by Bailey Dark
I don't wait for Willem to leave before returning to the bed. Briar is curled up on it, her now clean feet tucked under one another. Her brows are furrowed, eyes restless beneath the lids. She's dreaming. She shifts, whimpering. I brush a hand over her back absentmindedly, as if to soothe her. Briar quiets, relaxing into a deep sleep once again. I stroke her back for a few minutes, lost in the sensation of her warm body and the feeling of her heartbeat against my fingertips. Willem is right. I am getting soft.
Chapter 15
Briar
My eyes fly open and my heart beats wildly when I wake. I sit up, breathing hard, and absorb my surroundings. The harsh stone walls are gone, and the granite slab has been replaced with a soft, plush mattress. I sink down into the black duvet, sighing heavily. Light streams through the windows in thin ribbons. Heavy curtains have been drawn, blocking most of the sunlight. The walls are covered in silk wallpaper, dyed a charcoal grey with slivers of gold and navy blue rippling through.
I roll onto my back and study the canopy overhead. This is Kane’s room. Warmth spills over me from a nearby fireplace despite the lateness of the day. I’m grateful for it though while it eases my aching muscles. I’ve never run that hard or fast in my entire life, and most of it was uphill. I sigh, curling up and pulling my feet close. I feel thin scabs on the heels and balls of my feet, but they’re clean. Surprised, I brush over them again. I expected them to be covered in caked dirt and blood.
A bell in the distance chimes the hour, startling me. I stiffen, it’s well past noon. Kane is gone, probably attending to his duties. As I rise, straightening my ruined gown, I wonder why he didn’t wake me. My thoughts flash to our encounter last night and the way I attacked him before I realized who he was. My fear was so intense, I felt almost blind. I tiptoe to the door and open it slowly. The hall is empty, and I recognize it from my wanderings. I didn’t realize it led to Kane’s room though.
I feel out of place in my ragged, torn gown and mussed hair. Servants pass, but they mostly ignore me. The gothic, dark halls feel comfortable to me now and my fingers sink into the plush carpets that run throughout the castle. Even the ominous portraits on the wall feel like home. I hurry through the halls, muscles aching, and climb a staircase until I reach my room. I slip through the door and close it securely behind me. I wonder if Kane warded my room in the same way he warded his. I hope he did.
Steam floats from the bathroom and I approach it curiously. Once the steam clears, I see the room is empty, and a new set of clothes has been laid out for me. I eye the bath greedily and tug my gown down. I rip the seams carelessly but I can't be bothered with the buttons holding it in place. It pools down at my feet and I kick it aside into a corner. I don't want to see it anymore. The gown reminds me of last night and all that transpired. The last thing I want is to relive it, but somehow I doubt it will ever leave my mind. I'll always be thinking of it.
Sighing, I ease into the bath. Hot water curls around me, warming my toes and aching limbs. A shiver of pleasure slips over me and I lean back in the bath. I reach for bath oils and salts and pour them judiciously into the water and fragrant steam rises. I lay in the bath for what feels like an eternity, occasionally checking over my shoulder at the slightest sounds. Visions of the Nephilim looming in the doorway, ready to leech my soul with a kiss, have my hair on end. I tell myself he couldn't possibly make his way into the castle, let alone to my room. But the thought persists and eventually I wash hurriedly.
Rinsing my hair with oils, I rise and dry myself off. The air is warm with steam and I drip water over the porcelain floors. The dress that was prepared for me is simple, with long sleeves and a high collar. I slip into the pale lilac gown and manage to button it myself. I pull my hair into a sloppy braid, not even bothering to brush it. Ready, I open the door, losing the steam into my room.
“You’re looking better today. Shall I call for your ladies-in-waiting?” I jump at the sound of Willem’s voice. Heart racing, I lurch back towards the bathroom door. He lifts a hand, fingers splayed. “Wait, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
I press a hand to my chest, just over my heart, and count my heartbeats. My eyes are wide, and I search him for any sign of a weapon even though his body and power are weapons in and of themselves. “What are you doing here?” I ask, stammering.
