Sacrifice Page 4

  “Where is he?” I ask.

  “I can’t tell you that. He’s not here though, so trying to escape to get to him won’t work. He will, however, be released and returned to the same place he was taken, with no memory of this incident, or you, if you cooperate.”

  “What do you mean, no memory of me?”

  “Did you really think we’d let him remember you, so he could come running to your rescue, no, I need you too badly to let that happen.”

  “What do you want me to do?” I ask carefully.

  “You’re going to swear a blood oath that ties you to me while you complete the task I need you for,” he says with a smirk.

  Oh hell, I’m in trouble now.

  “And if I refuse?” I query.

  He takes the phone from my hands and presses a few buttons. Turning it back around to me, it now shows a live feed of where they are keeping Jared. The person holding the camera holds a sword to his neck.

  “The boy you grew up with is dying in hospital, there’s no way to save him. We will also take the life of your brother. You have five seconds to decide before we decapitate him,” he tells me with a menacing growl.

  “Wait!” I shout desperately. “How do I know you will release him if I say yes?”

  “You don’t, but I suggest you make your mind up, quickly.”

  I’m pretty sure they won’t keep their word, but either way, I only have one option.

  “I agree, please release him.”

  Scar Face shuts the phone off and pockets it. “Good.”

  “But I won’t take the blood oath until I know Jared is free.”

  Scar Face gets up from the bed and stalks over to me. Bending, he gets right up in my face. “I suggest you get some sleep, it’s going to be a very long day tomorrow.”

  He walks out of the room, and as the door shuts, I hear several locks click into place. Well, there goes any ideas of escape.

  I move around the room and look over everything thoroughly. My only option for escape is to break apart the chair or bed and use that as a weapon against the next person that enters. That will only work if they aren’t locked in here with me. I can’t escape though, not until they release Jared.

  I hear the locks clicking again and quickly move over to the bed. Scar Face walks back in.

  “There’s no way for you to escape, and the sooner you learn this the better. If you want to go, by all means try and take me, as you can see, the door’s open behind you.” He stands relaxed in front of the door, I can see Roan further down the corridor.

  I ignore the rational part of my brain telling me he’ll kill Jared and maybe me, and instead launch myself at him. My fist aims for his face. He sees it coming and swats me to the side. As I stumble to the floor he follows me down with a punch to the gut.

  Pain blooms, but instead of curling in on myself, I get up and try to punch him again. He catches my fist in his steel grip. I try to twist away, I even kick him a few times, but he doesn’t move. Instead, he pulls out a knife and cuts the back of the hand he’s holding. Not deep, but enough to sting really badly.

  I freeze, remembering what he’d done to me before.

  “I see you can heal quicker now, Scarlet, that means you can take twice as much.”

  He stares at my hand then licks off the remaining blood. As soon as he releases my hand, I take a step back, wiping the back of my hand against my trousers. I don’t even try to attack him again, he’s made his point. I’m too weak to take him, and maybe a little too scared.

  I watch as he walks out, Roan hasn’t moved an inch. Some part of me thought he’d at least intervene.

  The doors are once again locked, when I turn to the bed, I see he’s left me a protein bar to eat. I eat it and wonder what will happen to everyone I know if I don’t take the oath? Resigned to my fate, I lie on the bed. My thoughts drift to Aylesbury’s form lying there unmoving, and I find sleep doesn’t take me as quickly as I’d like.

  Chapter Five

  Eventually, I must have fallen asleep because I’m woken by the sound of the door grating open. I bolt upright and jump off the bed, adopting a stance that would make it easier to protect myself.

  Roan saunters in without a care in the world.

  “Good morning, Scarlet,” he almost sings the words. “We let you sleep, I managed to convince Rozen you’d be bitchy if we only let you sleep a couple of hours.”

  “Rozen, so that’s his name,” I muse. “Tell me, why are you doing this, Roan? What changed with you? And don’t give me that bullshit that it was all for me.”

  He moves to stand with his back against the closed door.

  “Everything he did to you made me realize just how much I’ve been holding back. I’ve wanted more for a long time, it just took recent events to make me see how complacent I’d become. I’m going to take the pack from him, you’ll be free.” A manic look descends on his face. “We could be together.”

  “You’re delusional. I could never be with you after what you did. You’re helping the very person that kidnapped me to start with. He killed one of the Guardians, one of your friends. He’s holding me against my will again, and you’re letting him do it!” I shout at him.

  “Rozen’s a means to an end, he’ll get me what I want eventually, and then we’re done.”

  Roan moves away from the door and edges closer to me.

  “Rozen is a Demon and you’ve made a deal with the devil,” I spit at him. “I’m going to take him down and you with him.”

  Roan moves quickly towards me. His arm outstretched, his hand about to close around my throat. The door is thrown open and Rozen walks in.

  “I wouldn’t do that, Roan, I need her more than I need you,” he warns.

  Roan casts one more look at me, drops his arm, then stalks out of the room.

  Rozen holds a pair of handcuffs, dangling them in the air between us. “I’d prefer not to cuff you. Instead I’ll tell you, if you don’t follow my orders, and do exactly what I say, we will make sure your brother is dead within the hour, and we take one of those Lycans you love so much. Perhaps one of the female ones.” His threat is very clear.

