She is going to be hit with everything that he has done in her name as well.
And that thought makes the sweat bead on his forehead, the ice to slide down his spine, and the predator in him to spring free ready to protect her.
Place Unknown, January 2015 - Aefre
I jolt awake as the pain rips across my back. The wounds have gone sticky and my blouse has stuck to the blood. I groan as I flex my shoulders, opening them up again, but finding a small amount of relief now that they aren’t so tight. Cade and I had fallen into an uneasy silence and somehow, I had fallen asleep. Probably out of boredom. I have no idea how long I have been down here, wherever here is.
/> “Hey,” Cade says quietly, his chains rattling as he moves.
“Hey,” I reply, just as despondently.
“I think they are coming for you,” he whispers, nodding towards the door.
I listen too and I can hear the scuffling of feet on the dank, stone floor. “Great,” I mutter. I have no idea how this is going to play out. Nor do I know how I am going to stall them. CK still hasn’t arrived to rescue me, obviously. I can’t bank on it. I have to find a way to save myself from this…this travesty. This witch-hunt. This…
“Time to go,” a Vampire I have never met before snarls at me. He holds up a set of chains, not unsimilar to the ones that are holding Cade in place with one exception. Mine have the same golden glow of magick as the cage does. I have come to realize that this is keeping my Fae at bay. How? The gods only know. All I know is that I could do with some of these to keep the Light Fae barbarians in check.
I growl as the chains are slapped onto my wrists. The cuffs, burning my skin as badly as the cage did to my back.
“Is that really necessary?” Cade shouts out as they lead me away roughly, causing the wounds on my back to tear open even more.
The Vampire laughs at him, but I throw him a grateful smile. He tried.
I don’t make another sound. I won’t give this arsehole the satisfaction of hearing me complain…or scream my head off in pain as I am currently doing internally.
I am led through the dark tunnel and when I finally see a sliver of light under a doorway, it is pushed open to reveal the courtroom that I am to be tried in. I am shoved, with a foot to my backside, into the dock to await whatever fate is about to throw at me. I raise my chin, even though I am shaking. I would be a fool not to be scared. This is serious stuff. The courtroom is packed out, but there is an eerie hush that makes it very spooky. I can see Clementine sitting right in the front pew-or whatever they are called-giving me a sadistic smile as she taps her fingers on the dark wood in front of her, my blue diamond flashing on her finger mocking me. The dread that wells up in me hits me hard. I had been trying to push it aside, but for some reason, that token of my love with CK, ripped from me and placed on that bitch makes me want to weep. The tears spring to my eyes and I feel my chin wobble.
I plop my wrists down hard on the dock so that the magick singes my skin. I hiss quietly, but it stops me from crying. I won’t cry. I can’t.
When I have regained my composure enough, I lift my wrists up slightly so that the cuffs are balancing on the wood, but not touching me. The muscles in my arms will have to bear the brunt of the stress for a while.
And then we wait.
Not long, but it is enough to set my already shot nerves pinging.
Then a Vampire appears in a long flowing robe, like a judge, and makes his way to the seat that is placed next to me, but higher of course, so that he can glare down at me.
I swallow and bite the inside of my cheek.
Dmitri.
I am fucked.
Fucked up the arse with a red-hot poker.
I was kind of hoping it would be someone who doesn’t know me, someone who could feel sorry for me and hear my side of the story. Dmitri has clearly expressed that he doesn’t give a shit and that my side of the story doesn’t matter. He gives me a small, cursory glance, but then he averts his eyes quickly, not wanting to look at me.
I wait, wondering how this is going to. Is there a queue of people waiting to accuse me of crimes I haven’t committed? Or unwittingly committed?
You could hear a pin drop in the ensuing silence. I am about ready to freak the fuck out and start babbling about my innocence, when Dmitri clears his throat.
“Ladies and Gentlemen. We are here today to hold trial for the accused, Aefre Allington, nee Coortan for…”
“Aquila!” I blurt out like a fool.
Like. A. Fool.
Everyone’s beady eyes land on me in varying degrees of jealousy, envy and hatred. I can’t help but look at Clementine, whose pinched features are so full of venom it makes my stomach churn. But I don’t show it. I give her a smug smile that screams, “That’s right, bitch. He married me not you!”