“I came to check on you, you weren’t in Kane’s rooms,” Willem says, still holding his hand up.
“Well, I’m fine,” I murmur. Being alone with Willem is frightening, after our last encounter, I don’t trust him. And he doesn’t trust me either.
“What can you tell me about the Nephilim?” Willem asks as he steps closer.
I take a step back. “He was thin, tall, and his hair was short.” I grimace, fear lancing through me as I picture the Nephilim grinning at me while I was trapped in his cellar.
“Where was his house?” Willem presses, oblivious to my discomfort.
I inhale shakily and hide my trembling hands behind my back. “I don’t know the city that well.”
He sighs irritably. “Then what did it look like?”
I run my tongue over my lips nervously and Willem’s eyes track the movement. “It looked like every other house. It was made of stone, with a roof that curved inward. The windows were arched. It seemed normal.” Tears prick at my eyes as I relive the moment of escape when I heard him thudding out of the house after me.
“Mortals.” Willem shakes his head. “Must you be so sensitive?”
My jaw goes slack at his cruel words. My surprise lasts for an instant before anger replaces it. I square my shoulders and stand up to my full height. “You may go now, Willem. If I have anything of importance, I’ll tell Kane.”
“You seem to think you’re in a position to give me orders,” Willem says quietly. His voice is even, but I sense the dangerous rage behind it.
I swallow thickly but don’t back down. “I think you’re in my room. And I don’t want you here anymore.”
“This room and everything in it, including you, belongs to Kane,” Willem snaps. His pale blue eyes blaze and he closes the distance between us in a blur. I take a sharp, frightened breath as his elegant fingers close around my throat. “What will you do, Briar, cry?”
His words pierce my heart painfully and I feel anger, fear, and hurt roil in my heart until there’s a lump in my throat. “Willem,” I say through gritted teeth, grasping at his hand on my neck.
“What?” He whispers, leaning closer with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
“Please, let go,” I wheeze. I feel tears well in my eyes and I blink furiously, trying to stop them from spilling.
“You’re too weak, Briar.” Willem releases me with a scowl. “It’s a miracle you even escaped the Nephilim. He must have been immensely stupid.”
A single tear slips down my cheek before I can stop it. I wipe it away angrily and press my back against the wall. I clamp my mouth shut, afraid to speak. Willem’s wings flare and I wonder how I once thought they were beautiful. Just last night, I was admiring his wings. And he was kind to me. But now, he’s cruel, as he was before. Of course, last night, Kane was nearby. Maybe that’s the catalyst for his behavior; Kane.
“Well, you’ve been no help at all,” Willem sighs. He turns for the door. “Your naïve and innocent demeanor will grow old soon, Briar. Kane will tire of it, as I have.”
“What?” My voice is little more than a sigh.
Willem doesn’t hear my last words as he stalks out of the room and slams the door behind him. I collapse onto the bed, heart in my throat. Naïve? My father kept me away from the world, but my sisters enjoyed gossiping about anything and everything occurring inside and outside the castle. I was sheltered all my life, we all were. Rarely seen by the public, my father was always very protective of us. Until he sent me here alone, asking me to do the impossible. I wring my hands together in my lap. For all of my physical training, my feelings and independent thoughts were largely ignored. Naïve. And innocent is just another word
of ignorant, or worse, useless.
I rise, heading towards my wardrobe. Inside I pull out two cloaks, donning one and laying the other out over my bed. I fill it with long-lasting cookies my friends hid inside my suitcase before sending me off. It’s the only food I have and I don’t know where the kitchens are to pillage them. I add as many clothes as I think I may need on the journey to the nearest portal to the mortal world. Portals are scattered across the Underworld, inaccessible by anyone other than mortals. Undead creatures cannot pass through. I’ve often wondered by Kane even kept the portals open and maintained, but now I’m grateful for it.
The closest one is perhaps a day’s walk outside the city. I’ll be back with my family by tomorrow morning. The thought eases the tightness in my chest and fills me with anticipation. I feel light for the first time in weeks. I tie my supplies up tightly and hide them beneath my cloak. I sneak out of my room and down the hall. A servant girl passes by, carrying fresh laundry, but she doesn’t even glance at me. I loose a sigh of relief and slip down an empty staircase.
