Shackled to the World: A Phantom Touched Novel

by Brutger, Stacey

“We’re here for you…if you’ll allow us. You haven’t lost us. Don’t shut us out.” He cleared his throat, struggling to speak. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

  * * *

  Annora stared up at the big, gruff man, able to taste his anxiety. Knowing she was the cause of his unhappiness made her stomach lurch. She stroked the scruff along his chin, then brushed her fingertips along the crinkles worrying had etched across his forehead. “I have no intention of going anywhere.”

  He leaned down, his voice a demand. “No more shutting us out.”

  Before she had a chance to say anything, his control snapped. His lips slammed against hers, and she found her back crushed against the wall behind her, like he couldn’t get close enough.

  Then the outside world was forgotten as he devoured her.

  He nipped at her lips, demanding more, and she relished the sting. She slid her hands down his shoulders to rest against his chest, savoring the way his muscles flexed under her touch. Knowing he needed more, she trailed her fingers down to the waistband of his pants, then shoved her hands up under his shirt, shivering at the heat pouring off of him.

  A growl rumbled in his chest, igniting every nerve ending in her body, leaving her craving more. He bent, grabbed the back of her legs, and lifted her clear off the floor. She quickly wrapped her legs around his waist, and a hum of approval resonated low in his throat.

  A second later, the tunnel seemed to be flooded with people, the kids whistling and catcalling as they passed. Xander lifted his head and snarled viciously. Wind picked up in the tunnel, as if a great creature was flapping its wings, sending the students scurrying like rats trying to outrun a flood.

  His pupils were fully dilated, his body rigid as he tucked her away from prying eyes, his beast in full control. He wasn’t being possessive, but trying to protect her virtue, and warmth flooded her at his thoughtfulness. Not sure how to calm him, she cuddled him close, running her nails up and down the back of his neck until he finally relaxed against her.

  He slowly lowered her to her feet, not looking at her. When he would’ve moved away, she clamped her hands around his wrists, halting him as if she’d used a spell to freeze him. She trailed her fingers down the inside of his wrist to the center of his palm and spread her fingers wide, linking them through his.

  His grip immediately tightened around her, and he stared impassively at their joined hands for a full minute. When he realized that she wasn’t trying to get away, he seemed to deflate, the tension going out of him. Tucking her close, he guided her aboveground to join the others.

  The team surveyed her and Xander when they emerged from the tunnels, their attention lingering on their clasped hands for a few seconds before they went back into protection mode as they headed out. To her surprise, Xander didn’t release her until they got back to Grady House.

  The absolute darkness huddled around the house caused her steps to slow.

  Something was waiting for them.

  As the guys escorted her inside and began making supper, Annora wandered into the living room, gazing out of the wall of glass, searching for what triggered her unease. “I need a few moments to myself. Is the backyard still warded?”

  The guys paused, glancing at each other, when Camden spoke. “Yes, it’s still warded. Stay within the boundaries.”

  She could tell that it cost him not to send one of the guys out with her, and she had no doubt she’d only have a few minutes to herself before at least one of them came searching for her. She’d have to work fast if she didn’t want to be discovered.

  Annora hurried toward the sliding glass door that made up most of one wall. As soon as she slipped outside, the cool night air was like a slap to the face, the touch of frost in it reminding her of Logan. Pushing away the distracting thoughts, she quickly stepped down off the porch, and made her way toward the darkness lingering just beyond the wards.

  She stopped at the edge and crossed her arms with a scowl. “What the hell do you want?”

  The darkness thinned for a second, then began to move and thicken. The cloud of particles condensed, sucked inward as it began to settle into the shape of a person.

  A familiar person.

  “Sadie.” Annora kept her voice flat, struggling to hold back the rage that urged her to close the distance between them and rip the woman’s throat out.

  “Ah, he told you about me.” Her midnight black hair was pulled back, which only seemed to accentuate her otherworldly beauty. The glow of the afterworld was only a shimmer in her eyes before fading to pure malice. “Funny, you weren’t important enough to even mention.”

  Annora snorted, rolling her eyes at the stupidity. “Of course not. Why the hell would he share anything with someone we can’t trust?”

  The smugness melted away, hatred twisting her face into a snarl. “So cute. You actually believe you mean something to him, a tiny human.”

  Done with the games, Annora dropped her arms and marched toward the barrier, stopping an inch away from it. “Tell me, since you were his friend, how long did you look for him in the banished lands before you gave up?”

  Shock made Sadie blanch. She shook her head, opening her mouth to respond, but snapped it shut without speaking, her eyes dropping.

  The horrible truth dawned, and Annora couldn’t speak for a moment under the crushing weight in her chest. “Dear gods, you left him there to rot, didn’t you? You didn’t even have the decency to search for him.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sadie strode closer to the barrier, pointing an accusing finger at her. “No one who walks the banished lands ever returns.”

  “Except he did. He found his way back after you abandoned him.” Annora grew up around people like this woman, claiming to be friends, then abandoning her when she needed them most. “What do you really want? Why are you here?”

