One wrong step, p.31
One Wrong Step, page 31
“Maybe you should come and visit then,” Fyzel continued, as if a bit of small talk was normal. Looking back, I could see his red eyes tracing the curve of my underwear, his own trousers painfully tented. "Being proven wrong in my presumptions makes me uncomfortable,"
“Maybe I will,” Angelica flirted. She flicked a finger, forcing me to straighten and run my hands through my hair. Next, she made me pull my corset straps off my shoulders.
A scream built in my throat. It raged against the strings that bound me. It twisted wildly against my skin, lashing out at my stupidity: making deals with a witch, entering the belly of the Night Court. I had always been out of my depth, swimming in shark-infested waters while people warned me from the shore. I thought the worst they could do was hurt me. Split my skin and spill my blood. But I knew nothing of this world.
So, I danced on puppet strings, a fool being foolish. I was caressing my breast again. The tips of my fingers skimmed the corset's edge, ready to pull it down and pop the girls free when a voice cut through the crowd. Horror flooded my already growing despair.
“Now, what’s going on here, then?” Nic’s blurry form solidified enough I noticed his hungry gaze.
“Just a little payback,” Angelica answered, forcing me to turn and bend, hands-on Fyzel’s knees as I lowered my ass into his crotch.
“And you didn’t invite us?” Nic prowled forward, yanking me so we were chest to chest. For the split second of a heartbeat, I thought he saved me.
Surely, someone in this god-forsaken cesspool had some decency. But when Nic twisted me in his arms, pulling my back against his chest, I knew I shouldn’t have hoped. “That’s not very nice of you, Angelica. Not after I sent her to you in the first place.”
The tip of his tongue traced the vein in my neck and my traitorous hands rubbed the tops of his thighs. One of his arms pulled against my collarbone, while his other hand skimmed fingers across my hips.
“You did no such thing.” Angelica snapped, and I could feel her strings trying to pull me away from him. But Nic’s arms held fast, and I choked.
“Actually…” Chilton cleared his throat, stepping close to his sister. “Nic suggested last week that I should wander with an… obvious prop in hand. One that revealed my role.”
Surprise and fury welled in my gut, realising this had been a game from the start. Pressure built behind my eyes and a sob burned my throat.
Angelica probably felt something similar as she swore. Fyzel still sat in front of me, but his erection was gone, and eyes pinned on the second newcomer. “You knew about this?”
Arms crossed, eyes on me, Ryu shrugged. “If the prey is too dumb to see the trap…”
A strangled scream of fury clawed its way free, showing Angelica’s control was finally slipping. I could curl my fingers, and shift my gaze, but it was all a little too late.
“So,” Nic smiled against my neck. “As I was saying, I think I’ll indulge in my reward, thank you.”
I felt the air sucked away from my neck as hot lips pressed against it. Images of that night flashed in my mind’s eyes. The icy rain lashed my skin. The fear that rocked my heart, the panic that swelled behind my ribs until I thought they’d snap…
“No!” Angelica screamed as Nic’s teeth pierced my neck and white lights exploded behind my eyes.
Olli had said my bitchy mood had been because of Nic’s bite: something physically taken, replaced by something emotional. Fear and panic had left me terrified and paranoid. I hadn’t understood then, but now…
Lust and desire swirled under my skin, my emotions shattering. Euphoria flooded my veins and pleasure exploded in my core. Nic pulled me closer, and I moaned. A part of my mind begged for more, my orgasm ripping me apart over and over, before sensually knitting back together.
I was flying high and riding a wave of bliss, not paying attention to the world around me or who was swearing. Because there was a reason they were swearing.
Blood had been spilt.
Violence had occurred.
Mine & Angelica’s deal was void.
Hand moving off his thigh, puppet no more, I aimed for Nic’s jewels. Collecting at least one ball in my hand, I squeezed hard, throwing all my fury and anger into the clench.
Ripping his teeth from my neck, Nic screamed into the treetops and shoved me away. Tripping, I slammed into a solid wall of flesh and only had enough time to register Ryu’s burning gaze before he thrust me away too. Crashing to the floor, I didn’t utter a scream.