My thoughts drift to Kane as I make my way to the main floor. I wonder how he’ll respond to find me missing again—but this time of my own accord. He’ll be furious. I push out of the castle into the sunlight. My father won’t be thrilled to see me when he discovers my failure. But I would rather risk his anger than death by remaining in the Underworld. No one here can protect me; not even Kane.
Chapter 16
Kane
I stalk through the castle gates, shoulders hunched with fatigue and frustration. The sun is nearly setting overhead, the perpetually red sky is becoming a deep shade of purple. I throw my head back and roll it from side to side. The castle gates close heavily behind me, rattling. The main doors open for me and I sigh when I step into my home. At last.
When I sensed that Briar was so heavily asleep she wouldn’t notice if I left, I crept out of the room and sealed it with more wards so not even Willem could enter. The city wasn’t even stirring when I crept into it to hunt the Nephilim that kidnapped my bride. I haven’t slept for thirty-six hours, and the heightened emotions of the incident and the party have drained me. I trudge to my room, wondering if Briar will still be there. I feel a prick of excitement in my heart at the prospect. I squash it quickly and frown. It would be best if she was gone, I remind myself. I need rest, not a distraction.
The city guards have worked in tandem with the castle guards to scour the city. We found the house where Briar was held, but the owners were dead inside. No leads there. I followed its strange, unfamiliar scent through the city but the trail led to the House of Carrion and died there. Madame Edma knew nothing of the Nephilim, despite Briar’s description. I have no doubt the Nephilim is hiding in the Moarte District. It’s a seedy den of criminals and it would be simple for the Nephilim to blend there with a simple disguise. But nevertheless, he managed to evade me and my men.
I open the door to my room. I know Briar is gone without even having looked inside. I can’t sense her presence there or her scent. I feel a shred of disappointment but gratitude at the same time. I don’t know what I would tell her. That I failed? I can already picture the way her full, pouty lips would tremble with fear to know the Nephilim who attacked her is still out there and likely won’t stop until he’s consumed all of her soul. But I have time until I have to confront Briar. Perhaps I’ll invite her to a late night dinner or for drinks in my salon. I pause, frowning. It’s been some time since I took care in planning to meet a woman.
I ease down into a plush armchair, the very same I pushed Briar into on the night of her Claiming. A sigh escapes my lips as I rest my head back. My muscles are heavy and tired, I can feel it deep in my bones. My eyes slip half-closed and I stare emotionlessly at the purple sky outside. Slowly, dark, midnight blue seeps into the lilac stain on the clouds. Briar must have opened my curtains before she left and I’m grateful she did. It’s a beautiful sight, one I haven’t cared to appreciate in some time.
The door clicks open and my heart lurches, thinking perhaps its Briar. “You look like you’ve been dragged through Yolnheim by your ear,” Willem says good naturedly from behind me. He strides around the chair, blocking the sunset from view.
I purse, but I’m too tired to make him move. “Hello, Willem. Have you finished briefing the guards on the new protocol?”
“Of course,” Willem says, rolling his eyes. “But I have news for you.”
“Good or bad?” I groan. I’m not sure I can handle another crisis tonight.
"Both first, your mother has elected to depart early. She said she came to visit her son, not be forgotten in Briar's drama." Willem's eyes glint with humor.
I sigh, rubbing my temples. “Night, I wish she wasn’t so melodramatic. I can’t say I’m not looking forward to things returning to normal.”
“You may have to wait for normal.” Willem’s voice loses its humorous edge.
“What is it?” I frown, preparing for the worst.
“Briar is missing.”
Silence stretches between us and I stare at him, searching for any sign of humor. But his lips are pulled into a disapproving frown, hands clasped behind his wings. “What?” The simple word is more of a statement than a question.
“Briar has left the castle, servants reported seeing her leave of her own free will,” Willem explains.
