by Gemma James
“What the hell is the matter with you?” he shouts. “You touched her?”
Sebastian drives his arm down on Liam’s wrist before shoving him back by several feet. “Keep your goddamn hands off of me,” he says, his tone as lethal as the silvery-blue glint in his eyes.
“You should have kept your hands off of her!” Liam’s hands ball into fists, and I jump up before they launch into a full-on brawl.
“Stop! The both of you.”
They turn in my direction at once, a display of polar opposites—Sebastian in his casual ripped jeans while Liam’s the embodiment of dark and handsome with expensive tastes. But anger unites them, pitting the two against each other even as they give an uncanny visual of two men forged in protective fury.
Sebastian looks away first. As he reclaims his post against the wall, dragging both hands down his face, Liam crosses to me, warm and tender hands grasping my shoulders.
“Tell me he forced you.”
“He didn’t.”
“You need to claim otherwise. I can’t protect you if you don’t.”
“He’s right, princess. I don’t want you getting hurt over this.”
“I’m already hurt,” I cry, shoving Liam back. “I didn’t ask for any of this.” My eyes lock onto Sebastian’s. “But I fell in love anyway.”
“Love won’t save you from the consequences.” Liam sighs, and I bring my attention back to him. “It won’t save him either, my sweet girl.”
“I made the first move in that gazebo. He told me no, but I didn’t listen. Please don’t kick him out of the auction over this. It was just a kiss, I swear.”
A lie. It was so much more, and everyone in this room knows it.
Liam hangs his head, but not before his own pain at my confession slashes across his features. “It’s not up to me. Miles is calling for a vote.”
My knees weaken, and I clutch the arm of the chair before sinking onto the leather cushion. “What have I done?” The tears I fought so valiantly against now cling to my lashes, threatening to spill over.
Liam moves toward me, but Sebastian pushes him aside before kneeling at my feet, his hands wrapping around my own. “We’ll get through this.”
“How?” I peak over Sebastian’s shoulder at Liam, and a flush of guilt crawls over my skin for having this exchange in front of him. I know it hurts him to see us this way.
He averts his jealous gaze.
“Have faith,” Sebastian says, squeezing my hands. “I have allies in the Brotherhood. I don’t think Miles will get enough votes to cast me out. I’m more worried about you.”
“I’ll be fine as long as they don’t take you out of the auction.”
“There’s more to consider here, princess.”
“Like what? Nothing is more important than your bid in the auction.”
“He’s talking about the consequences.” Liam crosses his arms as he stares down at us. “Regardless of the outcome of the vote, you both face corporal punishment.”
Sebastian dips his chin. “This is why you have to say I forced you. It’s the only way to keep you out of Pax’s hands.”
“No!” My eyes widen. “You didn’t force me into anything. I won’t say otherwise.”
“Damnit, Novalee!” Sebastian takes my cheeks in his hands, giving me a quick shake. “The sick fuck will lash you until you bleed. That’s what he does in this type of situation.”
Bile rises in my throat. “Is that…is that what will happen to you?”
“We’re not talking about me.”
“Oh God,” I choke out, my tears falling onto his thumbs, leaving a damp path of bitter regret. “This is my fault.” Clutching my chest, I gasp for air. “You could get kicked out the auction, and they’re going to…they’ll hurt you.”
“I can handle a lashing, princess. It won’t be the first time. But what I can’t handle is you at the other end of Pax’s whip. If you say I forced you—”
“I said no.”
Sebastian jerks away from me, a growl of frustration rumbling in the back of his throat. I prepare myself for his ensuing rant at my refusal to listen, but before he gets the first word out, the library door bursts open, and Miles stands on the threshold.
“Your five minutes are up. Summon the Brotherhood, or I’ll do it myself.”
Liam’s attention stalls on me, and there’s no question what he wants me to do. “Novalee, please.”
“I already gave you my answer. Do what you have to do.”
Grinding his teeth in helpless aggravation, he reaches for the library phone and puts out a call to the houses.
