Page 158 of Uncrowned

A growl mixed with a threatening sound as he stared me down. I didn’t care as I walked back to the throne to sit. Drayton turned to Bram and Elec, and I didn’t miss his shaking.

Minutes passed as he paced. When the doors opened, he froze. We all did. Marian was being carried, but she wasn’t awake. She didn’t even look alive.

The dirty slip dress she wore was smeared in mud and splotches of blood. There were cuts and scrapes all over her dirty arms and legs. Half of her face was swollen and bruised and there was a laceration along her cheek.

The guard walked up and Drayton held out his arms, but Marian was dumped roughly on the floor feet away. With how she landed, I knew Penelope didn’t miss the blood smeared between her thighs.

Drayton’s shaking got worse as he walked forward at a leisurely pace. He turned her head, exposing her bruised neck to feel her pulse point. At Marian’s whimper, I didn’t miss Penelope’s. She was barely holding on. Her breathing was shallow and her hands were twisting into her dress.

“See. She lives. How long, is the question.”

Drayton’s stare rose to meet mine and there were tears in his eyes. As he went to scoop her into his arms, my hand shot up.

“Don’t bother. She’s going back to the cell until⁠—”

He didn’t hesitate to pick her up to cradle at his chest. “We’re making the calls. Marian’s not leaving me until they’re finished. The Council gave her to me. I own her, and before it’s over with, I’ll be leaving with what is mine.”

Sniffling sounded at my side, and Penelope’s silent cries broke into sobs.

“I’ll be back.” Bram looked around the room, stopping at the men at his side. “I’ll hurry as fast as I can.”

While they were talking, I leaned down to Penelope.

“Love, you have to stop crying.

“I can’t stop it—Vaughn, I’m so sorry—Dismiss me before I go to her. Dismiss me.”

“Breathe. We knew this would be bad.”

“It’s worse than bad. Are you sure she won’t die? She looks almost dead.”

“She’s unconscious. She’s not dead. She will wake.”

I kept my words but a whisper as Penelope clung to the bottom of my slacks. Every time she looked toward Marian, she broke a little more. And Marian was trembling in Drayton’s arms. She wasn’t even awake and still she shook.

“Stay. Breathe. I’ll be back.”

I headed for Drayton, keeping the emotion from my face as I approached.

“I could almost believe you cared for her. Wasn’t your plan to kill her after she produced you an heir?” Drayton looked up, keeping the glare as I continued. “You don’t appear a man who wants to kill her. You look at her with love. With pain.”

“How I look at her is none of your concern, nor is our future.”

“I disagree.” I glanced down at Marian but came back up to look at him. “You see, there’s only one way I’m letting you leave The Order with your Chosen. And that’s with a clause that you can’t take her life until I get what I need. Like I said, she owes me.”

“She’s mine, so I owe you. What could you possibly want with her being alive? Do you see her? You nearly fucking killed her.”

My head shook. “No. She’s fine. Rape never killed anyone, and my guards are fixed and clean. She’ll survive. It’s in her blood… and that’s what I want.”

“… I don’t understand.”

Elec’s hand lifted as he stepped forward, studying me with such deep thoughts that drew in his brow.

“I see what you’ve done.” Anger was in Elec’s words, but also something else. Respect, awe, even if he didn’t like it? “They know Bram will be calling. It wasn’t about the properties at all. You want the Pennington heir for your own. They know… You’re going to⁠—”

I looked at him impressed. “Not me. I don’t think I’ll be so lucky, but someday we will take our rightful place. They thought they could cheat my family out of what was ours. I may be The Black Line but watch as I turn ruination into royalty. We will reign again. The LaRoe blood is the key, as is Penelope’s. It’s why I chose them. Founders, older than ours. Conquerors. More connected. More powerful with more sway. Nothing can beat this.”

I glanced back at Penelope feeling the pieces to my puzzle finally slip into place. When I met Drayton’s eyes, I knew I had him.