Page 31 of Pain Run Rampant

Invictis kisses me again, and I respond in kind. This time, we get more familiar with each other’s mouths, and I blow his damned mind by nibbling his lower lip. The man actually groans when I do it. Or maybe he growls. Either way, it’s a low, deep sound that echoes from his wide chest and reverberates straight into mine.

We’re so lost in each other that neither of us hear the third person in the tower coming outside: “You’ll never guess what I found: an account of the first year after the woes appeared by the head researcher who—” Frederick must stop the moment he spots us and realizes what we’re doing.

Invictis doesn’t want to stop. I can tell he wants to make a point, prove to Frederick that he’s the one who should be kissing me, not Frederick. His arms become steel around me, but the moment I hear Frederick’s voice, I’m brought back to reality.

And I realize I’m making out with the asshole who killed my mom.

It’s a repeat of what happened before, only the positions are switched. Frederick can’t grab Invictis by the throat, but he can pull him back as he says, “Get off her, you…” Either he can’t finish his insult, or he’s too flabbergasted at what he walked in on.

Invictis glares as he steps away from me, and I’m slow to hop off the balcony railing. I can tell Invictis wants to fight Frederick—and Frederick, even though he’s holding onto an old book, would probably fight him in return—but I have to try to nip this in the bud, so I say, “Invictis, give Frederick and me some privacy. Go wait on the ground floor for ten minutes.”

The harrumphing sound Invictis lets out before storming away tells me just how ridiculous I’m being and how furious he is over our embrace being interrupted. Frankly, he’s only getting a taste of his own medicine.

Frederick watches him as he goes, and once we’re alone on the balcony, he comes over to me, a concerned look on his face. The book he’s holding onto might snap in half if he’s not careful with it. “What was that? Tell me it wasn’t what it looked like, because, to me, it certainly looked as though you and Invictis were getting intimate with each other.”

I roll my eyes. When he says it like that, it sounds like we were about to fuck, but we were far from that… I think. I hope.

Damn it. I don’t know.

In the end, all I say is, “It’s complicated.”

“How is it complicated? He is—the things he’s done, the things he will do if you set him loose… it’s not complicated at all, Rey. He’s a monster. A demon. A creature we do not understand.”

I close my eyes and rub tiny circles on my temples. “Trust me, I know what he’s done. I know he’s dangerous. I know! I don’t need you reminding me every two seconds!” I may raise my voice a bit too much, but Frederick doesn’t flinch, which must mean he’s really worked up.

Before he can say anything, I work on calming myself down and adding, “Look, I know, okay? I know everything you’re going to say. I know I shouldn’t have. I know it’s stupid. I know he’d gladly kill all of us if he could, but… I don’t know. A part of me hates him for everything he’s done, but at the same time, it’s like Ican’thate him.”

Frederick inches closer to me, his voice dropping to a whisper, “Do you think this connection you have with him is due to the piece of him that’s inside you?”

“If it is, then how am I supposed to fight it? How can I ignore it? He’s in my dreams, Frederick. He’s always there, and I…” I bite my bottom lip. “I don’t think I mind it anymore. I think Ilikehim being there.”

It’s a long, tense moment before Frederick asks, “And what about me?”

“It’s different with you.”

“Different how? If you feel anything for that thing,” Frederick uses his free hand to point at the tower, “I don’t know how you can feel a thing for me. We are opposites.”

I take a step toward him. The sun has pretty much set, which means there isn’t much light at all for his eyes to reflect. Instead of a warm amber color, they’re a dark brown right now, and it’s through those eyes that I can tell Frederick might be jealous, yes, but he also wants what’s best for me.

I reach for his free hand, and thankfully he doesn’t pull it away from me. “I know,” I whisper. “I know how good you are, just like I know how bad he is. I’m not blind. I know all these things—and it probably doesn’t make any sense to you, but I… I feel so—”

Confused. Torn. Stuck in the middle.

Frederick sighs. “Truly, I only want what’s best for you, and even if you decide it’s not me, if it can never be me, I do know that it can’t be him, either. I care about you, Rey. I’m not going anywhere. If you were to unbind him, though… I doubt he’d stick by your side and be the man you want him to be.” He pulls away from me after that, leaving me in the darkening light to ponder his words.

I watch him disappear into the tower, feeling some kind of way. I’ve definitely come down from the high of the make out session, and I can guarantee I’ve hit the ground full-force.

What if it’s not Frederick? What if it’s not Invictis? What if it’s neither of them? Or… what if it’s both? With how crazy everything is, I can’t imagine doing anything without them. Frederick and Invictis are two sides of a coin; you flip it, you get one or the other. You can’t get both.

Chapter Fourteen

The labyrinth in Acadia is not near the castle. To reach it, we need to cut through the southern plains and loop around the center of the kingdom, to where Acadia meets Pylos’s southeastern edge. It’s the only area of Acadia with sheer cliffs, and because of it, it was never settled.

It’s a long journey after that night in the research tower. Awkward, as much as I hate to say it, and, even more so, when you get down to it, it’s because of me.

Because, for some ridiculous reason, I’m stuck in a love triangle with the big bad and the bookish guy next door. Or a love arrow with me at the apex, I guess, since I don’t think there are any feelings whatsoever building between Frederick and Invictis.

Honestly? That would solve all of my problems—or at least a few of them. If they started having feelings for each other, we could be one, big, happy polycule, assuming Frederick could ever forgive Invictis for what he did.

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