13
The four of us descend into the dungeon in single file fashion, Liam at the front, Miles behind me, and Sebastian bringing up the rear. I’m careful to keep my gaze on Liam’s back, using tunnel vision to protect myself from the reality of this place, with its ominous furnishings and terrifying whips. But as we pass underneath the hanging shackles, I shiver, the chill worsening as we continue beyond the iron-barred cells.
The chancellor leads us down a narrow hall, and I had no idea the underground space went so deep. A door opens into a circular room similar in design to the one where the Brotherhood hold their monthly dinners. It’s windowless, masculine in theme, and definitely not meant to entertain dinner guests.
No, this place is reserved for more serious matters, like deciding the fate of two people. It’s a courtroom-slash-boardroom style of space, existing under a gigantic mural of the zodiac chart on the ceiling.
Miles ushers me toward his section, while Liam claims his spot on the raised bench at the mouth of the circle. Sebastian takes his place on the other side of Miles.
And we wait, the disquiet deafening.
Finally, footsteps echo down the hall, and the atmosphere remains subdued as the men file into the room, one after the other, as if they’re facing a collective sentence instead of deciding the fate of just one.
I don’t understand how these men—different in so many ways yet bound by legacy and duty—will call for the possible exile of one of their own.
When Landon walks in last and takes his seat in the circle, he sends Sebastian a glance brimming with fury. My brother doesn’t have to say a word to convey his level of disappointment at our recklessness.
Acid burns in my esophagus, and a hard swallow is the only thing keeping it down. Part of me wishes I didn’t have to be here to witness this meeting, but I can’t imagine sitting alone in the House of Virgo, left in the dark as these men decide the fate of my future with Sebastian. I glance at his blond head from the corner of my eye and recall every kiss and sigh from this afternoon.
Every whimper and moan as we moved in tandem, seeking forbidden pleasure.
I would give anything to feel him against me again, to hear his breaths in my ear and the addictive taste of his kiss on my tongue. But not if it means he’s kicked out of the auction. I let out a soundless exhale, my heart skipping too many beats. I’ve ever been as scared as I am now since setting foot in this tower.
Liam sounds the gavel, and the meeting officially begins. A curvy brunette entered after Landon, and she sits on the outskirts of the circle, her slender fingers poised over a laptop to record every word.
The chancellor clears his throat. “On this day, September 6th in the Year of the Queen in the eighteenth Brotherhood cycle, we bring judgement forth on Sebastian Alexander Stone, from the House of Leo, for inappropriate sexual conduct with the queen.” Liam pauses, his gaze making the rounds before landing on me. “Let the record show the queen was a willing participate in the misconduct, therefore I have no jurisdiction over her during this summons.”
He falls quiet for several long moments as my love for another man flays him for all to see. But Liam is proud and strong, and when he raises his head, he banishes all evidence of hurt from his expression, going into unbending leadership mode.
“The Brotherhood is summoned today to vote on whether Mr. Stone should be expelled from the auction. Sim
ple majority decides. We start with the House of Taurus.” He turns to Heath. “Yay or nay, Mr. Bordeaux?”
“Yay.” His answer isn’t unexpected, nor is the unmoving detachment that taints that single word.
But Landon’s fury increases, his disapproval clear in the severe angle of his mouth as he shoots Heath a murderous glance. I’m sure if my brother were able, he’d lecture Sebastian and me until he could speak no more. Even so, it’s no surprise when Landon votes against expulsion. Vance votes in line with my brother, and I hold my breath as Liam turns to Miles next.
“How do you vote, Mr. Sinclair?”
My keeper’s profile doesn’t give a hint of what he’s thinking. Has his anger cooled? Can he recognize the transgression for what it was—a moment of weakness between two people who couldn’t help themselves? Most importantly, will he find forgiveness in time to grant clemency?
“They knew the consequences,” Miles says. “I vote for expulsion.”
