Page 31 of Beneath the Watching

“How am I supposed to do that?” She snapped at me.

I’d momentarily forgotten I’d tied her up. I made sure to caress her breast and pinch her pink nipple when I reached overand loosened the knots. She sat up and rubbed her wrists before she chanced a quick glance at me and covered herself with her clothing. I was hovering, and I knew it. Most people would’ve been deeply unnerved by the intensity of my gaze and the force of my aura. She seemed not to notice.

I gave her some space and went and opened the door. Ilya pushed past me, briefly eyeing Mabel before he flicked his hand at the door, shutting it without contact. “Did you tell her?”

Shaking my head, I answered. “No.” I knew he was referring to whether I’d informed her I wasn’t human.

Or rather, tell her about my demonic lineage.

Ilya pursed his lips and glanced at her before returning his gaze to me. “Stay in the back tonight. He’s bringing her with him and I’m going to take her.”

What a mess. From what I knew of the situation, Kiara had a strong preference for the other man, Ramone. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

Ilya’s eyes flashed red. “We’re taking him down. He’ll be banished and then we’re heading north to Lucian’s fortress.”

“What does Kiara think of all this? According to you, she’s a huge pain in the ass.” I didn’t want to have to deal with any of this, not while I was working on how to take the best care of Mabel. Not that I’d let her go, but I needed to acclimate her to her new life and figure out the smartest way to do so.

I’d pledged my loyalty to Lucian, despite residing in Ilya’s father’s castle. Really, it was based on the preference for warmer weather, as well as my friendship with the man standing in front of me.

I’d managed to avoid contact for the most part with Victor, his father, even though we lived in the same building. The compound was enormous, so it wasn’t all that difficult. The man was a recluse, as was I. Now, I’d have to uproot myself and hope I’d be afforded the same privacy I’d been enjoying.

Ilya stepped further into the room, pushing his long hair back from his face. He spun on his heel and turned to face me. “She’ll choose me. I hope. She was supposed to be mine.”

I didn’t have much information on the particulars of the situation, but I knew the woman and Ilya had been close, and he was in love with her. Then she got the wonderful idea to curse herself and left my friend endlessly obsessing over her.

The curse was performed with Ilya’s help, I might add. The two of them were idiots.

“You did this to yourself,” I stated, crossing the room to pour the two of us a drink. I grabbed a crystal decanter of whiskey from the sideboard and grabbed two matching tumblers.

“What are you guys doing to Kiara?” Mabel’s soft voice popped up.

Handing a filled glass to Ilya, I replied, “Its none of your concern.”

She scooted forward on the couch. “She’s my friend.”

After I took a sip of my drink, I said, “For your own safety and hers, you’ll have no contact with her.”

Mabel tilted her head, staring at the floor. Her arms were stiff, and her hands braced the edge of the sofa, as if she was about to get up. “I care about her; will she be okay?”

“She’ll be fine if she makes the right choice,” Ilya remarked, taking a swallow from his glass. Turning to me, he said, “We’re going to give her a few days to process and then we’re heading out.”

Kiara was about to find out Lucian was her father. She’d been adopted by humans shortly after birth, after Ramone had killed her mother and abducted her. It was a lot to take in and for Mabel’s wellbeing, she would not be allowed near the woman. The lengths everyone around Kiara had gone to were remarkable and ongoing, from what Ilya had indulged.

Mabel and I couldn’t travel with them, and I had serious reservations about taking her through the tunnels again considering what happened last time. Her clairaudience abilities would need to be explored further, as well as any other talents she may have. My suspicions about her being connected to a long line of witches were growing by the day. It was likely pointless to expect anything else.

I kept my thoughts about what I was uncovering through my studies to myself, not wanting to share what may be extraordinary findings and have others get in my way. My visitor may be my best friend, but some things would be better kept hidden.

“Any estimate how long that may take?” I asked, my eyes flicking to the leather-bound books on a shelf. I’d need to record all these happenings, make note of them.

Ilya seated himself in a leather recliner and lit a cigarette. “I’m going to give her as much time as she needs.” He placed an ankle on his knee and took another sip of his drink, finishing it. “Branko took her dress shopping today.”

Branko was a double agent of sorts, working both with Lucian and Ramone, although the waters often muddied. At times I suspected his loyalties lay deeper with Ramone than where they should when it came to Kiara’s best chances.

“So?”

My friend scowled. “I should be buying her things, not him.”

“For fuck’s sake, just take her,” I snapped at him.

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