“Hey, boys. How’s it hangin’?”
Absolutely certain the demons would charge at me any second, I was about to make a run for the door when a crowd of them parted and Caleb walked in ahead of them. His demeanor was calm and cool. While he stood gawking back at me with a warm, almost welcoming smile, I hadn’t missed the surprise that had flushed over his features at first.
I’d caught him off guard. Good. It meant his predictions of me might not be so set in stone. Knowing that was worth any punishment he could dish out.
“Cassie,” he said, still smiling, “how very nice to see you back on your feet. You’re a breath of fresh air, as usual.”
He turned around, motioned to the demons behind him, and said, “Leave us.”
I tensed under the steady examination of Caleb’s gaze as each of them backed out of the room. Finally, once they were all gone, he broke his stare and analyzed the room. “I see you decided to redecorate,” he said. “While I rather enjoy the very macabre nature of it all, it just won’t do in here.”
As if on cue, the shackles on the walls all disappeared at once. He’d gotten rid of them without blinking an eye, making me envious of the ease with which he accomplished it.
“It’ll scare away any guests,” he continued, “and we can’t have that. However, we do have several rooms here we could experiment with if that is your desire.”
He stepped toward me, and I watched him in earnest, trying to determine his intent, but he was as difficult to read as Hunter. My flight instinct was in overdrive, but I knew it was pointless to try and would probably only make the situation worse. I decided my best course of action with Caleb was to engage in his game, only play it better.
“Please, have a seat,” he said when he reached my location. “Just, not there.”
I’d been clutching the arm of the throne-like chair next to me. I let go as if it burned my hand, and he pulled out the first chair on the right side of the table and waited.
It took me a moment, but eventually I relented and shifted position to sit in it.
“Are you hungry? I could order anything you want.”
“I’m good.”
He’d taken a seat on the throne and set his forearms on the table, clasping his hands together as he studied me.
“Yes, you are, Cassie. Even better than I thought you were. You continue to surprise me, but I’m very pleased with your progress.”
I snapped my head up, shocked by his appraisal. He was pleased? If anything, I would have thought he’d be threatened or mad.
“Why aren’t you scared?” The words were out of my mouth before I could think to bite my tongue.
He chuckled. The sound bristled the nerves under my skin.
“I’m not scared, Cassie, because the quicker you gain your powers, your true potential, the faster we can go forward with my plan.”
“We?”
“Yes, we.”
“You’re not afraid I’ll use my powers against you?”
He smiled back at me. It was similar to one used to placate a young person who was confused and afraid. I was no child but had to admit the gleam in his eye over me gaining my powers definitely left me confused and afraid.
“Not at all,” he said. He reached over and grasped my upper arm before sliding his hand down, causing my skin to shiver from the path of his touch. He reached my fingers, entangled them with his, and rested it on the table between us. “Tell me, Cassie, how did you figure out how to get out of the shackles?”
I’d been staring at our hands held together and slowly turned my eyes up to meet his.
“I just did it.”
“No,” he said, squeezing my hand, “you didn’t. Come now, let’s not spoil this momentous time with lies. How, Cassie?”
His eyes bored into mine, and I knew I could do nothing more than tell the truth.
“I heard a voice.” Christ, just hearing myself say it made me think I should be strapped with a white jacket and led to a padded room.
Caleb nodded. He knew about the voice, which meant he knew who or where it came from. It also indicated the voice was not my friend.
“Who is it, Caleb?”
He studied me a moment. I thought he might actually start talking, but then he shook his head, he said, “Not yet. Too soon.”
“For what? Dammit. Tell me what the hell is going on. I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere here. You’ve got me, okay. I’ve got no way out, so, just fucking tell me.”
“No,” he said, his blunt tone left no room for a change of heart. “I may have you physically, but your soul is still not where I want it to be, where I need it to be. When it is, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
I was so frustrated, I wanted to spit. No, I wanted to kill. Being sick to death of the mysteries and secrets ruling my life had me at the end of my rope. Just once, I’d like to know what everyone else knew. Instead, I was always in the dark, having to go through tests and trials to find out what was behind the next curtain. Someday soon, maybe the fates would lay it all out for me so I knew what the hell I was doing or what was expected of me. Maybe then I could make my own damn choices.
“Ahhh,” Caleb crooned, breaking me from my thoughts, “but life would be so boring then wouldn’t it?”
“Get out of my head. At least let me have that.”
“No can do, sweetheart. You’re as addicting on the inside as you are on the outside. I can’t wait until you start fantasizing about us.”
“Dream on.”
“Oh, I do, but my dreams are already coming true, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Yours will too, you’ll see. For now, let’s get you fed. You still have those annoying human qualities that require you to nourish your body. I can’t have you passing out on our tour.”
Great. He still wanted to give me the grand tour of my new prison. I wanted to argue I couldn’t care less about seeing his new pad, to be belligerent, but I’d planned on checking the place out anyway so I went along with his hospitality and saved myself from a fight which would probably only amount in draining my own energy.
