Page 186 of Glutton for Punishment

I wonder why he is leaving my ankles secured to the chair? I question the nature of it internally before remembering I have no right to question him. He knows everything. So that means this is how it’s supposed to be.

My eyes follow his every move as he walks around the room. A beacon I can’t look away from. Perfection.

He settles into the chair opposite mine and rings a small silver bell sitting on the desk. The sound is sharp in the quiet room, and soon after, strangers enter.

They move efficiently, heads lowered, carrying platters of rich smelling food. They don’t look at me or linger in the room. Just set everything down with practiced obedience before slipping back again, like this is routine.

He prepares a plate and places it in front of me. My gaze drops to it, uncertain for a moment.

“Eat,” he says. “You’ll need your strength. We’ll be working on plans tomorrow.”

The word slips past me. It can’t hold my attention, not when everything else keeps circling back to him. Somehow, my body knows to obey, despite my mind not connecting.

I pick up the fork without hesitation, thankfully. It would be unthinkable not to follow his orders.

The food is warm, but it tastes like ash in my mouth compared to the perfect being eating across from me.

Chapter 58

Nikolai Gabriel

“Are you sure?” I ask for the third time. “All of your contacts—you checked every one of them?” My palm comes down hard on the desk. “Yes, I am certain she is gone. Off the relic map entirely. Someone knows where she is, and I will find out who. And if this was done by our side without my authorization, heads will roll. Keep trying.”

I end the call and delete it from the phone in one practiced motion. She is gone.

No one except me knows she completed the second bond, and if that comes out, they will assume I withheld it. Admitting it now would buy me nothing but suspicion.

This has been a mess from the start. I believed having the Envy Councilor with us would prevent exactly this. Instead, he pursues his own ends where Arwen is concerned. I’m sure of it. A partnership that took years to create, all for nothing.

I count to five, letting each breath out slow. Then I return to the desk. There is a problem to solve, and I will solve it. The plan must be put back on track. I pick up the burner phone and dial again.

Chapter 59

Arwen

Asharp rap at the door jolts me upright. I blink, disoriented, taking in the unfamiliar room: sunlight streaming through massive windows hung with dark silk, a fire still crackling in the hearth.

Where am I?

What is this place?

The questions form, but it doesn’t settle into anything solid. It floats unanchored. None of it means anything to me.

Then it comes back. Vex.

A warm feeling settles over me. I’m safe. He’s here somewhere.

The door opens before I can push the thought further, and an older woman steps in, dressed in servant’s attire.

She isn’t him. Disappointment sinks into my stomach.

Her eyes move over me, taking in every detail, the way someone appraises a piece of property. There’s no greeting in it. And beneath the flat assessment, she seems almost uneasy.

“Mr. West says I’m to ready you for company,” she says. The words chase away the rest of my disappointment.

My love wants me with him.

Excitement sparks through me, and I follow her instructions without question.