Anteros had made up for me. It hadn’t changed at all in the months I’d been away. Still clean. Still feminine. Still perfect. My chest squeezed, memories and emotions coming back in a whirling rush. I wondered if Lucia knew its importance; I wouldn’t have put it past her.
I could faintly hear Nikolai and Anteros—not the words, just his deep, even cadence melting through the door. Anteros didn’t sound bothered in the least, but that didn’t assuage my fears. He could have a gun in his mouth and he would be calm.