The water sloshes when I get in, spilling over the sides. The warmth soothes my aching muscles, my chilled bones.
She’s just finished washing my hair when I hear footsteps on the stone floors and the bathroom door swings open. Casteel stands in the doorway. I glance at him, pretending I’m not annoyed at his presence in a private moment. I can’t let him know I’m bothered or the slightest bit unnerved.
“Move,” he tells the girl, and her eyes cloud with fear. I nod in agreement and she moves to the edge of the room, blending in with the walls. I’m aware that I have no control over the girl. That’s the point of him being here, isn’t it? Letting me know I’m nothing but a prisoner with no freedoms or rights.
“Hello, Casteel,” I say, resting my arms on the side of the tub. There’s nothing but the cloudy film of water between us.
“The Queen asked me to check up on you.”
“Well, you can tell her I’m clean.” I take the sponge and scrub my legs. “Anything else?”
“Tomorrow there will be a ceremony to bind you back together.”
Interesting—so that gives me a timeline—less than a day to get out of here. “I won’t pretend I’m happy about that.”
“Once you realize your true powers, I think you’ll come around. What you experienced in your realm is nothing but a blip of what it’s like here.”
I have experienced my full strength, in the ring at the fights. Magic is allowed and the rush I felt from fighting Hildi that first time still tingles in my veins. Again I felt it when Xavier kissed me, and then another time when Anita stole the virus. My instincts perk at the idea of such power, especially after being dulled recently.
In a move that is overtly casual, Casteel sits on the edge of the tub, fingers dipping into the heated water. The wounds on his neck are no longer bandaged, only red scabs remain. At this distance, the scars under his jaw are visible, deep and jagged. How Dylan didn’t kill him, I don’t know.
His tongue darts out and his eyes darken.
“She gave me full control over you until the ceremony tomorrow.” I hear the clink of metal as his hand reaches for his belt. “She suggested I break you in as I please.”
I swallow in an attempt to get the fear dislodged from my throat. And because royalty speeds through my veins I can’t help myself when I reply, “Do you think that’s possible? Breaking me easily?”
“What makes you think I want it to be easy?” Casteel reaches for me and I’m slippery and wet, nowhere to run and definitely nowhere to hide. I’m pulled from the bath, water rushing down my body. He eyes me greedily, unaware that the slave in the corner has run out of the room, panic and terror written on her face. This is surely not the first time she’s seen the Commander take what he wants.
With my wrists clamped in his hands, he leans forward and says, “This one is for your Sentinel. Payback is a bitch.”
Chapter
Bunny
Pacing the studio, I stop every pass and stand before the painting. Wondering. Wishing. Hoping.
I’ve fucked up. Worse than I thought. Morgan wasn’t supposed to be here. Just Anita. My plan had been to kill the Queen and pawn, then restore the only survivor to the throne.
That was the plan, but now it’s gone all to hell.
There’s one thing I could do. It’s worth a shot and the gate taunts me, beckoning me to go back through. Get help. Find Dylan.
He’ll kill me, maybe before I can get him back here. And if he doesn’t? The Morrigan and Casteel will string me from the rafters. A bunny caught in a snare.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What have I done?
With a deep breath I focus on the painting, pressing my palm flat against the surface. I whisper the words, the ones that activate the runes built into the image. The center bends, swirling the colors from dark to light, light to dark, breaking down the barriers from this realm to the next. I feel the gust, the warmth from home, the smell of my studio on the other side, but a tug draws me back.
“Master! Master!” the voice calls. I look away from the gate, from my home, and see the girl in her gray uniform, eyes pleading. I yank my hand away and the opening shuts with a harsh, cosmic slam.
“What!” I regret my tone instantly. This girl—the slave—doesn’t deserve my anger. “I’m sorry, what is it?”
“She’s in trouble.”
She. Morgan.
“What kind of trouble?” There’s only so much I can do and even then it will never be enough.
“The Commander is in her room.” Her hands shake. “He’s going to hurt her.”
I nod and thank her. I’m no match for the Commander—his magic or his strength—even if I had both hands. I kick the pile of canvases, scattering them across the room. The disruption uncovers metal, sleek steel with a bejeweled hilt. I lunge for the sword, recognizing a gift from the gods when I see it, and hope I’m not too late.
Chapter 27
Dylan
The painting parts before me, spinning like a tsunami. Paint and magic separate, splitting our worlds in two. I’d seen it before but not like this. Not so unexpected. I’d walked into Bunny’s studio expecting to find little to nothing and instead I find this—an opening portal—just waiting for me to step in.
I hesitate. There’s no guarantee the gate leads where I want it to. It could be a trap. Taking me straight to the dungeons. Maybe to the zombie pits on the south side of the realm, or to the darkest depths of the deadly, frozen sea. The Otherside is not contained to just the castle, but this could be my only chance to find Morgan and my brothers. It could be our only opportunity to take the Morrigan out, once and for all.
I step closer, feeling the rush of arctic air, my eyelashes freezing into stiff points. I pat my pockets for my weapons. I unsheathe the blade I always carry from my hip. Just as I’m about to take the leap the air softens, the gusts slow, and the gate shrinks before my eyes.
“No,” I mutter, pressing forward. “No!”
I shove my hands into the gate and toss myself forward, forcing my way into the dark, praying to the gods I land safely on the other side.
Chapter 28
Morgan
Water runs down my body, slippery and wet from the soap. I’ve got no defense against Casteel’s forceful, grabby hands. “It’s going to be a pleasure breaking you down, little thing.”
Desperate, I yank hard, using my soapy skin to my advantage and slip from his grasp. I fall backwards from the force but steady my hands on the tub. He doesn’t care, I’m definitely not in any sort of dominate position. I’m naked and unarmed. He leers at me, taking time to unbutton his pants. The belt clinks to the floor and I look away.