Page 39 of Bitten By Chaos

“I will need more time, however, if I’m to procure Bres. Let’s see…this should help.” Merl approached me again, avoiding my fangs as he reached around between the wall and my shoulder blades and pulled out Soul Eater. “Yes, that will work.”

“Freeze,” I commanded, finally getting some wits about me. But Merlin just clucked his tongue.

“I’m protected from things like that. Learned those tricks ages ago.”

I willed the sword toward me, but it stayed where it was.

“That too. Face it, Charlotte, you’re clever, but I have hundreds of years on you.”

“You arrogant bastard!” I screamed, struggling again.

“Sticks and stones, dear. Now sleep.” With another snap of his fingers, the heavy fog came for me again. The last thing I remembered was the wall turning toward blackness.

I woke again to the sound of Julian’s far away voice. My eyelids fluttered and opened to pure darkness as I wrestled with my bonds. Everyplace the silver touched felt like I’d dipped it in a volcano.

“Julian!” I screamed, but nothing happened. I forced myself to calm down and strained to listen.

“She was home. I spoke to her,” Julian was saying from the other side of the wall. “You will tell me what you know.”

“Alright, I didn’t want to worry you, but my sources tell me she went for a walk in the woods and that she was dragged off by fae. There’s nothing you can do, Julian. Not if she’s in their realm and responsible for killing their queen.”

The sound of furniture crashing against metal, and I yelled again. “Julian he’s lying! I’m here!”

“Lies!” he screamed.

“My spies found this.”

A moment of pained silence.

“Charlotte’s ring.” The pain in the words stabbed my undead heart. “There has to be a way. I will pay you, Merlin. Stop playing games.”

“Well, now you’ve got me interested.”

It was no use, I realized as I rubbed the pads of my fingers over the empty spot. Merlin had stolen my engagement ring and magically sealed whatever space I was in so Julian could neither hear, nor smell me no matter what I did. Yet I could hear him, which was worse torture than the silver.

“If you want me to call her here from the fae realm, well that kind of magic is going to be expensive,” Merl said.

“What is it you want?” The desperation in Julian’s voice was beyond agonizing.

“I want you to kill Elsa so she’s out of my way. I don’t like beings that carry more power than I do, even if I retain superior intellect.”

What was Merlin playing at? He wasn’t about to conjure me up for Julian anyway.

“I know you have feelings for the blood queen, Julian. But surely your mate is more important.”

I stilled, a pain slamming into my chest. He had feelings for Elsa? I knew they had a background…

“I will do as you ask. First, Charlotte.”

“Payment up front, Julian.”

Shit. What if Julian got himself killed? Elsa had the kind of power Merlin did as well as everything Julian had. I had to do something, but I was stuck chained in the dark and completely helpless.

“Think it over. I’m busy,” Merlin snapped.

“Charlotte first,” Julian hissed. “What is that?”

I wished so hard I could see what was happening on the other side of the wall.

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