Getting to the carriage where the assassin had entered was easy with no obstacles to dodge. He’d found himself staring through the glass of one partition door, unable to take his eyes from a golden haired sprite deep in thought. His heart had dropped to his stomach as her assailant crept across the row to get to her. The flash of his garrote wire sliced through James's consciousness, almost as though he was the one feeling its cold bite. That raging need to protect had flared up for the first time. It was a disturbingly powerful entity that he hadn’t known existed in him.
He’d had to break the glass of the door with his bare hands to get to her but never even felt the pain. Only the need.
He shifted his weight, baring his teeth at Goodwin when he dared look at her for too long again. He’d felt that burning in the pit of his stomach again today. Only this time, it’d been a steady buildup of worry. He’d known she was in trouble or walking toward trouble, even before he’d seen her again.
He hadn’t been able to get her out of his head.
Brian appeared again, his jaw set and his eyes lit up with a disturbing amount of fire. He spit on the ground and shoved clenched hands into his pockets before he answered the question in their eyes. “He wants to sell her.”
A murmur of excitement spilled from the lips of each of them and James felt that burn like a punch to the gut. He growled again, suddenly feeling like a rabid dog protecting his bone. He would never let anyone touch her. He’d kill all four of them if he had to.
The thought almost brought him low. The red haze he hadn’t realized was filling his mind slowly backed off as he took in slow, calming breaths. He couldn’t do something like that. Not without risking the entire mission. Hell, he’d tank it beyond repair. No matter how much he wanted the girl, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself after something like that.
Wheeler cleared his throat. “Well now, if he wants to sell her, I have a suggestion. She’s high priced goods. It would be a shame to auction her off with the others.”
Fenne tapped his double chin thoughtfully. “You’re right. She’s pristine merchandise. Even if we take her to the overseas auction she wouldn’t raise as much as she’s really worth.”
James remained silent, unwilling to allow the killing rage to consume him again. He could see where this was going and sighed with relief. There was no reason for drastic measures after all. He could handle this.
Goodwin was the last to catch on. The strangled noise he emitted when he did was probably the most annoying sound James had or would ever hear. “Come now, friends. It’s hardly fair to do this now, knowing that I’m a bit short on funds.”
James couldn’t help his derisive snort. Goodwin was looking for a wealthy heiress to revamp his depleted funds. It turned out the man wasn’t nearly as good with arithmetic as he was with his whips. He’d all but blown through the family fortune. He was the first one recruited by their mysterious leader, after all. What better way to raise a fantastic sum of money, than literally on the backs other people?
“Well, we can hardly be blamed for your lack of planning.” Wheeler laughed again. “Don’t worry, though, when I get bored with her I’ll pass her your way.”
Fenne puffed up his round chest. “Not this time. I’ll be the one to toss him my scraps because I’m going to get her.”
Goodwin whined softly but put his hands up in gratitude. “She won’t be a virgin anymore, but if you brutes don’t break her I suppose it’ll be good enough.”
Brian cleared his throat painfully. “Bid. He wants to have a talk with the winner, so let’s get this over with.”
Wheeler shrugged. “One hundred pounds.”
“My word,” Fenne coughed. “You’re serious, aren’t you? She’s lovely and all, but is she really worth that much?”
“If you can’t beat my price, you’re more than happy to drop out.”
“One-fifty.”
“Two hundred.”
“Two-fifty.”
“Three hundred!”
“Four hundred, then.” Fenne patted his forehead with his handkerchief, sweat rolling off his fat face.
Wheeler blanched, his own cravat growing damp. “You know you can’t afford that.”
“I can and will. There is my bid, think you can best it?”
With a groan, the aristocrat threw up his hands. “You damn well know that I can’t.”
Brian cleared his throat again. “Then it’s settled, Mr. Fenne–”
“One thousand pounds!”
The four men sucked in a simultaneous breath and turned to look at James. He had no doubt they hadn’t expected him to bid. He’d never done it before, so there was no reason to assume he would now.
“That’s insane!”
“You can’t be serious.”
Neil just sat laughing his annoying laugh. It surprised each of them when it was Brian who finally leaned over and punched him in the gut. The grating sound cut short and a gargling noise was all that was left of it.
James widened his stance, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. “Am I correct in assuming that no one is going to match my bid, then?”
Fenne turned a ruddy purple, matching the wheezing color of Wheelers face. “Why the bloody hell would you pay so much for her when you haven’t even looked at any of the goods up until now?”
“Because I want her.” He put all the arrogance in his voice that he could muster. “I haven’t been interested in anything that has passed this way because it has all been lacking. This one comes from fine cloth. I only indulge in the best.”
“Fine, fine. Then she’s all yours. I hope you remember your friends when you grow bored, though.”
James shrugged again, already walking to follow Brian. “If I get bored, you’re more than welcomed to her.”
He looked down at her face and pledged to her sleeping form that he would never get bored. He would keep her forever.
Chapter Five
Olyve’s head was spinning. She wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised if it snapped off her shoulders and continued turning circles on the ground. Her body pressed against the hard ground…ground that she was lying on. She moaned in pain, attempting to sit up, only to find her hands and feet held together by abrasive rope. An oily rag pressed into her mouth, preventing her from speaking.