  “You think you’re someone special? That he’ll stay with you? Forget it.” Sadie stared down her nose at her, derision twisting her lips. “He’s heir to the controlling seat on the council. Do you actually think he would give that up for you?”

  Annora had already figured out that Edgar was someone important.

  She would never have guessed that he was her father’s right-hand man.

  Though she was relieved the girl wasn’t in love with Edgar, at least not in the traditional sense, Sadie wanted him to take his rightful place and wouldn’t stop until she got him back. “Edgar gave all that up years ago when he left. He would never return to that world.”

  Laughter burst out of Sadie, genuine amusement dancing in her eyes. “Oh, that’s great. You don’t even know his real name, do you?” Her grin widened when she looked down at her. “Alcott will return with me eventually. We’ve been betrothed since birth. It’s our destiny to rule the council together.”

  A giant fist grabbed her insides and twisted.

  Betrothed.

  Annora stared up at the woman’s smug face and put every ounce of her conviction into her voice. “Edgar is my mate. If you think I’m going to just hand him over to you without a fight, you have another think coming.”

  She took vicious pleasure at seeing Sadie’s shock at the word mate.

  “You lie.” But the woman’s voice trembled, the sour scent of her fear tinging the air.

  Annora instantly went on alert. “I don’t lie.”

  But it was like Sadie didn’t hear her. “Phantoms don’t mate. We’re not allowed to for good reason. He would never allowed himself to fall into that trap.”

  “Trap?” Though Annora was ridiculously relieved to know the two phantoms weren’t married already, her fear of losing him now that they were just working out their differences was a living beast threatening to devour her. “What do you mean?”

  Sadie gawked at her incredulously, then tipped her head back and cursed up a storm. “Fuck! I can’t believe the asshole allowed himself to be mated. What the hell was he thinking?!”

  Annora could only gape at th
e outburst.

  Sadie whirled toward her and held up her hand beseechingly, then jerked back when the wards set off a shower of sparks against her fingertips. “You have to release him from your claim.”

  Annoyance and incredulity went through Annora. “You’ve got to be kidding me. He’s not a damned fish to be tossed back. He’d been lost to the afterworld for years—decades—while you left him there to rot. Where was this concern and friendship then?”

  “I thought he was dead!” The girl whirled away, gripping the back of her neck as she cursed under her breath, dark particles floating around Sadie in her agitation. “You’re holding him here just as much as if you shackled him. If you don’t think he would return at the first opportunity, you’re a fool.”

  As much as Annora didn’t want to admit it, Sadie was someone important to Edgar…and incredibly dangerous. Annora could fight against fists and weapons, but how did she fight the past?

  For some reason, Annora never considered that Edgar might have a life before they met, and she was more than a little curious about what he was like then.

  Well, of course he had a life before her. She rolled her eyes and wanted to smack herself. She just never expected it to come back to bite her on the ass.

  “Look, I don’t give a fuck about your problems. I’ve got enough of my own.” Annora rubbed her brow, wishing she knew how she got herself into such a mess. She just wanted a simple life, but it seemed that wasn’t in the works for her. “I have no intention of releasing Edgar. If he wants to leave, he’s more than capable of making that decision for himself.”

  Sadie gave a maniacal laugh. “You don’t get it. People like Alcott and I don’t get a choice. Phantoms are under tight control. We’re never allow to leave our realm. They can’t risk our powers falling under anyone else’s control. That’s why we keep to ourselves. While it might be dangerous for us if people find out about us, it’s infinitely more dangerous to the ones who discover us.”

  Sadie came to a stop in front of her, all artifice gone. “Alcott is too powerful to be allowed to live away from the phantoms. The others will find him, and they will force you to comply or kill you. That’s your choice. Would you really risk his life for something as stupid as love?”

  The last time he’d been given the choice, Edgar chose death by walking into the banished land.

  He was never meant to survive.

  “It’s fine if you want to kill yourself, but don’t get Alcott killed for your delusions of love.”

  “You love him.” Annora’s heart sank at the realization. She could fight other phantoms for a chance at a future with him, but she wasn’t sure the fragile love she felt for Edgar was enough to keep him by her side.

  “May the gods save me from delusional humans.” Sadie plunked her fists on her hips and rolled her eyes dramatically. “Phantoms don’t marry for love. Our betrothal is a union between houses. He was raised to rule. I won’t allow him to throw away all our careful planning over some stupid human who doesn’t know better.”

  In a burst of particles and smoke, Sadie seemed to fold into herself, then vanish in a puff of dust that glittered as it floated to the ground.

  Leaving Annora standing out in the cold, her insides feeling like ice after everything she just learned.

  Edgar was betrothed.

  If he had the option to return, would he take it? He turned down ruling the phantoms once, entering the banished lands to escape, and suffered for it.

  Could she ask him to give up even more to stay with her?

  Then a more troubling thought popped in her head—if he was the heir, her father would be coming for him as well. He would never let Edgar go, especially not a second time.

  Would she and Edgar be strong enough to hold out against her father and his phantom army?

  Chapter Eleven

  When Annora entered the house, she registered that the guys were preparing supper. Edgar was setting out dishes, seeming almost bemused to find himself doing chores among the men, and she realized that he probably never had to set a table before.

