He releases my face after issuing the command, and I bite the inside of my cheek, rather than immediately obeying. I only last a second before the leash forces me to comply. But that second is all I need to remember my loophole.
In my best monotone, I doexactlyas I’m told. “That you are choosing to stay here with me, of your own free will.”
Arianna snorts, “Oh yeah, Leon. We can really see how she’s choosing you.”
I imagine Leon’s face must be contorting in anger, and I know I’ll be punished for my disobedience later. But I regret nothing. I’ve hurt Sin enough by choosing to save my friends and turning myself over to the Council. I refuse to do anything that might hurt him more than I already have, even if it means I’ll face the brunt of Leon’s wrath behind closed doors.
“You’ll pay for that, pet,” Leon whispers in my ear, ignoring Arianna’s taunting. His voice sounds more like a self-satisfied purr when he addresses the others, “Of course she’s choosing me. I could take her, right here in front of you, to make sure you understand who she belongs to.”
His hand shifts to grip the skirts of my dress, and a white-hot bolt of terror pierces through me.
Fuck. No. No!
There’s a blinding flash of red as Sin’s power slams into the Council’s wards again. At the same time, the darkness emanating from Arianna grows even thicker, and faint tendrils seep through the dome, exploiting every weakness in the barrier. Distantly, I can hear people panicking behind us as they scream to repair the damage.
Sin looks murderous, and his hand has a death grip on his sword. “Two taps, kitten,” he urges.
Two taps – our safe word when I can’t speak. He’s giving me a way to tell him I want to come home. My heart gives a painful tug, and my fingers twitch, just once. But I hold fast.
I left for a reason. Leaving would lead to the slaughter of countless innocents. Still, knowing that doesn’t make this hurt any less.
I give a slight shake of my head.
Sin’s jaw flexes, and once again, he starts to take a step forward.
“But – I suppose that isn’t necessary,” Leon quickly interjects as he releases the fabric.
Sin pauses, still outside the barrier.
“Especially considering Vivian and I will be married shortly,” Leon adds nonchalantly. He lifts my hand so that my fingers are directly in front of Sin’s face. The gaudy diamond ring is cast in a red glow.
My stomach drops, terrified of how this might hurt him even more.
But Sin doesn’t even glance at the ring. Instead, his eyes narrow on the hand-shaped bruises that are already starting to bloom on my wrist – the ones that werehidden by Leon’s grip when he initially scanned me for injuries.
Shame wells up inside of me. I don’t want him to see me like this, not after all the time he spent teaching me to fight back. It feels like a sliver of the strength I found in the Shadow Realm is shaved away when his eyes come back to mine.
“Kitten,” he growls in a low warning, and I swallow.
Leon follows Sin’s gaze and goes rigid.
“I am doing my very best to respect your wishes. To prove I’m not like them.” Sin’s words are strained. Lethal intent radiates from him, and despite the booming thunder that has yet to slow from his continuous attack on the wards, I hear every word.
“But I’ve never shied away from being a monster in your eyes,” he adds in a gruff tone. For a moment, the glow over his eye falters, and I catch the smallest flash of sadness in them before it’s sealed away and replaced with grim determination. “Two weeks,” he orders.
My brow lifts, wondering what he could possibly mean.
“You have two weeks until I come back for you,” Sin clarifies, before shifting his attention to Leon. “And if you ever try to touch her against her will again – and I assure you, Iwillknow – there are no wards powerful enough to stop me from ending your miserable existence.”
Chapter 4
Vivian’s Point of View
Rule four:Find new ways to beat the dead horse.
Ihave no time to process Sin’s words.
Less than a heartbeat later, Leon yanks my hand and starts dragging me back toward the castle.
