Page 111 of Seduce Me in Shadow

Zain’s nonchalant nod makes my stomach turn. “Abducted her myself, straight from her virginal bed. The Privileged bitchgave Mathias enough power with her screams to last days. Can’t heal her now, though. Very dead. So sorry.”

“Fucking bastard!” Tynan lunges, his raw grief and rage promising a brutal end for Zain.

But some invisible magic of Bram’s holds the grieving man back.

“If you don’t cooperate, I’ll happily let Auropha’s mate-to-be avenge her however he pleases.” Bram’s voice is chillier than a deep freeze. “No one will mourn you, you sodding little shit."

“How does threatening murder make you any better than Mathias?” Zain challenges, but I see fear creeping into his eyes.

“I view your extermination as preventative maintenance,” Bram replies coolly. “At least fighting Tynan would be fair. Or do you only feel manly attacking defenseless women?”

Zain flushes an angry red. “Piss off.”

Tynan strains against the invisible restraint, murderous intent clear in every line of his body.

“Pick,” Bram demands. “Tynan O’Shea or thehelbreselespell?”

My heart leaps. “That’s a healing spell? For Aquarius?”

Hurstgrove nods. “Since he inflicted the damage, only he can repair it.”

“And it will cost him dearly,” Bram adds with a predatory smile. “Nearly all the energy he has.”

I bite my tongue, knowing my pleas will only give Zain sick satisfaction. But oh, how I want to beg for Aquarius’s life.

“So…” Bram’s voice cuts through the tension. “What’s it going to be? Healing and a new beginning? Or certain death? Choose wisely and choose now.”

Chapter

Fifty

Caden

Zain caves, agreeing to heal Aquarius. My gut churns with a mix of hope and dread. This life-or-death magic is far beyond the parlor tricks I grew up with. I’d rather avoid whatever this is, but I won’t have Sydney face this alone.

As we herd Zain upstairs, I can’t take my eyes off my firecracker. She’s pale as a sheet, but those dark eyes burn with determination. Christ, I know that look. It’s the same desperate hope I felt for Westin, the same I still cling to for Lucan. I pray she gets her happy ending. Someone bloody should.

The space between us feels like a chasm, but I reach for her hand anyway. Our differences don’t matter, not in this moment.

She whips her gaze to mine, and the raw pain behind her calm facade nearly brings me to my knees. I want to pull her close, promise her the world. But I can’t lie.

“Squeeze my hand if you need me,” I murmur, my voice rougher than I’d like.

She nods, a slight tremor betraying her composure as she follows the grim procession upstairs.

Inside the cool, shadowed bedroom, Aquarius lies, dressed in a feather-light cotton gown. She’s almost unrecognizable. Swollen and red, more corpse than woman.

Sydney’s hand tightens in mine, and my heart leaps. She’s trusting me, leaning on me. I caress her fiery hair, squeezing back.

“How does this work?” she whispers, fear lacing her words.

“Never heard of it,” I admit. “But if Bram’s not worried…”

She exhales shakily. I bite back the urge to promise that if Zain does hurt Aquarius again, Bram will let Tynan at him. But I don’t. I refuse to give the Denzell bastard any ideas.

Bram draws his wand and prods Zain. “Go on.”

Grumbling, Zain steps forward and leans over Aquarius, wrapping his arms around her.

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