“I don’t want to know your truth,” she says coldly, looking away from me.
I deserve this. I deserve worse than this. I sit back in the chair I’m still bound to, accepting my fate. Dianthus hops off of her perch on the table and begins to round the corner of it, heading toward me without having to cross past Azalea.
I try not to flinch with each grating clack of her heels as she draws nearer. I know the kind of torment she can unleash on a man, and I know just how badly she’s been waiting to do that to me.
“What were the parameters of the curse exactly? How can I be free to go if we’re still bound together by the curse?”
“Technically…” Dianthus draws out the word. I can feel her towering over me from behind, but I can’t turn enough to see her. “Braxton, being as desperate as he was, allowed me the wonderful gift to change the parameters of the curse as I saw fit, and within reason. However, he never clarified what ‘within reason’ meant, so I’m sure I can draft up something that will be… mutually beneficial.” Dianthus begins drumming the tips of her pointed plum nails against the top of my skull.
“And you won’t kill him?” Azalea reiterates her question, but her face remains stoic, making it impossible to read her.
Dianthus places her hand over her heart as if she’s taking an oath. “I shall not kill him. But… he’s so pretty tied up. I could think of alotof things I could do to him like this. Are you sure you don’t want to stick around for at least some of the fun?”
Azalea stiffens, shaking her head. As much as I wish to explain what happened to her, I care more about her getting out of here before Dianthus changes her mind. She’s so close to freedom, so why is she still here?
“And what if I told you, I wanted to take him with me?” Azalea inquires.
My eyes widen in surprise as she takes a couple of steps away from the window. Her hands are clasped behind her back, and I see her gesturing slightly with one of them, but I’m not sure what she’s trying to tell me.
I can practically hear the swish of Dianthus’ hair as she looks back at Azalea. “This isn’t some kind of negotiation,” the witch snarls, her lip curling.
“But what if—”
“Listen here, you little bitch,” Dianthus interjects, slashing her hand through the air. “We agreed that if he didn’t break the curse in time, he would be mine for the rest of my days, which I have a lot of those left. Technically, he hasn’t used up his last chance yet, but when you leave here, I’ll make you forget all about him, so the curse will be as good as broken. Unfortunately, you will not be keeping him.”
“But he still has one more chance, right? So, you can’t keep him here.”
My brows pull together as I try to figure out what she’s getting at and why the fuck she won’t just leave and save herself. I’m not worth this. I’m not worth saving. But she is.
Dianthus grips my shoulders and yanks me so that my chair is pressed against her body.
“You’d better watch what you say. You’re in my domain, and I’m being kind enough to let you leave fully in-tact. If I were you, I would take that opportunity and run.”
Azalea takes another step forward, “I’m going to have to pass on that opportunity, unfortunately.” Azalea sneers as her golden eyes track up and down Dianthus’s long frame. “Oh, and Dianthus?”
Azalea brings her fingers to her lips, releasing a shrill whistle. In a matter of seconds, a giant white creature comes burstingthrough the window, spraying small shards of glass along the floor and table. I never thought I would be so excited to see Luna. A menacing snarl rumbles in her throat. In two quick strides, she moves in front of Azalea, teeth barred and hackles raised.
“Get your hands off my fucking husband.”
63
Braxton
LunalungesforDianthus,knocking me over while I’m still bound to the chair. I land roughly on my side, feeling pain shoot down my elbow. Trying to yank my body free from the magical binds still wrapping around me, I start to use whatever momentum I can to swing back and forth.
I don’t have to try for much longer because the moment Luna’s teeth sink into the Dianthus’s shoulder, she releases a piercing cry, and any concentration she had on her magic evaporates. I all but fall to the floor once my body is released, and I turn in time to watch Dianthus throw Luna off of her.
Knowing time is of the essence, I bound to my feet, my only goal being to make it to Azalea. My hand wraps around her forearm before I yank her from the room. Just as we are passing the threshold, I hear a loud crack and see the splintering of stone rain down over our heads.
Looking over my shoulder, I realize Dianthus tried to strike us down with her magic, but thanks to her slowly healing shoulder, her aim was slightly off.
Azalea and I practically jump through the doorway to escape the second bolt of bright lavender magic that comes shooting from Dianthus’s fingertips. We both rush to get back on our feet before we take off running.
“Do keep running. I adore a good chase.” Dianthus’s taunting voice echoes through the house, as Azalea and I duck through another doorway.
When did this house turn into a fucking labyrinth?
When I can no longer hear the clicking of Dianthus’ heels from behind us, I quietly slip us into a closet and close the door. It’s a tight squeeze to fit both of our bodies in there, forcing me to pull her flush against me even though I’m sure it’s the last thing she wants. Actually, I’m not sure what she wants, or why she saved me. I would ask her to start explaining, but I know the actual priority is coming up with a plan before Dianthus finds us in here.
