Stone Cold Seduction (25 page)

He blinked and smiled at me. Somehow, I didn’t think he was. I would swear his eyes tracked my movement. His face had that ageless quality that put him somewhere between twenty-five and fifty. I couldn’t tell. He was seated, but even so, I could tell he was big. Big like Luke. Bigger, maybe.

I had to figure out how to escape.

“Have you met everyone?”

It took me a moment to realize Jedren was talking to me. “Everyone I need to meet.”

“We haven’t, actually. I’m Falon.” The white-haired man stood and extended his hand across the wide expanse of table. His voice had an accent I couldn’t place. It was a quiet, educated voice. Very Hannibal Lecter.

I stared at his hand. No way was I touching him.

After an awkward moment, he pulled his hand back and sat down. Pleasant smile still in place. White eyes staring.

Jedren’s pale, creepy eyes were preferable to Falon’s blank, white ones. My father’s eyes had looked at me with disgust, disappointment, and anger. They had haunted my nightmares before Luke’s ugly visage had appeared. Now, I was voluntarily looking at him to escape staring at Falon. I was pretty sure hell had frozen over at some point in the last few minutes.

Jedren was frowning at me. I waited for him to rebuke me for my rude behavior, but he said nothing. Which made me nervous. He really wanted something from me. And that made him dangerous. When my father wanted something, he got it. Or killed, tortured, and manipulated as many people as he had to in order to get it.

Luke had moved to stand behind Jedren and was watching me, fury still evident. I realized I had nothing to lose. “How are the balls, Luke?”

Before Luke could lunge at me, Jedren held up a hand. “Enough,” he said to both of us.

I held Luke’s gaze a moment longer before looking back to Jedren. “Why am I here? Are you handing me over to the hunters?”

“Not quite. I’ve called them here to show them I have you in custody. You’ll return the souls, and I’ll mete out your punishment.” He checked his watch. “We’re waiting for MacLean and one other.”

One more hunter? Friend or foe? Judging by the rest of the gang, it would be a foe.

But MacLean was expected. I knew whose side he was on. Dear God, could he help me escape?

A commotion at the front door had me clenching my teeth, praying it was MacLean. Praying Teryl and Jax were still alive, too, if my father had let MacLean live.

“Where is she?” I recognized the deep voice as it reverberated around the room. It made my heart leap, and then twist in terror. Jax was striding in here, too confident, too careless. Had it not occurred to him that my father might have more hunters than Luke keeping me captive?

“Jaxon.” My father stood, a cool smile on his face. “So glad you could finally join us.”

No, no, no
, my heart screamed. I couldn’t bear to see Jax walk into a trap.

With a courtly gesture, my father indicated the chair nearest to him. “Please, take your usual seat.”

One other hunter.

“No…” I whispered, not meaning to speak out loud.

Time stopped, and my chest constricted as I watched Jax. My gargoyle. My mate.

My heartbreak.

He strode past my father, past the chair that had been waiting for him, his silver eyes searching for mine. I waited a heartbeat, two heartbeats, still holding out hope I was wrong. But no. There it was, in his eyes and on his face.

Guilt and shame.

The pain of my dislocated shoulder was nothing compared the sudden, sharp ache in my chest. I wanted to scream and rail and drop to my knees in agony. But I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

Jax’s gaze never left my face. His skin turned gray and his deep voice came out harsh. “Why is she bloody?”

My father waved a hand. “Blythe healed the wounds. I told you she’d be fine.”

Each word was a knife to my heart. I stared at Jax with dry eyes. I didn’t want to believe what I was seeing, what I was hearing. The other hunters offered nods and muted hellos to him.

I was finally able to look away. Never had I experienced betrayal like this.

“Elle.” Jax came to my side. “Elle, look at me.”

Rage like nothing I’d ever felt before coursed through me. I stood, knocking the heavy wooden chair over in my haste. “Don’t talk to me again, you sneaking, lying son of a bitch!”

I heard Maura giggle.

“Shut up!”

The laughter gurgled in her throat, and then stopped. Her face turned purple as she struggled to speak. Her eyes widened in alarm, and she looked to Jedren for help. He sat there, watching, smiling.

I had a feeling he was enjoying the show. I wanted to wipe the smug look off of his face.

Maura made furious, gurgling noises, and stood. She pulled her knife and jumped on the table. I stumbled back. Her skin began to shift to gray stone.

I couldn’t use my left arm. My head ached like a bitch. Each time I looked at her, I saw double. I didn’t know which Maura to watch.

We eyed each other. Her black eyes hardened. Shit. She was going to jump.

I managed to take one step back before she launched herself at me. Before I could throw my good arm up, Jax jumped between us. She crashed into him. The noise was horrific. An awful sound of stone scraping against stone. Her knife clattered to the floor a moment before she did.

Jax stood over her.

I moved away from them both. Maybe they’d fight each other, and save me the effort.

Jedren clapped. “Brava. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s move on. Maura, get up. You’re a hunter. Act like it.”

I watched her slink back to her seat, no longer stone, limping. Maura glared at me, hatred burning in her eyes. The feeling was mutual. But I had bigger things to worry about.

“Why is he here?” I asked my father, without bothering to gesture toward Jax. My throat hurt. My eyes burned.

Jedren smiled. “He’s a hunter, of course. Like Luke, Jaxon works for me. Didn’t he tell you? No? What a pity.” His mock sympathy fanned the flames of my rage.