I was free…
I was free…
And yet, somehow, curled on the floor, I felt as trapped as I had under that spell.
◆◆◆
Enemies surrounded me.
They flanked me on all sides. Panting heavily, my head spinning, my tongue was dry in my mouth. I could barely focus on keeping the contents of my stomach where it was.
The laughter and taunts had stopped. The cool wind had picked back up, trying to slide over my skin like a forgiving hand. But I was less than sympathetic.
Blood slithered down my collar from my neck. I’d cut my palms and knees from when I’d crawled to Alice. Red handprints tickled my upper arms like a bad sunburn where Ryu had shoved me. The sweat of my exposed skin collected dust off the floor, covering me in grime. My shirt was gone, and trousers around my ankles, left me shivering in my thong and top.
Looking up through my curtain of hair, Angelica watched on, hand on hip, indifferent. Chilton stood beside her, has expression the same. Ryu regarded me like a muddy puddle that was in his path. Fyzel didn’t even have the courtesy of looking upset at his interrupted performance. Instead, he just looked bored. Only Nic looked outraged, but that was because he clutched a crypt while his other hand tended to his balls.
Sliding my shaking legs from under me, I slowly stood, lifting my trousers, and re-buttoning them. I refused to let any tears fall, yet they did, hitting the cobbled floor with a silent plunk.
“Where’s Briar?” I hissed like I’d not drunk in days. “Where’s my friend?” I barked again, as no one answered.
Movement in the crowd drew my attention as the colossal guy pushed her to the front. She was shivering, worse than I, and clutched that damn book while sobbing effortlessly. “Zara!” Pulling her arm free, she raced over, throwing her arms around me. Holding on tight like I might disappear, I found I couldn’t muster an ounce of relief.
The wave was receding within me, and with it, I was numb. My fear and anger, my shame, and my humiliation were all lost in a void until nothing remained. I was chiselled stone.
Arms remaining around Bee, I turned us both to the edge of the crowd, one that parted quickly for us.
Was it a surprise I saw on their faces as we passed? Smiles of victory? Frowns of disappointment? I didn’t give one flying shit.
No one stopped us as we left. No one said a word. Maybe it was because they were done, their entertainment quarter filled for the day. Or maybe it was because of the dead look in my eye, one that promised I’d drag them to join me if they moved.
Reaching the forest, I bathed in its dark coolness, savouring its touch against my heated skin. Bee still sobbed clung to me, and I clung back, saving each other as we marched on. We didn't encounter anyone until we heard the thumping base of Hick Village.
Wings glowing in the dark like an emergency light, Jade buzzed left then right as she searched the gloom, crying out in surprise as she saw us. “Oh, my inks!” She gasped, hands flapping over every inch of us. “Wha-What happened? Bee, are you okay? Talk to me. Zara, what the hell happened?”
My tongue twisting behind my teeth, my jaw wouldn’t unhinge; the words wouldn’t come forward, so I chose different ones instead. “Can you take Bee to her room, please?”
Wide, terrified eyes lifted to mine and Jade might have said something – yell, most likely, but whatever she saw made her pause. Detaching her shivering form from my arm, I passed Bee to Jade, taking Cleo’s book as I did. Still sobbing, Bee didn’t seem to notice as Jade rubbed her back soothingly.
“What about you?” Jade whispered, taking in my dirt-covered legs, the burns on my arms, the wound still leaking on my neck. “Zara. Are you okay?” She paled.
“I’m fine.” I lied calmly. “Can you take Bee to her room, please?”
Jade opened to speak, but another answered for her. “We’ll take her.” Larc stepped through the gloom, his predatory eyes dancing over me. But whatever he saw, I didn’t think it was prey. Jaw set, nostrils flared, and even buried in his pockets, his hands were fists. I could have almost believed he was angry. Almost.
“You have somewhere to go?” He asked, coming to a stop beside Jade, who still wore that confused frown.
“I do,” I admitted, the route already in my mind, calling to me. “Tell Bee I’ll come and see her tomorrow.”
“O-Okay.” Jade nodded. Larc did nothing but watched as I slipped past, skirting the edge of Hick Village. Screams of delight and laughs bounced off my skin. The light burned my eyes. I kept to the shadows, so no one saw me.