For several moments, the pounding in her head was so loud that she couldn’t hear a thing. She cursed against the gag when bile raced up her throat, threatening to fill her mouth. Confusion swept through her like a wave. She couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, and she couldn’t move. All around her was darkness and silence so thick it was a mocking voice of agony.
Her body ached in places she didn’t know existed. She struggled against her bonds, making the biting pain even worse with every movement. There was no way she would be able to free herself. Panic rose up in her breast but she fought it back down. She would be useless if she let fear overtake her.
A candle blazed in front of her, blinding her for several minutes. The pain of the light seared behind her eyelids, even as she was aware of more lights flaring up.
“She’s awake. Sit her up so that she doesn’t choke on her own tongue, will you?”
Olyve jerked violently, the sound of a familiar voice crashing around in her head. She forced her tearing eyes open and looked into the face of her cousin.
“That’s better now, isn’t it, Lyv?” Andrew smiled at her and her stomach did a nasty little flip flop. “Don’t look at me like that, girl. I told you I wouldn’t be held responsible for what you found if you went looking for trouble, didn’t I?”
He turned his attention away from her. James Reeves watched her with eyes so calm she thought her heart would break. It was obvious that whatever connection she had thought they had was a lie. It was nothing but a desperate impossibility, created by her pathetic loneliness.
“It would seem you won the bid, James, which means you get to play with my dear cousin for as long as your heart desires.” He moved to his desk, pul
ling out a familiar blue orb. Olyve struggled against her bonds again, trying to get to him, but was held still when Mr. Leeway brought his hand down on her shoulder.
“Oh dear, Olyve. Does this upset you? I’m terribly sorry. I know you thought you’d lost it years ago, but you see I needed it in order to keep anyone in the family from finding out about me.”
James’s tone was one of utter boredom when he was handed the priceless treasure. “What is this supposed to be?”
Andrew moved back to his desk, settling in his chair. “I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors about the Blackwell family.”
Confusion flashed across James’s face. “They say they have supernatural powers or some such nonsense.”
“Well, what if I told you that it’s not nonsense at all? What if I told you that every member of the Blackwell family has a distinct and special ability that can be used however they so choose?”
James arched an eyebrow. “I’d say you’re mad and should probably see a physician.”
Andrew laughed and nodded. “Yes, I guess I probably am. But you see… I’m not lying at all. I myself am a member of the Blackwell family, though as a distant cousin my power isn’t nearly as impressive as some of the things you can find in my bloodline. My own ability isn’t much good, but it makes a wonderful weapon against my family members. You see, I can gather and redistribute pain, affect confidence. It’s a small thing, and usually only works with emotional pain, but every once in a while I can adjust the energy of another Blackwell.”
Olyve’s eyes widened painfully and she shuddered. All of a sudden, the first barrier in her mind came crashing down. She moaned as her Intuition screamed at her, telling her what she already knew. She was in horrible danger and she needed to get away. She thrashed, ignoring the way the movement ground her bindings into her skin. The second barrier shuddered and she grew still, fighting mentally to keep it up.
“This means I can use their powers against them. Of course, I had to work hard to encourage my ability to do so and Olyve here has such a powerful mind. Usually, it was little Kate who I had to work with. I wonder how my younger cousin is doing now. I can make the pain last a long, long time.”
All at once, the unseen force released her. The barriers slammed back into place as if she were tugging on a rope where the other person had abruptly let go. She panted wildly against her gag, suddenly so tired she could barely move.
“Though emotional pain is much, much easier to manipulate. Isn’t that right, Olyve? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come to that nice little manor your father just left for you and your sister. Mrs. Jacobson is full of such overwhelming rage. It was easy to bring it out. And you? You’re so pathetically sensitive it would have been a crime not to exploit it.”
James cleared his throat again, the sound so soft it was almost missed in all the sobbing. “You haven’t answered my question. What is this?”
Andrew shifted again. “Oh yes, I almost forgot in all the fun. That is actually one of the Blackwell Artifacts. No one is really sure where it comes from but that one has the ability to temporarily transfer powers from Blackwell to Blackwell. Olyve used it a few years ago in order to borrow Kate’s power to heal some no-account brat she’d found.”
“I don’t understand.” James held the orb up, watching the blue swirls that pulsed through it. The artifact seemed like it was alive.
“When one uses the Orb, it must be passed on. That’s why I’m giving it to you for safe keeping. It’s sort of an exchange. You use it and that spends whatever energy that was previously in it. In this case, Olyve had Kate use it. This spent whatever energy was in it previously and exchanged it with Kate’s. Kate is a healer, so when Olyve used the orb to heal her little friend, the energy that was Kate’s was used, and the Orb was infused with Olyve’s.”
“And you used Olyve’s…power for something?”
“You’re a quick study, I knew there was a reason I liked you. I plan to use Olyve’s final power, the one she keeps hidden behind her mental barriers.”
Olyve went still, so still that for a moment it was unsure whether she was still breathing.
