She regarded the skull for a moment or two, picking it up and cradling it in her hands.
“Cecilia,” I said.
Those eyes settled on me, staring right through mortal flesh.
“Cecilia.” I took a step, heels sinking into the grass and the mud. I tugged at my foot to free it and found that I couldn’t.
Dark clouds moved in, gusts of wind kicking up flowers and dust high into the air. Thunder rumbled, and lighting crackled across the blooming sky.
Cecilia’s hair whipped wildly around her, unbothered by the shifting storm. “Save him.”
Lightning struck the tree, engulfing the scene in bright white light. Her scream cut through the howling wind, shrieking with urgency.
I flung to life, crashing into my body with warm arms wrapped tight against my chest pinning me in place. Soft cushions braced my back and fingers, and a blanket laid curled at my feet. I glanced about the room to stone walls and familiarity.
I was in my room. I was still on the castle grounds.
My attention was drawn to the hands wrapped around me, clearly not the ones I had gotten accustomed to in the many months at Castle Briar, with their scars and calluses. These were ones that had seen horrendous violence, white scars and fresh cuts across knuckles. Revulsion curled in my stomach, bile stung my throat.
“I wondered how long you’d be out for.” William snickered, slicing into my skin more so than his hand on my wrist.
Thousands of questions flitted through with only one that truly mattered. “Where’s Silas?”
“She was right. You truly are brainwashed,” William sneered. His mouth dropped to my ear. “Now, why would you want to know where the monster is? Is it because you fancy the abomination more than your own?”
I shoved my elbow deep into his side, lessening his grip, and stumbled out of the bed.
Fingers grazed the door when it opened of its own accord.
Ayla stepped through the doorway with a sword pressed firmly to my chest. “What did I say in making sure she stays put until the trap is set?”
“Not my fault the bitch decided to make a break for it,” William scoffed.
Ayla’s cold gaze lashed onto me. “I do not care for the drama this has caused, but what I do care for is killing that vampire.”
Biting back tears, my cheeks burning as rage and disgust brewed within my veins. Ayla was in on hisplan. The person I thought of as a friend was now using me as bait to kill the man I love.
I braced myself against the bedpost, far away from Ayla’s sword and from William. The cold air did little to the torn dress, the bodice hung by mere threads and the train ripped to shreds. Holding the bone plate close, fury guiding upwards meeting the revulsion pulsating its way through my body.
“Whatever it is you intend, I will not help you,” I gritted out between bared teeth.
William jumped off the bed, corralling me toward the wall. I was met by cool stone and William’s wicked sneer was as close as I had ever wanted to be. He was a hair’s breadth away, dropping his lips to my ear.
“Protecting it, are we? I wonder how we can remedy this.” He snaked his palm up my thigh, teasing menacing across my naked skin.
I froze, breaths coming in heaving heavy gasps. Instinct took over, palm stinging as it flew across his face. William stumbled a few paces and clutched his cheek, his cheeks redder by the second, murder blazing high in his eyes.
“You little bitch.” William lunged for me, pinning me against the wall by the neck.
I clawed, nails biting into flesh, drawing blood.
The harder I fought, the tighter his hold became as dark spots danced high in my vision.
“That’s enough. Any further, and we give him a reason to kill the both of us.”
Ayla’s cool voice echoed with the grip around my throat loosening.
I dropped to the floor, coughing for air as I doubled over onto the cool stone. Pain laced my scalp, lifting me to my feet. “Why don’t we cut the crap and you tell us where Silas ran off to?”