Reaching my destination, I climbed the outer steps. Raising a hand, I hesitated for a heartbeat before bringing my fist down in a knock.
The seconds ticked by, and my mind whispered evil doubts. What if he was at work? The adrenaline drained from my system. What if he turned me away? My eyes stung in the stiff wind…
Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing a dreamy-looking Cas, his hair mused and his hand rubbing sleep from his eyes. “Yeh-hello… Zara?” He gasped, eyes widening as he froze. “Inks-alive! Who did this to you?”
That single question made me crumple inwards. Tears streamed down my face as I released the anguish that had been trapped in my throat. Crashing into Cas’s arms, he bundled me up, whispering words I couldn’t even register as everything I’d stored away flooded out.
I screamed until I was hoarse. Sobbed until I was hollow. Gasped until I was breathless.
Because they had broken me, and there was nothing left to uphold.
◆◆◆
I awoke when it was still dark. The moon watched me through a gap in the curtains, shining so bright it blocked out the stars.
I’d been distantly aware of Cas caring for me, tending to my neck wound, cleaning the cuts on my knees, and soothing the burning handprints. Washing and dressing me in his oversized shirt, he’d tucked me into his bed where I’d fallen asleep exhausted. Yet, fitful dreams turned me over on the mattress time and time again until I lay there now, looking up at the moon.
Was it the same moon as my own? Had Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left boot prints up there, too? Or had it been a Wolf pissing out an airlock to claim new territory? Or maybe a knight with a flag on horseback? Was I in a pocket dimension? Alternate universe? Locked in a padded cell, lost to the reality of my own world? In a coma?
Questions spiralled into theories; into hopes and lifelines, only to un-spool as my body reminded me the pain was real. Time passed here. It didn’t skip like a dream or replay like a nightmare. I remembered every minute of every day, reacting to hunger and thirst, tiredness and fear…
Yes, fear was genuine here.
Sighing heavily, I threw the covers back and sat up in the bed, taking in Cas’s room again. Plain in design, it smelt of leather and paper, probably from the desk nearby. Eyeing the door, I climbed from the bed and padded softly over, opening it a crack, and peering out.
I found Cas instantly, the back of his head visible over the top of his sofa. The room was dark, yet something glowed across his features. Stepping forward, it was his tome, pulsing with a revolving pattern, while he wore earbuds.
Sensing my shadow, or just being more alert than I, Cas snapped his eyes open as I hovered, pulling out a bud. “You’re awake?” Concerned eyes looked me over.
Nodding, I moved to sit beside him, drawing my knees up. “What are you listening to?” My voice was a croak.
Cas tapped the tome screen, and suddenly his flat filled with a sensual, instrumental melody, reaching a peak with strings and flutes. “It’s Leonard Laine and his eleventh symphony.” He explained, keeping his eyes downcast. “I listen to him to help keep my calm.”
“I like it.” Eyes closing, I allowed the music to drift over me, hoping Cas’s unasked question would float away too.
Of course, it didn’t, and I could feel him watching me intently. “Zara…?”
“Not yet…” I breathed; eyes still closed as I tried to hold on to that peace. “Not yet… I just want to forget for a while longer, okay?”
“Alright,” Cas mused softly and after a creak and a shift in the sofa’s weight, Cas’s music rose louder, drowning out the buzzing in my head. Slowly my body sagged, weighted down with spiralling thoughts, but it wasn’t long until I felt a soft hand curl over mine.
“I bumped into Silas this morning – Master Maroulis,” Cas spoke as though remarking on the weather. “He mentioned how you’d talked. How he’s happy for you to train. He even offered to train you as well, when I can’t.”
There was a low note in his tone that opened my eyes, and the twist of his lips confirmed it. The sight warmed my blood from its frozen sludge. A smile curved my lips.
“Are you jealous, Cas?” I teased softly, enjoying the taste of a distraction. Cas growled, and I could feel some of Fyzel’s residual lust making me rub my thighs together. “Jealous of the hunky silver fox offering to make me all sweaty and showing you up?”
“He is not better than me.” Cas glared with a cute pout. “He’s a knight. They’re abhorrently egotistical. They’re all about honour but leave the actual fighting to the honour of the lowly. Besides, you don’t need his help; I’m helping you.”
