Empty threat or promise of a god ruined by his own nature?
A flicker of apology in the butler’s eyes told me the sentiment wasn’t shared. I nodded in acknowledgment of what potential consequences loomed. That simple dip of my chin prompted Jamie to grant me a temporary reprieve from this damning metal beast.
Once inside the bathroom, he had the kindness to try and make conversation through the closed door.
“Dale is coming to town for Valentine’s Day tomorrow.” A pause, then spoken softer, “Thought you’d like to know.”
Was it already the eve before my favorite day of the year? I suppose time flew when you’re locked away by one emotionally erratic captor.
Drying my hands on the thighs of my jeans, a little smile tugged at my lips. It reminded me of how impactful my role as the goddess of desire was, why I continued to draw hearts together at the sacrifice of my own.
“I hope you both have a reunion worthy of a thousand chocolate-covered strawberries,” I called out from inside the bathroom. “Has Eryx actually given you permission to have the day off?” That in and of itself would be a Valentine’s Day Miracle.
Silence.
“Mr. Peterson?” I turned and stared at the stark white door, unsure of what I expected.
More silence.
My footsteps were slower than a dying man’s lastbreath, afraid to make even so much as a shuffling sound against the tile floor. Extending my hand towards the brass handle, my trembling fingers rested on it.
Rational thought would have suggested that he had left the room, but I wasn’t feeling so rational after time spent with discord’s poster child.
Before I could turn the handle, it shifted under my touch, and the door swung inward wildly. The sudden intrusion sent me stumbling backwards to avoid getting smacked in the face. My hands steadied me against the sink vanity, eyes wide with shock.
An unfamiliar woman filled the doorway, rail thin with blonde hair from a box and an unkind smile.
“Ooh, look what we have here,” she purred with excitement. Then, with the speed of a feline, she lunged at me. Her hands grabbed my upper arms, pointed nails digging into my skin, threatening to draw blood.
A shriek tore from my throat, instinct overrode thought as I thrashed in her unyielding hold. For a toothpick, she had far more strength than she should, the strength of a god. The realization was chilling.
“Let. Go. Of. Me!” I cried out in a panic, every word punctuated by another jerk of my limbs in an effort to free myself.
The woman pulled me out of the bathroom, hauling me into the center of the room. Digging my heels in, I made her work for every inch of ground.
Shifting my gaze over the top of her bony shoulder, Isaw Jamie with another man. The stranger stood a few inches taller, but was all dark and menacing in his build.
With chilling efficiency, this man had subdued the butler by wrapping thick chains around his torso and one of the bedposts. Alarmed protests became muffled by the slap of a silver strip of duct tape over Jamie’s mouth. The binding metal links around him groaned with every struggle, a sound so sinister it may as well have been perverse laughter if such a thing were possible.
The unfamiliar bastard patted Jamie’s cheek with lazy condescension. “These are Caucasus chains, forged to restrain a Titan. Your enthusiastic struggles only bind them tighter. But, by all means, resist their hold until they burst you like an overripe tomato.”
Given the alarming shade of red that painted Jamie’s face, it was a testament to the truth of what this man said.
“Let him go! What has he ever done to you?” I spat out with more bravery in my tone than I actually felt.
My outburst drew the asshole’s attention. His head snapped towards me with supernatural sharpness, godlike in its fluidity. Eyes darker than the deepest parts of the galaxy drilled into me with keen interest that made my spine turn into an icicle.
Blondie smirked with too much amusement. “Don’t worry, dear. Our interest isn’t in pudgy over there. We have much higher standards.”
She lifted a hand to grab my jaw, and I swore her fingers lengthened to more fully cage the lowerhalf of my face. Leaning in, her nose traced my cheek, a gesture more intimate than the caress of an executioner’s blade.
If my stomach weren’t already tangled in knots of disgust, she took it a step further and whispered in my ear. “You’re such a pretty toy for Eryx. I’m sure he won’t mind if we play with you for a little while.”
Her partner came up beside her and eased her away from me. She flashed a thin-lipped pout and whined at the enforcement of personal space, something I welcomed a great deal.
Not hesitating once her grip loosened, I tore myself away in a mad scramble to put as much distance between us as possible.
“Don’t touch me, you freakshows!” I hissed at them, all while my eyes darted around for anything useful to defend myself with.