  He throws a clean shirt at me. I look down and notice, for the first time, the one I’m wearing is covered in Aylesbury’s blood. I quickly shrug out of it and put the clean dark shirt on.

  “Follow me,” Rozen demands when I have the shirt half up my arms, then turns on his heel and walks through the door.

  “Where are we going?” I ask as we move down a corridor then up a small set of stairs.

  We emerge outside to another sunny day. I squint against the light as Rozen stops in front of an unmarked white van.

  “Get in and your brother doesn’t die,” he says, opening the door for me.

  I climb in to the passenger seat and watch as he walks around the front of the van. He climbs in and starts the engine.

  “What’s this task you need me for so badly?” I ask as he weaves through the city.

  “You’ll find out once you swear the blood oath and not a minute sooner,” he states, his eyes narrowed.

  “Why me?”

  “Because you managed to figure out what I was planning when no other Hunter has in over twenty years. Now, shut up, I prefer it when you don’t talk,” he grinds out.

  I huff then turn my attention to our surroundings. As the buildings pass, I quickly realize we are headed to The Guild. I start to think about ways to get away from him, but realize again he has me over a barrel. He’s already put Aylesbury in a coma and managed to kidnap Jared. Maybe, if I see this through, I can bring him down.

  “I’m hungry,” I moan as my belly decides to grumble loudly.

  Rozen reaches behind me then dumps a load of protein bars in my lap. I tear into one and start chewing the weird dense crumbly bar. As I finish a second bar, we pull up opposite the pearlescent stone structure that houses my old division of Hunters. I had loved my old job until I found out the council had hired me just to keep an eye on me and my
unique heritage. I’m still convinced they were somehow in league with the Demon Lord sat at my side, but I had no proof, yet.

  “Look.” Rozen points to the entrance.

  I see Jared saunter out with another Fae. No marks mar his face and he’s unhurried and relaxed. He really did have no memory of last night, he’d be organizing search patrols for his captors if he did. I want to jump out of the van and get his attention, yell at him, and tell him I’m his sister. Make him remember me, instead, I turn back to Rozen.

  “Now what?” I ask.

  “Now you swear the blood oath,” he says, pulling out a rather scary looking curved blade. “This is not a normal blood oath said with one promise. I will recite the words of your oath and you repeat after me. The knife will be dipped in diamond dust and the milk of a Fae boar before I score your palm. It should ensure both our wounds stay open long enough to seal the deal.”

  He dips the blade in a jar of chalky liquid and then grabs my hand, jerking me forward in the seat. Without a word he scores the blade deeply into my palm. He lets go when the blood bubbles to the surface and scores his own palm.

  He clasps his hand to mine tightly, and I wince as his hand settles over the open wound. I watch slightly fascinated, and completely disgusted, as blood drips down from our entwined hands.

  “Repeat after me,” he says, looking into my eyes.

  “Repeat after me,” I copy, with a sardonic smile playing on my lips.

  He growls low in his throat, a sound similar to the one Bastian produces when I wind him up. He starts to speak the words he wishes me to repeat, and my smile falters as I start to repeat the words back to him.

  “Rozen is my master. I will not speak of this bargain with anyone unless my master gives me permission to do so. I will not betray my master. I will do everything my master asks. I will report my findings to my master. I will leave all my friends and family behind, severing all ties to them. I will not harm my master. I will always return to my master. If I break this covenant, my life is forfeit.”

  I’ve just given up everything I believe in to work for the devil himself.

  He starts to pull his hand away, but I grasp it hard and clamp my other hand firmly on top.

  “Now, your turn. You will give me time to set my affairs in order before I start this task of yours, that includes visiting the hospital and going back to my apartment.”

  His eyes bore into mine until he finally lets out a breath. “Reluctantly, I agree, you can get your affairs in order, but I accompany you on them.”

  Rozen hands me a small bandage. I take it, wadding it up in my palm to staunch the bleeding. Rozen follows suit and turns back to the wheel, starts the van up again, and pulls out into traffic.

  “How do you plan to keep Bastian from coming after me, because, so far, you’ve covered every base but that one? No matter what I say to him he will dog my every step,” I state.

  “That’s easy. When we get to your apartment, we will perform a small spell together, ensuring that when the Lycan comes to find you, he will think you’ve finished the mating bond with someone else.”

  “Oh.” He has thought of everything, I was well and truly cutoff from my life.

  “Lycans don’t like it when their mates betray them. I can guarantee you’ll never see him again, and you’ll be shunned by the rest of the Lycans too.”

  “What do you have to gain from all this?” I ask.

  “Scarlet, you destroyed my Fallen, killed the majority of my Lazarus, and ruined a plan that took years to execute. If I thought killing you would make me happy, you’d be dead. Instead, I will watch as you sacrifice everything you love and desire to work at my side. I will watch as you turn yourself inside out helping me do the things you think are deplorable.” He looks at me and smirks.

  “I will never be your puppet,” I say as a searing pain burns my skin.