His condemnation settles over the room, far from the empathy I’d hoped he would find. I wring my hands as the vote proceeds. Of course, Pax elects to have Sebastian removed, while Ford and Tatum want to keep him in the auction. Hugo and Oliver are divided, the latter voting for expulsion, while Sullivan gives a clipped reply of yay.
The members are five and five, with Sebastian unable to cast his vote. When it comes time for Liam to add his voice to the mix, I close my eyes in despair, barely breathing.
I can’t watch this.
He’s in a no-win situation, and his job as tie-breaker demands a certain amount of respect. If he votes for Sebastian to be removed, he breaks my heart. But if he votes against it, allowing a path for Sebastian and I to marry, Liam breaks his own. I keep my eyes shut, the ensuing seconds throbbing at my temples—seemingly the only sound in the room until his voice busts through the ruckus in my head.
“Nay.”
My eyes fly open, and Liam’s lock-jawed expression brands on my mind, never to be removed. This moment will live there until the day I die, a permanent tattoo of the sacrifice he just made for me.
Because he loves me.
“The matter is decided,” he says, hand shaking as he brings the gavel down once more. “Meeting adjourned. Escort Mr. Stone and the queen to separate cells.” He swallows thickly. “I’ll put in the call to his father.”
Without another word, the chancellor strides from the room, and I glance at Sebastian. “Why is Liam summoning your father?”
“We’re about to enter the punishment portion of this circus,” he says, a dark glower spreading over his face. “They need my father’s presence and permission to punish me.”
“And what…” I lick my lips. “What about me?”
Sebastian’s gaze settles on Miles. “There’s only one man here who has any say over you, princess, and he’s sitting between us.”
Miles pushes his chair back. “I’ll go easy on you, my queen. Ten lashes, and we’ll be even.”
14
An empty cell stands between us. Despite the space that keeps Sebastian and I apart, we don’t go more than a few seconds without eye contact. He paces the length of his cage, a restless and angry lion in captivity. I’m sitting cross-legged on the cot in my own prison.
“Okay,” he says suddenly, stopping to face me, his hands circling the bars. “When shit goes down, I need you to keep your mouth shut and follow my lead. Can you do that?”
“You want me to be a good little princess?”
At my tone, he grinds his teeth. “For my sake, can you just listen for once?”
I let out a breath. “What are you planning to do?”
“Whatever it takes to get you out of those lashes.”
“This whole thing is my fault.” I jump to my feet and match his stance, my fingers clutching the bars. This is as close as we’re able to get right now. “I’m the reason we’re in here.”
“Bullshit. Centuries of complacency are to blame for this. We did nothing wrong.”
“They don’t agree.” I jab a finger in the direction of the hidden room I had no clue existed until today.
“If they were all on the same page, I would have been booted from the auction.” He lets a beat pass, allowing the implication to sink in. “The Brotherhood is split, princess. The most it’s been split in decades. Not everyone agrees that what we did was wrong.”
“Wrong or not, we were in that gazebo together. If you have to face the consequences, then I want to face them with you.”
He shakes his head, and a messy lock of hair falls over his brow. “I’m not about to let him whip you.”
“What makes you think you can stop him?”
“It comes down to my father. He has final say on what happens to me.” A bitter smile pulls at his lips. “I learned years ago how to push his buttons.”
“Final say on what happens to you. But what about me? It’s up to Miles, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then I don’t see how you’re going to get me out of anything.”
“Miles answers to the legacy members, just like the rest of us.” He tilts his head. “Just like my father answered to my grandfather during his Year of the Queen.” A sardonic laugh escapes his disapproving lips. “Hell, he still cowers to the old man.”
A door creaks open, and a set of steady footsteps follow. We aim our attention on the figure making his way through the dungeon. Pax operates like a moving shadow, his black shirt and pants matching the dark intent in his expression. Deep set gray eyes, devoid of a speck of light, stand out in an angular face. He’s handsome in a hardened way, but there’s something terrifying about his presence—the way he reveals a devious grin—that makes him unattractive.