  Needing time to process what she learned before she took any action, she stepped into the kitchen. “What can I do to help?”

  “Feeling better?” Camden studied her face, then pulled out a chair for her. “The food is almost done. Sit.”

  The ferret scurried past her, reaching her chair first. He jumped on the bottom rung, then pulled himself up onto her seat. Then he whirled and hauled himself up along the back, before jumping on the cupboard and making a mad dash for the food dispenser Mason had installed.

  Instead of going for the button to release the food, the little shit leaned down and wiggled his arm up into the device to pull out his own helping, chittering happily at his bounty. It didn’t take long for his cheeks to be full, and she smiled at his antics, foolishly glad to have the little beastie back.

  As everyone sat down and ate supper, she studied each of them in turn. They asked her to fight for a future with them. Annora had no problem fighting. She’d been doing it her whole life, struggling to survive one day at a time.

  But she never had to worry about others when she fought.

  She’d already failed Logan.

  What if she failed them as well?

  But as she looked around the table at her men—if she was brave enough to claim them—she realized something important.

  They were worth fighting for.

  She didn’t want to live in a world that didn’t have them in it.

  Even as her gaze landed on Edgar, lying asshole or not, she couldn’t imagine him not standing at her side. He’d protected her when no one else would…how could she do any less for him?

  As she helped clean up the dishes, she noticed the silent looks the guys were exchanging, the way they lingered in the kitchen, practically bumping into each other. She dumped the last of the dishes in the hot suds, then turned to face them. “Okay, spill it.”

  They each snapped to attention like boys caught in the middle of a prank.

  Camden scratched the back of his head, then crossed his arms and leaned against the wall opposite her in a casual pose that was anything but casual. “While you were outside soul-searching, the guys and I decided it’s too dangerous for you to sleep alone.”

  Annora was more bemused than angry about their decision. But even before she could open her mouth to reply, he rushed on. “We’ll sleep in rotation. Every night a different one of us will remain with you. That way, if Logan reaches out to you, we can use the time to get a lock on his location.”

  None of the guys blinked or even looked like they were breathing as they waited for her answer.

  Annora shrugged. “Okay.”

  “Okay?” Camden raised a brow at her, then cocked his head. “That’s it?”

  She smiled, deciding to take pity on him. “It’s a solid plan. It’s only ever been me. The more of us who can help pin down Logan’s location, the sooner we can get him back.”

  The rest of the guys deflated, as if they’d been expecting a fight, and she quirked a brow at their reactions. “Did you think I would say no?”

  “Well…” Mason scrubbed so furiously at a spot on the plate in his hand, she was surprised it didn’t crack under the strain. “You’re very protective of your privacy.”

  “And skittish about touching.” Xander murmured as he reached up to put a piece of glassware into the cupboard, the back of his shirt lifting up to reveal a tanned strip of flesh that beckoned her to explore.

  She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “That was before.”

  “Before?” Edgar swiped at the table, scattering crumbs across the floor, unconcerned with the streaks he was leaving behind as he was watching her.

  “Before I realized we belong together.” She pushed away from the counter, not surprised to find all the guys watching her as she sauntered toward the stairs. As she turned, she smiled to see the water pouring out of the faucet, overflowing the cup in Mason’s hand as he sta
red at her dumbly. “Who has the first shift?”

  Mason lifted his arm holding the cup, nearly dumping the water down the front of his shirt in the process. He cursed and swiped at it with a towel to clean up the mess while the rest of the guys chuckled.

  As she headed up the stairs, she pushed away her nervousness at the idea of being alone with the troll. He would never harm her. She wished she could say the same. They were mates, so her powers shouldn’t harm him, but that didn’t assuage her fears.

  But Logan was counting on her, not to mention that the guys trusted her.

  They were banking on her powers recognizing them as her mates.

  How could she do any less?

  If she didn’t take this chance, her fears would likely destroy them more quickly and thoroughly than any outside threat.

  * * *

  Mason stood at the bottom of the small staircase that led up to Annora’s room but couldn’t make himself move. What if he rolled over and crushed her? What if he sweated like a pig in the middle of the night? Or if he groped her in his sleep like some caveman? Or worse, what if his ever-present erection didn’t go away?

  He glanced down at his sweats, shaking his head before turning away to pull on a pair of jeans. It would be torture to be confined in the custom-made jeans for the whole night, but he rather be tortured than freak her out.

  He was hovering in the doorway of his room like a nervous teenager when she called down the stairs.

  “Mason?”

  He swallowed hard, feeling like a tennis ball was stuck in his throat, real terror making a tremor go through him.

  “Yes?” He leaned forward and popped his head out of his door, then cursed himself for his stupidity when he saw her looking at him from upside down as she leaned over the half wall, her long, luscious hair spilling down like a waterfall of silk, begging him to touch. His fingertips tingled, almost like he could already feel the sleek strands sliding past them.

  “Are you coming upstairs?” Frown lines kinked between her eyes, and he realized she must have asked the question more than once.