“Our wedding was supposed to sort this, right? I’ll send him straight to hell for even daring to take what’s mine.”
“I am, Trey,” she whispers. “I need you to know. I am yours.”
The words hit me like a defibrillator to the chest.
Behind her, the follower’s chanting falters. One of them stutters mid-prayer, eyes flicking up as if the wordyoursburned through whatever spell they were under.
I breathe hard, the sound ragged in the cold air. My blood’s still running down my body, dripping from a cut on my temple, but all I can see is her.
My wife.
My peace.
My heart.
I meet her gaze, my voice dropping to a low growl.
“You hear me, baby? You stay strong. Whatever he says, whatever he does—you remember who you are. You’re mine. I’m yours.”
Her lip trembles, and she nods, barely holding it together.
If I can just…
The chains rattle again as I pull, muscles screaming. I can’t break them. But I want him to hear. I want him to feel it in the walls of this place—the promise I’m making.
When I find a way out of these chains, I’m burning his entire fucking world to ash.
Gideon steps into the dim light. Calm. Too calm. Enough to make my blood run cold. He moves closer, the hem of his robe brushing the floor, that faint scent of incense clings to him.
Then he’s beside her. My chest seizes. His hand brushes down her arm—invasive, taunting.
“Get your fucking hands off my wife,” I spit, voice rough, dripping blood. Every word is sharp, every syllable a strike.
He tilts his head, eyes narrowing.
“Your wife?” He laughs, slow, cruel. “You think a mockery of a ceremony makes her yours? Seraphina was promised long before you ever touched her.”
“Well, circle beats square.” I say, cold. Disinterested.
“What does this mean?”
“I’m hinting that what you say doesn’t matter, you are just chatting shit, trying to feel important, in control, right?”
“She was never yours to have Mr. Baker. But no worries. All will be right. She will stand by my side.” He flicks something against my chest that starts to fizzle in contact with my skin. I wince. And try not to call out in pain, when more water is dumper over me, leaving me breathless and shivering, layers of skin burned through.
“Let me guess, acid that’s meant to be holy water or something, right?” I accuse weakly. The burning slows, but the pain is horrendous. Numbed only by the cold, and other pain swimming around inside my skull.
I don’t flinch. “F-Funny. Doesn’t look that way from where I’m standing,” I growl, choking back a rasping laugh. “She’s standingbeside me, not you.”
“Seraphina, come.” She looks to him, hatred in her eyes towards the man.
That’s my girl.
Gideon’s smile tightens, twisting into something dangerous. “Come, or he dies.” he hisses, closing the gap, trying to block her from me.
“He’ll do it anyway, baby.”
“Quiet with your obsequious words.”
