Page 58 of Creatures of Chaos

Glancing up, I spot one of the red lights from the cameras. Becks, Ensley, and half my school are watching right now. I know it’s just in my head, but I imagine the camera zooming in on me, waiting to hear what truth the compulsion rips from me.

How is it that the vampire was able to access my thoughts and dig up my secret about Becks? I know the general rules around compulsion, and I’d never heard it said a vampire could dig through your mind in such a way, but how else would they know about Becks and the role he played in me entering Chaos?

Confess.

My throat contracts, making phantom words I refuse to let free.

I drop to my knees, fighting even as the compulsion gets stronger and I start towantto spill my secrets, just like I’d wanted to skewer my own hand.

Without giving it permission, my hand slides away from my mouth. I’m two seconds away from confessing my unrequited feelings for Becks, and I can’t do that. Of course it would be embarrassing for the whole school to know how I truly feel about my best friend, but worse things than humiliation have happened to me at Nightlark Academy. I can’t let Becks know my truth and the depths of my emotions. He isn’t ready to know, not with the arranged mating still hanging over his head. Not when things are so shaky between us.

If the words leave my mouth, my relationship with Becks will change forever, and I’m not convinced that change will be for the better.

My mouth opens, my vocal cords start to vibrate, and I do the only thing I can do in the moment. I speak my truth.

Twenty

“I hatehow weak I am. My lack of magic makes me feel less than everyone else, especially my closest friends. Sometimes I think they’re only still around because they pity me. I’m scared I’ll never come into my powers, and that I’ll never find anyone who will accept me for who I am. And that I’ll always be alone.” The words rip from my throat, and I have an initial burst of relief when the compulsion releases me that’s swallowed by growing horror the next moment.

I traded one confession for another, and although I didn’t confess my truth about Becks, I’ve just given fodder to every student and bully at Nightlark Academy. I’m never going to live that admission down.

What have I done?

I look around, expecting a reaction, but the other competitors are too caught up in their own trials to pay me any mind, but I don’t fool myself into believing that admission went unheard. The multiple cameras mounted in the trees ensure that the audience doesn’t miss a single moment of the show we’re putting on. I won’t know the consequences until the trial is over and the dust has settled.

I push to my feet, my limbs shaky from the mental energy I exerted. The piece of my shirt that’s wrapped around my palm is soaked through with blood and dripping. I tear off another strip, exposing more of my midriff, and change the wrapping with shaking hands.

I’ve made it through two of the three tasks, but I have a sinking sensation that this third one is going to be the hardest of all. Tension knots my muscles as I look at the robed figures standing outside the torch circle, waiting to see what I’m going to be compelled to do next. I’m frayed on the inside, picked apart and jumbled and wholly unprepared for another round of compulsion.

Kiss one of the male competitors, the voice whispers in my mind.

A tangled rush of panic and desire floods my body, and I find myself scanning the competitors.

That one, the voice says when my eyes brush over Talon, and I swear I can hear humor in its tone.

No, no, not Talon. I manage to back up a step, but when the voice persists I’m moving forward in a line straight for him.

Talon looks up when I reach him. “Freckles,” he says in greeting, but I can hear the strain in his voice and see it on his face. He’s going through his own battle right now.

I keep my mouth sealed tightly, not trusting anything that might come out if I try to speak. Talon gazes at me quizzically and then his eyes flare, and I know he’s just been given a new command. He stumbles back a step and I almost let out a sigh of relief, but then a wave of compulsion washes over me so strongly my head starts to spin, and I’m swamped with desire like I’ve never felt before.

I sway toward Talon, swearing I can pick up on his scent from several feet away, and he smells amazing. A spicy woodsy scent that makes me want to bury my face in his neck and inhale. I tryto keep my gaze averted, but my eyes roam over him, from his dark head of hair down his muscular torso and legs and back up again, before landing on his mouth.

I lick my bottom lip and my mouth feels overly sensitive. Talon’s gaze moves to my mouth as well and a pained look sweeps over his face even as he releases a low moan. “Freckles,” he says. His voice has deepened, and it runs over me like silk. “You need to stop looking at me like that.”

I want to. Creator knows how badly I want to turn around and walk away right now, but I can’t for the life of me make myself do it. The last two rounds of compulsion I wanted to do what I was ordered to, but this time is different. This time Ineedto. Like I’ll die if I don’t feel Talon’s lips pressed against mine.

The air heats, or maybe it’s just me, because I’m pretty sure my blood is boiling. I can’t make myself stop as I take measured steps toward him. Talon’s chest heaves as he sucks in a breath. He doesn’t back away from me like before, but his eyes are wary as they track my movement.

Shouts of anger and pain echo in the space around us as fellow competitors fail to fight off the compulsion to do horrific things to themselves and each other, but it doesn’t do anything to break the spell, and with every small step toward Talon I feel myself slip further under the control of the vampire compelling me.

Stopping with only inches separating us, I reach up and place my injured hand on Talon’s chest and the other on his bicep. His muscles are rock hard under my hands, and a small tremor works its way through him.

He glances down at the makeshift bandage wrapped around my palm and frowns. My lips pulse with awareness and my breathing shallows. In the back of my mind I vaguely know I should be fighting, but I’m drowning in sensations, wave after wave crashing into me, pulling me under, and I just don’t careanymore what I’m supposed to do because I know what Iwantto do.

“Locklyn,” Talon whispers in a pained voice. “Don’t.” But he doesn’t make a single move to stop me. He’s as still as a statue.

Anticipation makes my body tighten. I’m so close to what I crave, what Ineedin that moment, which is to feel the crush of his mouth against mine.

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