by CK Dawn
No one else seemed to be affected by the thin air. Orlando and Duncan looked fine, effectively blending into the background.
“Son,” Peder said, “this is Queen Lucienne. Her Majesty has been good to us.”
“I know who she is, Papa,” Ashburn said with a slight British accent, turning to Lucienne. “Thank you for taking care of my parents.”
The air returned to the room, though it was still a little too thin for her lungs. Why had she overreacted to the presence of this boy? Nothing had ever shaken her quite like this before, and she didn’t know what to make of it. Lucienne gestured for the group to sit and flashed Ashburn one of her winning smiles.
Jed had taught her to use it as a weapon. “A smile can kill,” he had said.
“Don’t be too overwhelmed with gratitude,” Lucienne said to Ashburn, her enchanting smile aimed right for him.
Ashburn smiled back. “You look different in person.”
“Seeing through the glass is never the same as seeing in person,” Lucienne replied.
Ashburn looked gorgeous in the video feed, but it did not do justice to him in the flesh. Vladimir was ruggedly handsome with a blend of refinement and roughness, but Ashburn was of mythical perfection. His pale champagne hair had dried, flowing down his broad shoulders. It would probably feel like silk between her fingers, she thought. But it was his eyes that held her captive, their ice blue deepening to a dark shade, their power drawing her in.
Everyone sat down except for Ashburn, as if he were waiting for her to come to him, until, at last, Lucienne sauntered toward him. As she got closer, a wave of energy expanded, pulsing pleasantly between them. A magnetism, unseen and unbreakable, lured her helplessly toward him. Lucienne, oblivious to the world around her, wanted only to reach Ashburn.
And Ashburn opened his arms for her. His eyes glistened, as if a predator smelled the approaching scent of its prey and prepared to pounce.
Then the mark on the back of the Siren’s neck flared, sending a hot, sharp sensation down her spine. Her mark had never warned her like this before. Lucienne stopped just in time to avoid throwing herself into Ashburn’s arms. The world and everyone in it swirled back, as if icy water had been poured on her face. Lucienne went white. She had acted like a bitch in heat—and in public!
The tug, however, didn’t weaken. It kept urging her toward Ashburn. The mark on the back of her neck grew hotter as if it would burn her, responding to the call. My mark panics in the face of powers greater than it, Lucienne realized. I must rein in it. She evened her breath and anchored herself by her iron will, disregarding the scorching pain in her chest as she fought the pull. Firmly, she sent a mental message to her mark, demanding it to obey her and have absolute confidence in her. Seconds later, the mark cooled.
The burning in her chest also receded but left hollowness in its wake. Lucienne knew the nagging feeling would go away if she gave in to her desire, but she was not weak.
Kian rose to his feet with an alarmed look; everyone else looked baffled but didn’t know how to react to the interplay between Lucienne and Ashburn. Hissing, Violet jumped out and cut in in front of Ashburn.
Lucienne knew if she stepped one inch closer to Ashburn, the redhead’s claws would go for her face. The girl was marking her territory, defending what she considered hers. Lucienne didn’t move forward; nor did she retreat. She only glared at Ashburn over the girl’s head. Had he exacted some power over her and put her through this? If he had, he’d soon know he’d made a terrible mistake.
Snapping back to the present, Ashburn dropped his arms. The muscles in his jaw distorted, and his eyes darkened, narrowing on her, as if he suspected she was the one pulling this stunt on him.
You gotta be kidding me, Lucienne thought wearily.
At an impasse, Ashburn and Lucienne held each other’s gaze, like a lion and lioness sizing each other up. A second later, Ashburn removed his fiery girlfriend from before him. “I can protect myself, Violet. Besides, Queen Lucienne has no intention to harm me.”
Lucienne drew back coolly, looking at everyone with an easy smile. In a clear, level voice, she said, “Ashburn isn’t cursed. I’ve gotten close enough to test him.” She raised her left hand, flashing the group a dark-matter detector on her wrist. “My scanner says Ashburn Fury is as uncursed as any of you.”
