And somehow, even as a boy, Sparrow knew.
“Oh, Xavier. My son,” she purred, her voice dripping with saccharine warmth that rang so false it curdled in the air. “How lovely to see you again. Has it been years? Decades?” She said it like we were lost friends; it was meant to mock me. Her smile, the way her lips curved into an edge. She was putting on a charade which she’d likely perfected over years of manipulation.
I didn’t even try to hide my disgust and repulsion. “Spare us the bullshit, Leanan,” I snapped, venom coating my words. “Just tell us what you want.”
I could have been more mindful, as I had no idea what she had planned by coming here, unarmed. However, I couldn’t accept her calling me her son like she did anything that was worthy enough to be considered a mother.
She gave a theatrical sigh and rolled her eyes, as though I were the one misbehaving. “Xavier, honestly. It’s a bit strange to call your mother by her name, don’t you think?” Then her eyes wandered over to Damien, looking at him like he was her new prey.
“Oh… is that Dandelion’s boy?” Her lips curled in twisted amusement. “The sea dragon we were all promised? I have to admit, I didn’t think anyone could rival Malakai’s beauty. But perhaps youngerisindeed better.”
Disgust twisted in my stomach. Gwendolyn shouldn’t have to hear this filth. My grip on her hand tightened, grounding her, grounding me.
Anger surged through me like wildfire. I didn’t want to argue. I wanted to tear Leanan from this place. This was my realm.Carnivallandwas mine. I built it for love, for magic, for peace. I wouldn’t let her stain it too.
“Watch your mouth, Leanan. Or my soldiers will drag you back through the tunnels where you belong, on your hands and knees.”
Her gaze flicked back to me, then over to Seth. With a slow, deliberate curl of her lips, shesmiled. The audacity of it made my blood boil. She was mocking us.
“Oh, how sweet Lydia’s mate is also here to meet me. I must say… for filth from Marabour, you are indeed attractive.”
Seth didn’t reply to her disgusting comment, knowing she was filled with pure hate and venom, only wanting him to lose it. And Seth was a soldier, the commander for my father, he was probably listening to narcissistic bullshit every single day and seemed immune.
And suddenly her eyes finally landed on Gwendolyn, lingering with something far too curious… I nearly lost it.
I wanted to carve out those eyes from her skull.
“Gwendolyn…” as her evil lips spoke out my mate’s name, my entire body tensed. In this moment I wanted nothing more than to rip her fucking rotten heart out.
“I forbid you to speak to her, it’s the only approach you’ll get that I’m not plucking your damn fucking eyes out,” I stated. I was aware my eyes were already red, and it showed her how little control I had left over my vampire side. But seeing the pain of my love, her eyes already in tears, tears of fear and disgust. I wanted nothing more than to kill Leanan and layer Gwendolyn in kisses. To bring her away from here and make her all mine again.
“Xavier, you sound soincrediblyoverstimulated. Is your little human sexually pleasing you enough?”
She really dug her own grave now. I was about to grab her by the shoulders until Gwendolyn reached out to me.
“Don’t Xavier, please.”
It was only a small plea, strong enough that I knew she wasright. I wasn’t allowed to let her provocations get to me.
“I see she’s already influencing you,” she said. “Although… I had hoped she would marry that sweet human boy, Alexander.”
Alexander?
It didn’t surprise me that my mother had meddled in her human life as well. But the fact that she’d interfered in our bond twice... if the laws of Marabour ever caught up with her, she’d be sentenced to death.
“I’m okay.”Gwendolyn’s voice echoed through our bond, warm but trembling. I hated that she lied to me just to calm me down. She was always my strength. And I was desperate to be hers.
“Gwendolyn is fully bonded to all of us now,” Malakai said, stepping forward. “Whatever scheme you had failed. She’s ours and we are hers.”
Leanan’s eyes narrowed. Then, without warning, the room was swallowed by monstrous darkness. This must have been the trap…
I couldn’t see. Couldn’t breathe. I tried using my shadows to pierce through the black void surrounding me, but nothing.
And then… out of nowhere, I heard a scream.
Gwendolyn’s scream. Every tone tearing a piece into my soul.
Where was she? What was going on?