I snorted softly at his rant, pursing my lips. My skin was still flush, my mind heady. Shifting, I climbed over Cas until I sat in his lap. Instantly, his hands clamped on my hips as if to throw me off, before freezing, waiting. “What are you doing, Zara?”
But I ignored that question, the answer obvious, and asked my own. “So, is that an order to only get sweaty with you?”
Cas relaxed an inch, piercing me with his gaze. “Yes.”
I suppressed a smirk, shifting closer. “Because you’re the best to train me…” I whispered, pressing in until I could see the hazel ring around his eyes. “Because you’re not a knight…”
Cas stilled. His weary gaze shifted away as his hands tightened.
Chest to chest, I dug my fingers into his shoulders in response. “Tell me what your role is, Cas?” I tried to order, but it came out like a plea. “Tell me…”
“Zara…” He implored mercy with his eyes.
“Please?” I trembled. “I need to know.”
Looking back at me, Cas didn’t wince, or frown. He looked me in the eye, unapologetic, and I knew whatever he said would be the truth.
“I am a Summoner, Zara. Paladin class.” Lifting an arm, he curled his fingers to his wrist, before flicking them out and with it, a short dagger came free with a flash of teal fire. “Battle and blades are my speciality.”
Watching the silver blade gleam in the low light, my hand ghosted over the sharp steel. “I saw a girl do this.” My voice was thick, so I swallowed before whispering. “While I was walking through the Crypts.”
With a gentle flick back, the dagger disappeared, and in its place, a thin, black tattoo bled across his inner wrist.
“People don't consider summoners morally pure.” I could feel Cas examining my face, trying to read my expression. “We can only summon what we know. That’s anything we’ve handled or examined. It means many see us as thieves.”
I nodded slowly, still running my fingertips over his hand and wrist, tracing the intricate blackness. “You’re of the Night Court.”
“…Yes.” Cas sucked in a gentle, audible breath, waiting.
But I still couldn’t look at him. Instead, I turned inwards, searching for any spec of uncertainty. I waited for the fear and disgust. The desire to run and hide. To flee the vile foe… Yet my heart remained steady. My breathing is low. It was only that tendril of Nic’s lust that I could feel, fluttering against my chest, demanding I lean that inch closer to Cas.
“I didn’t attend Chronical Academy.” Cas continued as I stayed silent, still tracing his wrist, “I went to a different Academy, but the divide – sun and moon, day, night, black, white, it’s all the same.”
“You’re not the same,” I answered instinctually, blinking in my surprise. “You’ve never hurt me. Not like them.”
“And I wouldn’t.” Cas implored, lifting his free hand to run down my face, pushing my hair behind my ear. “I have no desire to hurt you, Zara.”
Feeling the heat of him under me, the proof that he could hurt me, inked into his skin, yet wouldn’t, it sent a shiver down my spine which he felt, shifting his legs wider. A small smile curved my lips, yet I drew my eyes back to his ink. “What else can you summon?”
The murmur of conversation lulled us both and Cas relaxed under me. “Blades are my choice, but there are some who can call animals to their aid, the weather, even some who summon portals.”
“Portals?” I peeked, ideas fluttering through my tattered brain.
“Yes,” he smiled before it died. “But I can’t. Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I admitted, knowing my chance at escape couldn’t be that easy. “What else? Show me?”
Smiling softly, heat flickered through his gaze, and I released an elated gasp as snowflakes danced in the air. Cas’s fingertips had turned icy, the air swirling with a gust. “Elemental summoning was never my forte,” He admitted. “But I can-,” He sucked in a breath, his next words coming out as a stutter. “W-What are you doing?”
Clasping his hand, I opened my mouth and swallowed two digits, lapping my tongue, sucking softly. Pulling free with a pop, I spoke softly. “You did this before, in the bathroom…” My thigh clenched, remembering the contrasting cold as I rode his fingers to orgasm.
“Zara…” Cas growled, resisting. Yet the ice didn’t go away. “Even if I could hazard a guess at what you’ve been through tonight. Even if I guessed half of it right, we…”
