Page 55 of Hers to Rule

They stood in the entryway, glaring at one another. Cisco had risen from the couch the moment he’d ended the call, hurrying through the house and not answering Mari’s questions in nearly enough detail until she’d put herself between him and the door and wouldn’t let him go.

“It makes sense to do the trade. Once Rio is safe, you can come back for me with a fucking army. He won’t hurt me,” she said with a fair helping of distaste. “I’m too fucking valuable.”

Cisco laughed harshly. “There are so many ways for him to hurt you without harming what he values.” The look that crossed his face made it clear he understood that better than anyone. “Trust me, I know.”

Mari put a hand on his arm. “You’re bound to him. We need to get him safe so you can think clearly and do what you need to do. I don’t know a lot about gargoyles, but I know that much.”

Cisco grumbled, and a look of guilt crossed his bluff face. “If you knew more about gargoyles, you’d already know he’s not the only one I’m bound to.”

She stared at him, her mouth open, her fingers closing around his sleeve. She didn’t know how to respond.

He shook his head. “I didn’t want to have to tell you like this, but you need to know.”

She finally found her voice again. “What does that mean?”

“It means even the idea of choosing between you is tearing me up. I can already feel my heart breaking.” He looked down, unable to meet her eyes.

She moved her hand to his chest, rubbing gently until his gaze met hers again.

“But my bond to him means that if something happens to him after we get there, I can’t keep you safe. There’s no predicting what I’ll do. The Frenzy is a thing everyone fears for a reason.”

She understood the fear in his eyes now. The idea that he might lose control enough to harm her shook him to his core. She patted his chest. “Then we won’t trade me. But we also have to make sure he doesn’t hurt Rio. We know he doesn’t think I’m a threat, or he wouldn’t have told you to bring me with you. We also know he doesn’t understand the extent of my power. Let’s give him what he wants.”

Cisco’s eyebrows rose. “You think you can surprise him? Overpower him somehow?”

Mari nodded. “I know more about my magic now than I ever did when he knew me. Esmé said I can broadcast stronger than any sex witch she knows, and Greta told me that I could turn pleasure into pain. I can do this, Cisco. Let me help you.”

He lifted her hand to his mouth to kiss it with a soft caress of his lips. “I love you, Mariana. I should have told you that sooner. I’m sorry I waited so long.”

She felt tears gather, but she held them back. “I love you too.”

As the emotion overwhelmed her, he pulled her to him, cuddling her against his chest and murmuring soothingly into her hair. “We’ll get him back.”

Chapter 18

Mari held Cisco’s hand in a tight grip as they walked through the doors of the warehouse Argento had directed them to. It was on the outskirts of the city, tucked away on a dark, dead-end street that looked like an excellent place to conduct illegal business.

Cisco’s eyes adjusted to the dim interior faster than hers, and a low growl emanated from him. A few seconds later, she saw what had triggered the anger: Rio and Willow bound and lying on the ground, neither of them moving. Another person was tied next to them, but Mari didn’t recognize them. Beyond the three prone forms, Argento sat on what could only be called a throne—a golden chair with arcane designs carved into it, rising eight or so feet tall. Argento rested at ease in the chair, his knees splayed and his posture relaxed.

A tall woman with warm brown skin stood next to the throne, her expression blank. Her hair was braided intricately and piled atop her head. She held a spear even taller than herself, and it rested against her shoulder in one hand. Mari thought she had seen the woman before, but she couldn’t place her.

When they got within twenty feet of the raised platform all of them were on, Argento said, “That’s close enough, thank you.”

The woman aimed the spear at the center of Rio’s back. Now that they were closer, Mari could see from the irritated welts marking Rio’s skin that he was bound with silver. Cisco stopped cold. Wrapped in that much silver, Rio wouldn’t be able to heal.

“Kima, what are you doing, working for this piece of shit?” Cisco directed the question at the woman rather than Argento.

This was the lion shifter that Tilly was pining over? What was she doing here, with Argento?

Kima’s mouth tensed, but she didn’t answer. Her gaze cut to the third prone figure on the platform with Rio and Willow. Argento sat with one foot propped on the body of that person at his feet. Blood dripped slowly from their slack mouth to pool on the ground under their face.

Now that Mari could put a face to the name, she remembered Kima. She hadn’t seen the lion shifter often because she’d been tasked at the club for years. Mari still had no idea who the third bound person was, but it was obvious they were important to Kima.

“I don’t really have the patience for reminiscing,” Argento interjected. “There are some spelled iron manacles just to your right, if you would be so kind, Francisco?”

Cisco looked dubiously to his right, and when his gaze fell on the manacles, his entire body tensed. Mari could see the calculations going on behind his eyes as he wondered if he could charge the platform before the woman impaled Rio. His shoulders sagged when he came to the conclusion that he couldn’t act before her, meaning that she was probably deadly quick.

He crossed to the chains like a man going to the gallows and then slipped one cuff around his wrist. Arcane symbols glowed as there was an audible click, fastening the iron shut. He repeated the action with one that went around his neck and another on the other wrist. Once he was bound, Argento wiggled his fingers, and the chains pulled taut, holding Cisco to the ground with magic-infused metal even his supernatural strength wouldn’t be able to break. With a smirk, Argento closed his fist, and the chains drew tighter, pulling Cisco down toward the ground. Cisco fought the whole way, snarling and pulling against the chains with every formidable inch of his body, but ended up on his knees, glaring up at Argento.

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