Without Caleb even beckoning them, several women entered with platters of breakfast foods. None of them spoke, and they all kept their heads down throughout the entire process. How typical of him to have women slaving over him. Granted, they were demons, but they were still slaves. It touched a nerve with me.
I thanked each one of them as they set the food in front of me. The feast included every breakfast food a mortal could conjure up, and while I didn’t want to grant Caleb the pleasure of knowing he was right, I was famished, so I dug in. The food was delicious and seemed to even out my adrenaline to a nice, calm flow. I was no longer anxious and on edge, and as stupid and petty as it was, I was almost thankful to have that quality of nourishment to fulfill the soul. It kept me human in the far-from-human world I occupied now.
Caleb sat back in his throne, hands clasped together over his stomach, a content smile on his face. He came across as proud, not proud in an I told you so sense, more like he felt he was doing a good job and seeing me eat was his reward. I didn’t get it. Maybe in his twisted mind, this was the portrait of a happy couple.
When I finished, I sat back in my chair and turned to Caleb with a what’s next? expression plastered on my face.
“Did you get enough?” he asked.
“Yes.” He wouldn’t get a thank you out of me. Prisoners didn’t thank their jailers for the essentials of life.
“Good,” he said, standing and holding out his hand. “Then let’s go. There’s much for you to see. I really think you’re going to love it.”
“It sounds like you’re trying to sell this place to me. If I don’t like it, will you let me go?”
“You’ve become such a witty one, Cassie. I like it.”
He led me to the door where I’d been headed before the demons showed up. His hand settled low on my back, urging me forward. I wanted to shake it off, skin burning beneath my shirt from the gestu
re, but I let go. Figuring it was better than being led by chains, or worse, I told myself I wasn’t growing soft, only biding my time.
“So, that’s a no?” I asked.
When we reached another door, he stepped in front of it, facing me.
“I’m hoping you won’t want to, Cassie, and I have faith that soon you’ll see things in a different light.”
His gaze was so focused on mine, it made me extremely uncomfortable. He wasn’t flaunting the cocky air he usually exhibited. It was as if he really wanted me to want to be there. Normally, he wouldn’t give a damn about anything anyone else wanted. This new Caleb was throwing me off. Surely, that was his plan.
I started to argue, but he quickly put a finger to my lips.
“No, let me talk,” he said, his voice low and level. He bit his bottom lip for a moment or two, as if pondering what to say next, or maybe how to say it, which was so unlike the old Caleb. That Caleb never faltered with words. “You and I came from two different worlds, served two different masters, and because of that you still see us as enemies, but things are different now. We are different now. Don’t you feel it?”
I did feel different, and somehow he knew that. What I really needed was answers and for him to tell me why and how he’d changed.
“Yes. I feel… a connection here.”
A smile spread across his lips and he nodded.
“Thank you for telling me,” he said.
“I’ve told you something. Now you tell me something, Caleb.”
He narrowed his eyes, and at first I thought he was going to revert back to the cocky old Caleb and refuse, but then he nodded again and said, “Okay. I’ll tell you everything after the tour.”
“Why not now?”
“Because I need to show you things here that will help you understand. I’ll tell you, Cassie. Trust me.”
“Yeah, right. I don’t feel that different. No way do I trust you.” Whatever it was he thought would change me obviously hadn’t taken root because trusting him was never going to happen. I knew that from the depths of my soul.
His jaw tightened as he glared back at me. After a moment or two of silence, he turned, opened the door, and with his hand at my lower back again, urged me, with some force, through it.
“I told you I’d tell you and I will,” he said, his voice strained. “End of discussion. Let’s get on with it.”
I didn’t argue anymore while walking with him through the hallway. Knowing the more I pushed, the more my chances of getting anything out of him dwindled, I backed off… for the moment.
We walked in silence, and I took in my surroundings. The hallway was spacious and bright, the light-colored stone walls and floor gave the area a pleasant ambiance. Compared to the dark, foreboding room from which I’d awakened here in the castle, the sight was spectacular. Ornate light fixtures on the ceiling and walls lit our way, the modernization contrasted with seemingly ancient architecture. Our footsteps on the stone beneath our feet echoed against the walls, creating the only sound around us. It reminded me that Caleb was being unusually quiet, which unnerved me.
“The lighting is a nice touch,” I said, to break the silence.
“I’m a slave to modern conveniences,” he said.
We came upon a wide stairwell to our left, but we didn’t slow as he motioned that direction and said, “Those lead to the servants’ quarters.”
“Aren’t they all your servants here?”
His only answer was a smile for a long moment. Then, he obliged my curiosity. “Yes, I guess they are, but these quarters are for the ones who maintain the castle. There are maids, gardeners, cooks, which by the way, I’ve hired for your convenience.”
“Just for me?”
“You’re the only one here in need of human inconveniences, Cassie.”
I was really starting to hate that phrase. Human inconveniences. Every time he said it, I knew it was his way of feeling superior to me. It made me all the more determined to come into more of my powers if there were more. And if that proved correct, I’d show him just how inconvenient I could be.