Lucienne knew Kian wasn’t fooled. His shoulders remained tense, but he kept a blank expression. At the moment, Lucienne was more worried about Vladimir’s reaction. She hoped he wouldn’t take this the wrong way once he saw the live feed, but she doubted it.
Ashburn sank back into his chair, suddenly amused, though beneath his amusement was a palpable touch of awe and fear. The energy between them rose again, with the sweetest, most enticing voice of the sea sirens. Aware of its potent power, Lucienne stepped further back from Ashburn and sat near the end of the table. But as she flung a glance at him, she noticed his knuckles turning white around a clay mug in his hands.
Was he resisting the same pull? Did it inflict him physical pain, as it had punished her when she fought it?
Peder and Clement hovered over their son like protective hens. “You’re clean,” they murmured in tears.
“See, Mama,” Ashburn patted Clement’s backs, his gaze remaining on Lucienne, “there’s nothing to worry about.”
Violet tugged at Ashburn’s sleeve to draw his attention away from Lucienne. “Ash!” she called.
“Yes, Violet?” Ashburn looked at the redhead as if waking up from a dream.
“I knew you weren’t cursed, and without a machine telling me,” Violet said.
“I know,” Ashburn said appreciatively, but angled himself toward Lucienne. “Thank you for declaring me clean with your machine, Queen Lucienne.”
Does he think I’m a fraud? An irritated look flitted across Lucienne’s eyes. Her Siren’s title was more than a queen’s, and her people certainly regarded her as an untitled queen. “Please call me Lucienne.” Her voice was rich as honey.
“That’s very kind of you,” Ashburn said. His eyes turned silver, dropping their dazed expression, but his undeniable curiosity about her lingered like the residue of ancient wine sticking to the wineskin. “I believe you’ve seen me before, through some fabulous lenses of yours?”
He didn’t bother with pretense, and in the process, tried to strip her off her deception.
Lucienne arched an eyebrow.
Violet put her hands on her hips and looked at Lucienne daringly.
“It seems my lenses were humbled,” said Lucienne dispassionately.
“Silly, this is the first time Queen Lucienne has met you,” Clement said. “Her Majesty has been extremely kind to have her people look for you.”
“But she didn’t find Ash,” Violet said. “I helped bring Ash back.”
“Not everything is about you, Violet.” Clement refused to give the redhead credit, and the two of them began arguing. Ashburn darted his eyes between his mother and his friend, looking torn.
An idea shot to Lucienne. This was the perfect time to pick Ashburn’s brain. His distracted state would allow her to more easily read his thoughts. She had to know what he was made of. With that, Lucienne dove into Ashburn’s mind.
A mass of voices and images rose like the high sea in a hurricane. The voices of millions—no, trillions—prowled through her eagle’s wings, tearing them.
Lucienne screamed, throwing her hands over her ears. “Stop!” she begged. “Too much!” Her face contorted grotesquely. “It’s too much! Leave me—alone.”
Kian lunged. He grabbed the seat where Lucienne sat before it toppled and held her in his arms. “Lucia!” he called urgently, his gun drawn.
All of her men, including Orlando, appeared from the shadows and surrounded her in a protective mode. Their eyes darted frantically, looking for enemies.
“Are you all right?” Ashburn asked, crouching beside her. He looked at her with a dark, deep concern, as if he knew what had happened but couldn’t help h
er.
Kian stared steely at Ashburn and was about to shove him back when Lucienne put her fingers on Kian’s arm. “I’m fine,” she gasped. “It’s just a bad headache.” She waved the men back to their former positions.
Lucienne gazed back at Ashburn. The look of horror in her eyes dimmed; empathy and fascination took its place.
A look of gratitude washed over Ashburn’s eyes.
He appreciates that I’m not afraid of him even though I’ve just glimpsed what is inside him. I won’t go back. I can’t. The voices will swallow me. Lucienne shivered at what she had confronted—a sea of cacophonous human thoughts and voices—an army of all the dead and the living since the dawn of the human race.
Jed used to say, “All powers come with a price.”
What price was Ashburn paying?