  I double over and grab my head as the pain burns me from the inside out, my skull feeling like it is going to explode.

  “You already are my puppet, precious.” Rozen laughs.

  I sit, rocking back and forth, until the agony subsides, and I can finally think again.

  “What was that?” I ask breathless.

  “That’s what happens if you break a blood oath. The pain stops you from breaking any of the rules. That was a small defiance on your part, a bigger one will make you think you have died, and outright breaking the oath will kill you.”

  I thought things couldn’t get any worse before. I am totally screwed now.

  Chapter Six

  Rozen insists on following me into my office while I close the business. His presence here is deeply disturbing. I sit at my desk and fill out the paperwork to change the business name to Scarlet James Investigations. Even though I know I may not make it back from this, I want to make sure Aylesbury will remain a part of my life once he is gone. With that done, I mark my online account as on vacation. I don’t have the heart to close things altogether. Somehow, I will find a way out of this.

  We then move up to my apartment where Jinx darts straight out from one of her many hiding spots to wrap her tail around Rozen’s ankles, purring like she is possessed.

  Rozen stiffens and looks down. “What is this?” he grates out.

  “That is my traitor of a kitty.” I scowl down at her, she normally doesn’t like anyone other than me. I feel betrayed by her lack of judgement. “She comes with us, that is nonnegotiable.”

  I’ll release her as soon as I can, so she can be free to live her life. I have a feeling if I keep her with me, I’ll find her dead the minute I do something Rozen doesn’t like. I won’t let him use anyone else against me.

  I stalk off to the bedroom and shove a few changes of clothes into a bag. Rozen follows me in, holding a book that looks very familiar. The cover looks to be made out of some type of skin and was very ancient-looking. I had thought it destroyed when the caves had exploded.

  “Let me guess, that evil book contains the spell to trick Bastian,” I say.

  “It contains many things. While we never managed to perfect the resurrection spell, we were close, and there are many more spells in here which you will find just as alarming.”

  I scowl at it as he opens it on my bed. He pulls back the covers to the bed and then takes off his shirt. He is lean but well-built, scars crisscross his entire abdomen.

  “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but you can put your top back on, and get out of my bedroom.” My mind starts racing a mile a minute.

  “I need to get my scent on your bedclothes for the spell to be believable,” he tells me as he gets in to bed and wraps the covers around himself.

  I do not need the mental picture he’s giving me. In my bed he seems so ordinary, nothing like the Demon that tortured me for weeks.

  “Get out of my bed, now,” I ask calmly.

  “No, I need you to strip down to your underwear and get in bed with me.”

  I stare at him with my mouth open. No way is that happening.

  “N-o” I barely get the word out before I drop to the floor in a mass of pain.

  I didn’t notice Rozen get out of my bed, instead I feel him scoop up my writhing form and place me in the bed next to him.

  “You will do exactly as I say, the sooner you stop fighting me, the easier it will be on yourself,” he whispers as he holds me to his body, while divesting me of my shirt and jeans. “I’m not going to force myself on you, I’d rather watch as you suffer an incomplete mating bond. I like that it will slowly drive you insane.”

  The pain finally stops as Rozen settles himself over me. Almost like his body is calming me.

  I don’t look at him, as despite my better judgement, the unfinished mating bond is making me like exactly where he is, even though I don’t like him. I try my hardest not to think about his warm body settled against me, but I unfortunately start to react.

  “I like that you suddenly want me, even if it is only the mating bond driving you to fulfil it,” h
e whispers in my ear, and I shudder.

  “Get off me,” I say through gritted teeth.

  For what seems like a really long time he lies on top of me, his eyes boring into mine. Then suddenly, he’s getting up pulling me out of bed.

  “Get dressed,” he says as he moves to dress himself.

  “What was that all about, your newfound control over me?” I ask with vehemence.

  “No, but I did need both our scents in the bed at the same time, mingling together, for this spell to work.”

  “You could have just said that,” I grumble, pulling on my shirt.

  “For me, this is all about vengeance, so I’d rather keep you off balance,” he says once he’s pulled on his top.

  He takes out his carved blade from his back pocket then grabs the book and begins chanting some form of Demonish. The sounds are similar to what I heard in the caves. I have no clue what he is saying, this could be a spell to bind me further for all I know.

  “Pass me your hand, I need a drop of blood to mix with mine and smear on your bed.”

  I hold my hand out and he pierces my index finger with the sharp tip of his blade. A drop of blood wells to the surface while he pricks his own finger. He presses his finger to mine and then moves over to the bed.

  “Don’t smear it on my white blanket,” I ask, even though I may never see it again.

  “It’ll go on the sheet.”

  He smears his finger around in the middle of the sheet leaving a small crimson smudge. He pulls the covers back and sniffs the air.

  “What can you smell?” I ask, really wishing I had a super sense of smell.

  “Your arousal,” he states, looking at me. I return his gaze, shocked, because I’m clearly not aroused in any way right now. “You nearly completed the bond. I’m so pleased you didn’t, it makes my revenge far sweeter. Instead, you’ll pine for a man you will never have, it might drive you over the edge sooner than I thought,” he says with a little too much glee in his voice.