Anger coils like a thin serpent in my chest. Briar has left me. I scowl, lacing my fingers together and leaning forward. Every mortal I have ever known, save one, has betrayed me. And Briar has joined their ranks. I should have known it was only a matter of time, but in my eagerness to break her spirit, I had forgotten. I had begun to trust her.
“I’m going to find her,” I say, rising.
Willem cuts me off, a hand on my chest. “Why?” He narrows his eyes at me. “There’s no need for that, Kane. Her father already betrayed you. Just let the weak mortal go.”
I brush him off with a glower. “Briar is mine.”
“This has nothing to do with your possession of her and more to do with your infatuation,” Willem says accusingly.
“Infatuation?” I pin him with a glare. “How would it look to the mortal realms if I allowed Briar to run from me after what her father did to me?”
“Perhaps it's worth it.” Willem purses his lips. “She’s brought nothing but trouble. And she doesn’t have what you’re looking for. What is the point of possessing her if she has no use? King Alban played you, yes. Perhaps you should simple take what’s rightfully yours instead of making do with the useless creature he offered.”
“You mean to force Rose away from him?” I shake my head. “I’m not risking a war with the mortals over such a thing. There will be others in the future.”
Willem snarls. “How long must we wait?”
“Until another is born,” I snap, pushing past him towards the door. “In the meantime, I won’t let Alban and his cronies think me weak by Briar’s return.”
“Let her go,” Willem says. I can feel him summon his own dark power, though it pales in comparison to my own. “She left because she knows she’s unwanted here.”
“What did you say to her?” I ask, voice low and dangerous. I turn, the pointed tips of my leather shoes directed towards my Second. I drop my gaze, straightening my black trousers and jacket.
Willem stiffens, but doesn’t back down. “I put her in her place. She’s worthless.”
I snap my gaze towards him and the shadows streak from the corners to pin him in place. He struggles to move his feet and arms but I tighten the shadows and he slouches, face grimacing in pain. I twirl a finger and a shadow slithers up his spine and around his neck. Lips curled viciously, I slink towards him. “You’ve been my friend longer than many people have even known me,” I say quietly, eyes narrowed. “You know me well enough that I’m a man of my word. I hope you understand that if you ever raise a word or hand against Briar again, I will offer you as a gift to the Nephilim. And I will tell them to kill you slowly.”
Willem’s throat bobs as he swallows. With a snap of my teeth, I stride away from him. My shadows drip off of him and slowly free him. I hear him loose a breath as the door slams closed. I teleport myself to the main gates of the castle, stalking to the guards manning the doors. They straighten up when they see me and I can smell their anxiety fill the air like a cheap cologne. I come to a halt beside the nearest one and bare my fangs at him.
“Surely, one of you knows which direction the mortal went?” I growl.
He nods. “To the Southern Gate.”
“How long ago?” I’m halfway through the gate already.
“A few hours,” the guard says stiffly.
I nod and call on my magic without another word. Briar is afraid, she won't be moving slowly. Likely, she's outside the city already. I magic myself to the Southern Gate, letting the shadows cloud the gate like a fog, announcing my presence. I stride from the black fog and towards the gatehouse. Behind me, the shadows stretch out like membranous wings. A guard hurries out of the gatehouse to meet me and I slip my gaze towards him.
“The mortal,” I say softly.
“Passed through a half hour ago,” the guard says.
“Why didn’t you step her?” I ask. I curl my lip at him with disgust.
He furrows his brows. “We weren’t under orders to prevent her.”
“Well consider this the memo,” I snarl.
“There’s something else.” The guard looks hesitant.
“There’s more to your incompetence? Fascinating, please go on,” I say, oozing sarcasm.
The guard’s armor clanks as he shifts. “We were told to report the movements of Nephilim. One passed through these gates, but he had all of his paperwork.”
My eyes widen slightly at the guard’s words and I feel a thread of fear. The Nephilim has been watching Briar. He’s following her. And now she’s outside the city, away from my protection and the guards who could have protected her. I shoulder past the guards, shadows streaming out behind me. I rush through the gates, fear like a vice around my heart.