Clement and Peder turned their gazes from Lucienne’s face to Ashburn’s, then looked away with apprehension and sorrow. In the depth of their minds, they were still afraid their son might have brought back the ancient evil from Hell Gate. To a degree, Lucienne thought, it’s not too far from the truth.
Lucienne pressed her temples, her head still throbbing in pain. Over everyone’s concerned looks, she explained, “I had a migraine this morning. I forgot to take my medication.”
“I’ll make the herbal tea for headaches,” Clement said.
“Thank you, Mrs. Fury, but please don’t make a fuss,” Lucienne said. “My men carry my medicines.” She turned in the warriors’ direction and called. “Orlando, give me one of your pills.”
“Queen Lucienne?” Orlando moved forward looking momentarily confused.
“The one you pop into your mouth every now and then.” Irritated, Lucienne snapped her fingers.
“Oh, pardon me.” Orlando pulled out a pack of mints from his pocket, opened the box, and offered them to Lucienne. “For your headache, Your Majesty.”
Lucienne picked one mint tablet and inserted it into her mouth. “Orlando, you’re efficient. You’ll be rewarded.”
“I look forward to it, Your Majesty.” Orlando bowed and withdrew back to the shadows.
Kian returned to his seat, his hard eyes staying on Ashburn.
A half-smile sparkled in Ashburn’s eyes. He didn’t move away from Lucienne. She didn’t order him away either. They both seemed to like the cozy closeness between them.
Violet stepped in and put her hand on Ashburn’s arm. “Ash, I need to go. Walk me home?”
Before Ashburn could nod yes, Lucienne chimed in, “One of my warriors will walk you home, Violet. I need to borrow Ashburn a little longer, if you don’t mind.”
“I mind,” Violet growled.
“Violet!” Clement said. “Ash will stay to tend to Queen Lucienne.”
“No one has consulted me,” Ashburn sighed, “or asked what I want.”
“Well, I want to know what you want,” Lucienne said.
“Then make it quick, Queen Lucienne,” Ashburn said. “After that, I need to get Violet home.”
“I promise it won’t be long,” Lucienne said, turning her head toward the door. “Duncan,” she called.
Duncan hurried in and placed a suitcase on the wooden table before his mistress. Lucienne pushed a button on the handle. The open suitcase revealed Ashburn’s interface. “This belongs to you.” She lifted it from the case.
Ashburn took the interface, examining it.
“She broke it!” said Violet, turning to Lucienne with loathing. “I told you not to take it. Just because you’re the queen doesn’t mean you can take whatever you want.”
“Violet, do you always have to be so rude?” Clement said. “My husband and I wanted Queen Lucienne to have that toy.”
“Learn some manners, peasant girl!” Kian warned. “I can throw you out this moment.”
“No one throws her out. This is my house,” said Ashburn coldly. “And she isn’t just some peasant girl.”
“Ash!” Clement reproached.
Violet grinned. Before she could open her mouth to gloat, Ashburn put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her. “It’s just a game inside,” he said. “If it’s broken, then it’s broken. No big deal. Queen Lucienne’s team took it to try to find me.”
Very smooth, Lucienne thought.
“But Ash—” Violet protested.
“I’m sorry we can’t fix your Picture Box,” Lucienne said. “My team couldn’t access it, but—”
Ashburn moved his fingers across the middle piece of the crystal, and it burst back to life. The diamond and gold city, guarded by a race of half-beast, half-god creatures shimmered on the interface. “It’s fine,” he said. “Your team didn’t break it.”
Lucienne stared at the virtual city with widened eyes. “What is the game about?”
Sending her a cautious glance, Ashburn clicked off the screen. The interface faded to black. “A lost city I found but can’t enter yet.”
He was baiting her. Lucienne felt dust in her mouth. Everything she wanted to find out was at her fingertips, and yet out of her reach. If Ashburn wanted to play games, she needed to be sure to checkmate him first. She pushed a second button on the handle of the suitcase, and another platform slid open, exposing a glass interface. “I have a similar toy for you.” She turned on the interface, opened the World Wide Web, and showed Ashburn a war video game Vladimir liked to play. As his eyes turned dark silver—she’d learned how the color of his eyes shifted according to his mood—she knew he was intrigued.
