“Indeed.” Blaéz selected his words like poisonous darts. “Stuck inherbad graces and being pitied bites arse, big time. You’ll get used to it, I imagine.”
Instead of foaming at the mouth, Finnén appeared to reel in his temper—shit.
Theywerealike in some aspects, after all.
Calm now, he clicked his fingers, and a wall-mounted monitor came on, revealing an elegant bedroom and Darci asleep on a bed.
Blaéz’s heart stuttered in dread. “What did you do?”
His twin smiled, a cruel twist of his lips. “Nothing yet. I merely added a little something to her wine while I took care of the business of trapping you. Isn’t it impressive having the added power of being a law-keeper to aid me and get you under my control? And the blue-haired watchdog?” He laughed. “So easy to get him away from the females—throw some demoniis into the parking lot, and my way was clear. He really thought I was you as he took off to protect those feeble mortals.”
A red-hot rage tore through Blaéz. But trapped as he was by this maniac, he forced his anger down. With his mind, he tried to find a chink in the spell coating the cable-like ropes instead, his senses roving every inch of the chain, and then glided over the cuff on his wrist…
“True, I detest you,” Finnén continued as if Blaéz were interested in his fucking discourse. “I could live with tormenting you for eternity. But her”—he nodded to the monitor—“as a part ofmykin? That, I will never accept. Renounce her, and I’ll think about letting your death be quick.”
Blaéz stiffened at the decree. “Listen carefully, you fucked-in-the-brains piece of shit—” Finnén growled at the slur. “—I will never renounce my mate, but you, I will take the utmost pleasure in destroying.”
“You make this so easy. Seriously, I have no idea what you see in this weak species.” With a wave of his hand over himself, Finnén’s long, blond hair morphed into short, black strands, and his gray eyes took on a deeper blue hue.
It was like staring in the mirror. He even wore the same black leathers and sweater as Blaéz. His control snapped. A roar punched out from his throat. “You bastard!”
“Enjoy the show. By the way, she tastes really good. I can see why you might want her for a toy—”
“What the hell did you do?” Blaéz snarled, shoving into the arsehole’s head, but his weakened ability just bounced off. Pain churned in his skull, his own brain felt like it might explode from the pressure.
“Nothing much. I had a sample back at the castle, testing out my new appearance—she likes it rough.” Smirking, Finnén sauntered out, shutting the door behind him.
Darci—wake up!Blaéz bellowed through their mind-link, but it got lost in a fog in his head because of whatever he’d been given.
His focus remained pinned on the monitor. The bedroom door opened. Finnén entered and kicked it shut. He strolled to the bed and dropped to his haunches near Darci, his gaze drifting over her slumbering form. He reached out and stroked her hair. “Wake up,” he crooned. He glanced at the camera, straight at Blaéz. “What is it you call her?A leannan?”
Snarling, Blaéz yanked at the cables. His flesh stung, and a sticky wetness coasted down his hands, but it barely registered, his entire being fixed on his sleeping mate.
The enchantment Finnén had her under appeared to fade. Darci stirred awake, and when she saw him, the smile Blaéz loved lit her face. “It’s not me,mo chridhe,” he whispered, his chest squeezing in pain, held helpless in the basement, trapped by the godsforsaken chains. “It’s not me…”
He tried to mind-link with Týr but hit a wall.
Darci sat up and pushed back her heavy fall of hair back. Her movements accentuated her full breasts in the fitted maroon dress with its low neckline, drawing Finnén’s attention. “What happened?”
“You fell asleep on the couch.” His voice lowered huskily, and he stroked her cheek with his knuckles. “I didn’t want to wake you, so I put you to bed.”
“Oh…I don’t remember.” Her wary gaze darted around the room. She shuddered and rubbed her arms. “What time is it?”
“Midnight.”
“Can we go home now?”
“Not yet. We have to stay a little while longer until I’m sure it’s safe.”
A tiny V formed between her eyebrows. “Did you find your brother?”
Finnén sighed. “Hopefully soon. When I’m done, he’ll beg for death.” He slanted a knowing smile toward the camera again. “Now, no more talk about him.”
Blaéz jerked at the cables, but the steel ropes remained steadfast, cutting deeper into his wrists. More blood dripped from his wounds.
Finnén sat on the bed and angled his mouth to Darci’s. An unmitigated roar of pain and fury tore free from Blaéz.Darci, you know it’s not me.You have to know!
“Wait.” She pulled back from Finnén.Thank, Christ!A smile brightened her face. “So, you’re conceding?”
No, no, no!
“What?” Finnén frowned.
“Our deal. The abstinence?”
“Yes-yes, of course.” He dragged his lips down her jaw to her mouth and put his hand on her thigh where her dress had ridden up. Finnén smirked into the camera.
No!Agony cleaving his chest apart, he yanked hard on the cables, the cuffs cutting deeper into his flesh. Blood flowed. A sharp spike of power shot through him, striking the walls in a crackle of power. A bolt hit the screen, and the transmission lost its signal, then the energy slammed back into Blaéz, sending him crashing into the wall.
Týr—Aethan!he bellowed through their telepathic-links.Where the fuck are you?