“Oh, you didn’t think I knew about that, did you, my clever little cousin? You keep it so locked up tight I was beginning to wonder if it was just a myth. But your gift is all about the past. Your flimsy little Intuition works by acknowledging past intentions. When you use your touch, it’s all about skimming the past through whatever object you’re touching. Well, why not use the final bit? With your power, I plan to rip the past out of a single entity. Your dear father shouldn’t be much trouble at all once he thinks his precious little girl is in danger.”
Olyve closed her eyes against the jealousy and hatred she’d failed to see in her cousin’s eyes. She reached out to touch the Lodestar, only to find her connection severed.
Andrew laughed again. “Now, now, little cousin. We’ll have none of that, thanks to the Orb. Another reason my friend James is going to hold onto it.”
Mr. Leeway crossed the room again and dragged her up by her hair. She twisted in his grip, only to find herself hauled against his chest. A strong arm held her steady while he cut off her bindings. The last thing to go was the mouthpiece.
“You’re wrong if you think you can defeat my father—”
Mr. Leeway’s mouth landed on hers. Gagging against him, Olyve struggled but couldn’t shake his hold. He smelled of rot, blood, and acid. His teeth ground against her closed mouth, damaging the delicate skin of her lips. The slime on his tongue dribbled down her chin and she held her breath to keep his out of her lungs.
It was only a few seconds, but the savagery of his mouth seemed to go on and on, a punishment that she couldn’t have possibly earned. When his weight suddenly jerked away, she collapsed. Her vision swam along with her stomach and the sparse contents of her stomach threatened to spill across the floor.
James stood with his back to her, his larger body wedged between hers and the others. Olyve wasn’t sure when Goodwin and his cronies had appeared but they watched her with perverse yearning.
“I won her. She’s mine and I don’t share.” The threat in James’s voice was clear.
Tension rose up and Olyve thought that they would try to rush him to get to her. Andrew stepped into the fray, separating them. “There’s no need for such hostility. Lord Reeves is correct: he alone has rights to Olyve right now. Still…”
He snapped his fingers and Mr. Leeway reluctantly moved to the far side of the room. Olyve could see the way James tensed up when the guard drew on a single white cord.
Gears turned noisily, begging for grease and oil. The heavy curtain framed by bookcases slid open, revealing a large circular bed. The rumpled red silk sheets lay stained and mussed. The coppery tang of blood mixed with the salt of sweat, tears, and musk—a combination that clearly declared its purpose.
“A show, then.” Andrew sighed softly. “Don’t even think to refuse, my good man. If you won’t do it, I will simply have Mr. Leeway restrain you while the others take turns. It doesn’t matter either way to me, but I will have evidence of her ruination to present to her father when I see him. Her terror will make a lovely gift.”
For the first time since a needle slid into her skin, Olyve stared into strikingly green eyes. Her breath caught with fear–anticipation?–and she shook her head. She was already scooting back, trying to get away when he caught her around the waist and stalked toward the red bed.
“Don’t.” She jerked with the motion of his gait, true terror spinning free in her mind. The heartless gaze of her cousin speared her heart even as the mocking grins of the other men burned her.
The silk-covered monstrosity was several paces away. James threw her onto the surface, kicking up an invisible cloud of sweat and sex. Fear paralyzed Olyve. Her heart was pounding painfully against her ribs and each stuttered, jerky breath only dragged more despair into her body.
“Please. Don’t do this.” She swallowed her pride and whispered her ple
a. The others were far enough away that no one else would be able to hear her begging.
From her position, she could see James’s face even though it lay hidden from everyone else. He casually reached up to unbutton his jacket, pulling off his vest. His movements were calm and distant but she could see his eyes. Those emeralds blazed with distaste, spoke volumes of things he couldn’t say.
Kneeling on the bed, he spoke in a casual tone. “If you fight me, I’ll strip you down and bare your skin for all to see. Just remain a good girl and you won’t have to suffer needlessly.”
He dragged his hands through her hair roughly, causing her to cry out. Confusion warred with tears in her overlarge eyes and it was all she could do to keep from screaming when he dragged her face closer to his. His hands tunneled painfully in her hair, jerking her face from left to right. He forced her to look into the gleaming eyes of those men who would do her harm before leaning down to press his mouth against her neck.
His skin didn’t touch hers. Instead he hovered a centimeter from contact and took a deep breath of his own. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let them hurt you.”
The shock that tunneled through her almost made her jerk against him. He kept her still, before dragging his tongue over the delicate skin covering her collarbone. “Don’t!”
She fought furiously. Through the material of her gloves, she scratched at any part of him she could reach. The audience behind them cried out encouragement and cheered when he slammed her back against the bed. He raised his off hand to hit her, dragging her back up toward his chest, and swinging downward. Olyve closed her eyes, braced for contact that never came. He struck his strong arm and gave her a jerk, causing a little whimper to escape her lips.
Surprised, she opened her tightly clenched eyes and stared up at him. His eyes, so deep they looked like shining jewels, begged her to understand. With a barely perceived nod, she bucked, trying to knock him off balance.
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