Lucienne decided to tease him just a little more. Just as Ashburn eagerly engaged himself in the game, she manipulated the screen to switch for a split second to a nude Playboy cover girl. She watched Ashburn’s vampire-pale face go red with embarrassment. The natives didn’t have outsiders’ vice. They didn’t even know what porn was. Fighting a smile, Lucienne then selected a movie channel and let an epic battle scene play on.
Ashburn was unable to pull his eyes away from the screen. For a moment, he seemed to be in a trance, as if his mind were inside the firewalls. More than anything, Lucienne wanted to pry into his mind one more time, despite the horrendous prospect of being assaulted by an army of massive voices. Just then, the redhead cut in between them, incredibly fast for a girl without any training. Ashburn was trembling, his entranced eyes paling to the color of ice.
“Are you all right, Ash?” Violet called. “Is the witch — is the queen’s machine hurting you?”
“Violet!” Clement reprimanded.
“My son’s probably hungry,” Peder said. “Have you eaten since you came home, Ash?”
“Let’s go to the kitchen, Ash.” Violet tried to pull Ashburn away. “I’ll fix you something to eat.”
“I’ll make lamb stew,” Clement said. “Ash will rest here.” She headed to the kitchen.
“Malicious code, Trojan horse,” Ashburn said.
Can he really see through the firewall of the computer? Lucienne watched Ashburn with an amazed look.
“What’s that?” Peder blinked.
“A virus inside the machine,” Ashburn said.
Peder paled.
“It only hurts machines,” Ashburn added.
“Oh, that’s good then,” Peder said as color returned to his face.
Kian’s Eidolon vibrated loudly. He took a look. “The king’s coming.”
“And the whole town,” Ashburn added.
Clement stopped in her tracks. Her lips started shivering. Peder’s teeth clattered.
“Mr. and Mrs. Fury, I’ll handle the king. Don’t worry about a thing,” Lucienne said and then turned to Violet. “You might want to stay in Ashburn’s basement.”
“I’ll not do your bidding,” Violet said. “I’m not your maid.”
“You’re not qualified to be my maid,” Lucienne said. “But the last thing the Fury family wants right now is you adding more drama. You’re not even wearing your own clothes. The prince, who has proved he has a vivid imagination, will surely create another situation for Ashburn. Would you like to add unn
ecessary complications?”
“I know what you’re after,” Violet said. “I’m not that easy to get rid of!”
She thinks I’m after Ashburn. Lucienne looked amused before a hopeless pang perched on her heart. If she knew I can’t have intimacy with any man, and I might never be able to, she wouldn’t be so nervous and defensive.
Ashburn watched Lucienne. He’d caught a flicker of pain in her eyes. Lucienne looked away.
“Violet, you must leave before stirring more trouble for us,” said Clement.
“I’m not the one who stirs trouble,” Violet said. “Besides, Ash needs me.”
“I hate to ask you to go, Violet,” Ashburn said, “but it’s the best for now. I’ll tell you everything later. Have some cake in the basement.”
Violet stormed off after tossing Lucienne a dirty look.
Lucienne turned back to the group. “My machine bird found Ashburn on the other side of the mountains. He was half buried under the snow. When we found him, he was unconscious. My medical team used the gods’ holy water to bring him back, and in the process healed his legs. That’s the story we’re going to stick to.”
Clement and Peder nodded gratefully.
Lucienne focused on Ashburn.
“I have no objections.” Ashburn gave a small shrug.
“All set then,” Lucienne said.
As Kian spoke into the radio to his men, shouts from the natives carried into the house. Torches cast shadows that chased each other across the windows. It looked as if the whole town was about to set siege to the Fury house.
Lucienne shared a quick look with Kian, and he gave her a nod. “We have seven men outside, four on the rooftops. We’ll shoot if the natives attempt to burn down the house.”
“No one burns down my house!” Ashburn’s eyes narrowed to slits, cold as the never-melting ice.