“I knew you’d be the first one to fuck shit up,” he tells Sebastian. “Trouble’s been your middle name since we were kids.”
“I have a name for you,” Sebastian says, “but I’ll keep it to myself out of respect for Novalee.”
“If you had respect for anyone in this tower, you would have kept your hands off of other people’s property.”
Sebastian lurches toward him, his knuckles white as he grips the bars. “She’s not a piece of property.”
“We’re all pieces of property. Some of us are just worth more than others.” Pax sends an assessing glance down my body, making my skin crawl. “And some are fun to play with.”
“She’s not your plaything.” The lion shows his teeth, his hatred curling his lip.
“She will be soon enough.”
The assertion trembles through my limbs, and despite what Sebastian said about Landon’s mysterious plan to save me from a month spent in the House of Libra, I sink onto the cot, too weak to stand in the face of Pax’s triumph. This man, with his dark hair and stormy eyes, has evil running through his veins. I can sense it, can practically smell his rancid glee thickening the air.
And he can’t wait to get his hands on me.
More footfalls sound, and Pax smiles. “It’s time to play.” He inserts a key into the lock of Sebastian’s cell and swings the door open. “You know the drill.”
Uncaged, Sebastian prowls toward the center of the dungeon and halts underneath the dangling shackles.
Pax winks at me. “Normally, I’d say ladies first, but I enjoy the idea of you watching before you get yours.”
As he turns his back on me, I grip my middle, trying not to curl into a ball. Sebastian needs me to be strong. So does Liam. The chancellor’s face is a sickening pasty hue as he and the rest of the Brotherhood form a circle around one of their own.
“Where’s my father?” Determination paints Sebastian’s features, the stark shadowy lines creating a beautiful masterpiece as he reaches for the hem of his shirt. He pulls the white cotton up his abs, over his head, then discards it on the floor. His jeans rest low on his hips, showcasing that sexy V-cut I explored with my tongue last month.
“Your father’s helicopter is minutes away.” Landon aims his gaze at the floor, clearly uncomfortable
with what’s about to transpire.
“No time to waste then,” Pax says to Sebastian, circling a finger in the air, “turn around.”
Five long seconds pass as we stare at each other, though it feels much longer. His blue eyes darken, conveying everything he can’t verbalize.
Love.
And an undeniable command.
He expects me to sit here and silently watch as Pax tortures him, but I’m not sure I can do it. Narrowing his eyes, he sends me one last do-as-I-say look before he turns, his back facing me, and allows Pax to shackle his wrists above his head. The chains rattle and clank with his movement, secured to the ceiling with the kind of strength not even Sebastian can overcome.
The keeper of the dungeon walks a slow circle around him. “I’m curious about something. How many times did you get your ass dragged down here when we were teenagers? I know you kept my father busy.”
“Enough times that your whip won’t phase me.”
Grinning as if he took Sebastian’s answer as a challenge, Pax takes down a black whip from the wall, uncoiling the thin snake-like tail with a flick of his wrist. “You haven’t been on the other end of my arm.”
“I want Novalee’s lashes,” Sebastian says, jutting his chin at Pax. “You hear? Give them to me.”
An undeniable mask of anticipation comes over Pax, and the sight shoots a chill down my back. I scoot into the corner of the cell, as far away from him as I can get.
“I don’t think so. She’s got ten coming, and they’re mine to give.”
“How many am I getting?”
“That’s up to me,” a voice booms from the bottom of the staircase, his sudden presence startling the group of men gathered in the center of the dungeon.
But not Sebastian. He doesn’t even flinch.
Because he knew his father had arrived? I crane my neck to get a better look. The man is an older version of his son, blond hair graying, and eyes that appear a darker shade of blue, like indigo or sapphire. There’s a noticeable unbending quality to his stature that reminds of the front Sebastian puts up for the world to see—the front he let me bust through during our month together when he allowed his real personality to shine.