I turned back to Jax, hoping he felt the weight and depth of my anger. “I hope you rot in hell, with my father.” My voice shook.

He shifted to full gargoyle before I finished my sentence. “It’s not what you think. Let me—”

“No!” I slashed a hand in front of me. “I’m done. We’re done.” The words reverberated in my head with a horrible finality. Judging from the look on Jax’s face, he thought so, too. A twinge in my heart was my only indication the bond was affected. Not gone completely, but muted and weak. I wondered if it could break. Like my heart.

I turned my back on him and walked toward my father. With each step I took, my heart shattered a little more, but I kept my face impassive. I had one more thing left to do. “I won’t be your heir. Ever. In fact, I’m—”

Another commotion at the front door cut me off. Hunters jumped to their feet. MacLean and Teryl ran into the room.

“Elle!” Teryl cried. His face turned white when he saw the blood on me. “Are you…? I mean…is everything…?” He struggled to find words when he noticed the room full of hunters. He went from white to a sickly shade of green.

Yeah, the odds weren’t good.

MacLean walked toward me, ignoring the hunters. “Are you okay?”

No
, my heart cried.

“Peachy,” I whispered. I cleared my throat and tried for a semi-normal tone. “Did you know about this little party, Mac?”

MacLean stopped a few feet from me and shook his head, his brow creased with worry. “No.”

“MacLean, I’m so glad you’re here,” my father said. He stood and walked over to us, offering his hand.

MacLean’s manners kicked in, and he took my father’s hand automatically, looking confused and suspicious.

“Great news, MacLean, for you and the Douglas family. I was going to wait and speak to your father first, but it seems my daughter is set to become my heir.”

“Didn’t you hear me? I said no way in—”

“Quiet, Elleodora,” my father snapped. My mouth shut because of his command. I twisted toward him, ready to jump at him with little thought to the consequences, but MacLean put a restraining arm around my waist. He watched my father through wary eyes as I seethed beside him.

Jedren smiled, triumph clear in his pale eyes. “MacLean, I’ll need to meet with you and Cian to renegotiate the marriage contract.”

“No!” Jax exploded.

I heard a strange, shushing noise, and turned my head to see that Jax had stepped away from the table and his wings were out. All fifteen feet of them. His eyes glowed brighter than I’d ever seen and…had he grown taller? All trace of the Jax I knew was gone. Damn, he was scary looking.

His chest heaved as guttural words were ripped from his throat, “Jedren, our contract—”

“Was broken when you failed to follow through with your end of the deal,” my father interrupted, ice coating his words.

“I cannot. She’s my mate.”

I couldn’t move. Pain contorted Jax’s handsome features. His teeth were bared, and he looked ready to kill someone. I’d never seen that look on his face before.

“You didn’t fulfill your end of the bargain.” Jedren gave him a meaningful stare as he enunciated each word. They glared at each other in silent communication.

Another manversation. A hysterical giggle lodged in my throat. MacLean hugged me closer, mistaking the sound for fear as he put both arms around me. I pushed him away and started walking for the door. Past the hunters. Past the scary, winged version of Jax. Away from the nightmare my life had become. One thing I knew how to do was run away. At this moment, I wasn’t ashamed to do it.

“Stop, Elleodora.”

I clenched my teeth until my head screeched in pain as my feet were suddenly rooted in place. My back was to the room, and I bowed my head. Hot tears streaked down my face, but I remained silent. There wasn’t any escape from this nightmare.

“I will give you one week to take care of your little store and tie up loose ends.” It was a command. My father managed to keep his gloating tone to a minimum.

Bastard. God damn, son of a bitch, bastard. I whirled around as soon as I felt my feet relax. I wanted to kill him. Without thinking, I hurled words at him, surprised to find the chant for the electrocution ward from the Library of Shadows rolling off my tongue. Instinct took over. I stared at my father as the words built and built.

A piercing pain flung me onto my back before the necessary words were released. I jerked and flopped like a rag doll as I hit the ground. Gasping for breath, I lifted my head and saw Luke’s dagger protruding from just below my left shoulder, mere centimeters above my heart. He stood beside my father, with an evil grin, his arm still suspended in midair.

I heard the outraged shouts of Teryl, Jax, and MacLean as they cursed at Jedren, heard their pounding feet coming toward me. My father’s voice rose above the sounds. “Stay where you are.”

I lifted my head another few inches, just enough to see the three men frozen in awkward positions.

I dropped my head back onto the stone floor and stared at the beamed, decorated ceiling. Would Jedren order Luke to kill me now?

I didn’t try to move. I closed my eyes, and let the tears fall. It freaking hurt. The little energy I had left disappeared with my next exhale. What a cluster this had turned out to be. When I opened my eyes, I noticed a shaft of light coming through one of the small windows lining the room. I’d been in this castle longer then I’d thought. The sun had risen.

Hours had passed, but I felt decades older.

Soft, measured footsteps approached. I kept my gaze on the ceiling when Jedren loomed over me. I refused to look directly at him or acknowledge him in any way. Our shared DNA would always be a source of shame for me. The demigod blood hadn’t done me a damn bit of good.

“Elleodora, do you really think you can fight me?” My father’s voice took on the false note of compassion.

I didn’t blink. The dagger in my chest moved when I inhaled. I fought not to wince.

Jedren crouched down and pulled the dagger out in one swift movement. I screamed and arched off the floor. The serrated blade left a trail of fire behind. I desperately wished I would pass out. But my body was bound and determined to keep me awake and in agony.