He narrowed his eyes at Vincent, trying to remember the young cousin he’d grown up with. He looked nothing like his old self. The years had carved away any kindness and left him with sharp features and the dark eyes for which he was known. Xander was sure they hadn’t always looked like that. He would have noticed.
The moment Xander’s magic severed, he wanted to slump in defeat. He forced himself to hold his head high.
“Those are spelled,” Vincent said. “You won’t be able to get them off without magic. Ancient magic. You may have sneaked those witches away, but not before they did me a few favors. Not your basic everyday Unsummoner bracelet. You’re quick, taking so many of my men out before they could subdue you. Honestly, you all nearly foiled my well-laid plans when you had the wedding so soon. I almost couldn’t get my men here in time.”
Vincent grinned as he looked at the three of them. “I thought a couple of fake princesses would add enough chaos to the mix, but I must admit, you weathered it much better than I expected. There were so many moving pieces and I nearly missed my timing.” He brushed his hands down his fine tunic. “I see the gears turning. You’re wondering about the eyes. Unfortunately, Cato’s power is not what it once was. It wore off sooner than expected this time, since the lovely Lady Reznik temporarily stole his memory of how to use it. So she noticed when I was mesmerizing her with my charm at brunch.”
Both Xander and Rainer bristled at that, but Cece laughed.
Oh, gods. Please, Cece, don’t be yourself right now. Don’t be brave. Be sweet and timid. Just this once, Xander silently begged.
“That’s funny?” Vincent asked, a slight grin on his face.
“Yes. It’s just that all of you Saveros think you’re so different, but you equally overestimate your ability to charm women.”
Vincent tipped his head back and laughed. “You are certainly spirited. I’ll give you that. I love a feisty woman.” He walked toward her, and Cece paled. “I understand you’re still available,” Vincent taunted, looking from Rainer to Cece.
“I’m engaged,” Cece said.
“Until the deal is sealed, I consider you still available. It’s McKay’s fault for not securing you when he had the chance.” Vincent reached out a hand and stroked her cheek.
To Cece’s credit, she didn’t shrink away.
Beside Xander, Rainer thrashed against the guards. Xander met his eye and shook his head as if to say, “Don’t give him the satisfaction.”
Vincent looked at Rainer as he let his fingers trail down Cece’s neck, over her exposed shoulder, and then along the neckline of her dress, letting his finger skim right under the edge of the lace. Cece’s heart raced loud enough for Xander to hear from where he stood, but she didn’t move.
“So soft,” Vincent whispered.
Rainer stilled, his brow creased with helpless worry as he watched.
Cece met Xander’s eyes over Vincent’s shoulder and gave the slightest shake of her head.
“I’ll make this simple. Why is it that the trickster hasn’t been able to get into any of your heads? Or the king of Olney’s?”
Xander shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“If you’re a good king, that’s a lie. But if you’re a good friend and lover, it isn’t. As I understand, you spent quite a bit of time protecting Guardian McKay for your dear Cece. Is that true?”
Xander wasn’t sure how to answer. He felt like he was struggling in an undertow, and every wrong answer was going to sweep him into deeper water. He’d been strategically outmaneuvered for months. He wouldn’tsuddenly be able to come out on top, but he was the king. He had to do something.
Just holding Vincent’s attention might be enough. The longer they distracted Vincent and his men, the more time the staff had to escape. He crossed his fingers that they were smart enough to flee and had somewhere to go. Hopefully, Evan was intercepting people. He prayed their friends made it to safety.
Vincent nodded, and two guards dragged Rainer forward. They stripped him of his fine tunic and undershirt so that he stood shirtless before they bent him over the mahogany table. They bound his wrists to either side, immobilizing him.
Cece faltered, taking a step toward him. His gaze was locked on hers, and he shook his head. Tears welled in her eyes, but she smiled half-heartedly as he sent something through their connection. “I love you,” he mouthed.
Cece gritted her teeth and dug her nails into her palms to keep herself from crying. The frustration on her face mirrored Xander’s own. He hated feeling helpless.
Vincent pulled off his fancy tunic and rolled up the sleeves of his undershirt, revealing scarred forearms. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You can tell me why the trickster can’t get into your heads.” He picked up a switch. “For every minute it takes you to tell me, I’m going to give Rainer a lash. If you tell me now, he won’t get any. Look at that perfect skin, Lady Reznik. You’ve done such a good job keeping him in one piece all these years. Are you willing to throw that all away now? As I understand, lashings are very hard to heal, even for talented healers, because of the way the skin splits. They almost always leave scars.”
Reality set in. They’d faced cruelty before, but never such sharp violence. Cato’s psychological warfare had been brutal but always with a goal in mind, and he hadn’t relished physical pain in conjunction with it. His violence was a means to an end. Vincent seemed to bask in their fear, his eyes lit with excitement at the prospect of inflicting pain.
“We’ll start in one minute. If you tell me before, then I won’t whip him at all.”
Cece glanced helplessly from Rainer to Xander. Rainer met Xander’sgaze and gave the slightest shake of his head. He wanted the king to know he could take it.
Beside Xander, Cece was standing tall, but he could tell by the look in her eye and the way her heart pounded that she was crumbling.