“Once you’re settled,” he continued, “they will be at your beck and call. They’ve already been instructed to service their queen with the same courtesy they serve their king.”
“Well, not exactly the same, right?” I asked, my eyebrows raised so he’d catch what I was hinting at. His smirk told me he hadn’t missed it.
“If you’re insinuating they provide me with sexual services, I assure you they do not. I’m saving myself for a particular redheaded hybrid,” he said with a wink. “I have to admit, Cassie, seeing the green-eyed monster in you is a big turn-on. I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to be able to wait.”
A sharp retort was on the tip of my tongue, but we’d just passed through the double-wide entrance and into a colossal foyer. My breath caught at the sight. The room was even more majestic than the one we’d come from. The color scheme was the same, all maroons, golds, and tans, but this area had a modern, more structurally savvy appearance, almost making it seem that we’d left a castle and entered a mansion.
Two huge staircases flanked us on the right and left, spiraling up and meeting in the middle at a landing on the second floor. Black filigreed iron railings lined the stairs and floor that circled up above us. A huge chandelier, similar to the one in the war room hung centered from a large, domed ceiling, displaying murals or images I couldn’t quite make out. It reminded me of pictures I’d seen in college of the domed cathedrals in some historic churches in Italy, but I was sure these images were far from the saintly ones depicted in those.
Off to the far left was an open sitting room. Heavily cushioned sofas and chairs were scattered throughout the room, tables positioned conveniently amongst them to hold mood-lit lamps. A large, stone fireplace blazed on the far back wall of the room, and its heat seemed to radiate where I was standing at least fifty feet away. Not that I was surprised. The fires of hell burned way hotter than any mortal fire.
Behind the staircases on the north end of the foyer where we stood, the wall was floor-to-ceiling glass, with double doors at its center barely outlined to be noticeable from the rest of the wall. Beyond the glass, I saw an abundance of foliage, flowers, plants, and trees. Natural sunlight emitted throughout the room as far as I could see. It reminded me of the gardens at the Sanctuary.
“Is that a…”
“Greenhouse, horticultural conservatory, take your pick,” Caleb answered the question I could barely get out.
“But those are… and you’re…” I was still too much in shock to piece together a sentence.
“What?” Caleb chuckled. “Simply because I’m a demon, you think I can’t appreciate natural beauty?”
“Well, yeah, I guess that’s exactly what I thought.”
“You underestimate me. I assure you, I have a soft side for many beautiful things.”
Now I was downright uncomfortable. Dealing with a cocky, self-centered Caleb was much easier than a flowery, born-again, romantic Caleb.
“Let me guess, your favorite flower is the snapdragon,” I said with full-on sarcasm. It was the only way I could think to right my world again.
“Clever. I’ll show you sometime, but not today. There’s much more to see. Come along.” He grabbed my hand and led me to a staircase on our left.
As we began to ascend, I asked, “What’s up here?”
“Our quarters.”
My step faltered, causing him to pull back since he still had hold of my hand.
He looked at me, grinning. “Relax, Cassie, it’s bigger than you think.”
I gaped at his remark, its sexual overtone very clear.
Caleb chuckled. “There are other rooms besides the bedroom up there, but I like where your mind has gone.”
I pulled at my hand, but he wasn’t releasing.
He sighed and rolled his eyes. “I won’t be ravishing you on this tour, Cassie, unless you want me to, so come along.”
; I studied him for a moment. He still sported a stupid grin, but I somehow knew he meant his words. Besides, Caleb wasn’t the type to need a bed if he wanted to take me against my will. Although, his ego might think getting me in a room with a bed would be seduction enough.
My slight nod must have signaled I was ready to resume and we started back up the staircase, my inner guard kicking up a notch with every step we took. Caleb allowed me ahead of him, probably to ensure I didn’t turn tail and run.
Once we reached the landing, I stopped. The air was different. My body had become charged, energized, as though some magnetic surge was pulling at it from somewhere beyond the walls. The sensation was so powerful, it made me breathless, but at the same time, it seemed to renew me, fill me with life.
A circular hallway surrounded us, its color scheme much the same as the floor below, but with plush maroon carpeting softening each step. Three sets of mahogany double doors, evenly spaced, with dimly lit wall sconces in between them, seemed to give them an even richer appearance.
After taking in the surroundings, I finally noticed Caleb standing next to me, his eyes watching mine, studying me intently.
“Which way?” I asked, unable to stand the pressure of his gaze any longer.
“We’ll start on this end,” he said, motioning to the set of doors closest to us.
He took the lead, and I followed.
When we reached the entrance, Caleb stopped and opened them into the room. It was a massive, but comfortable looking study, its walls reaching far back and to my left, filled with floor-to-ceiling books. Plush furniture was set throughout the room, side tables interspersed between them, along with lamps atop. Another fireplace roared with life at the far end of the room in front of a set of sofa and chairs. The atmosphere was cozy and warm, inviting guests to sit and lose themselves in its peace and tranquility.
Angel Of Fate (Fate Series Book 3) Page 16