Page 41 of Scales and Seduction

When I open my eyes, I’m standing in a forest bathed in moonlight. The air is alive with gentle fluttering of wings. All around me there are iridescent butterflies dancing in shades of blue, gold and violet. I watch as they land on pink hyacinths andtall blades of grass, as though there’s nothing in the world I’d rather do.

There’s so much peace here.

Slowly, I turn, hearing someone’s deep, rumbling voice. It’s then I seehim.

A figure stands with his back to me, tall and imposing. His skin is the color of polished coal with clawed feet rooted into the mossy earth. Massive wings, dark as the night, arch gracefully from his back, and he has two broad horns curled on his head almost like a crown.

“Who are you?” My voice is trembling, but there’s also this inner knowledge that I’ve met him before.

The man doesn’t turn, but his familiar deep voice answers, “The poison wasn’t meant to take you this far…”

His words send a chill over my arms as I take in the meaning. “You did this?”

The figure’s sigh is heavy with regret as he continues facing the other way. “It was necessary. It’s meant to awaken the dormant power within you both.”

“You’re playing games with my life!” My fists clench as anger cuts through the fear that hangs on to my body for dear life. “I’m dying!”

“I am ensuring youlivethe life you were meant to,” he says softly. “The poison won’t kill you. Not as long as your love for the prince remains strong in your heart.”

His words strike me in the center of my chest, and my heart gives a squeeze. This is the second time someone has managed to mention love for Gideon, but we’ve hardly known one another that long. How can I love him yet? If anything, I feel lust—God, so much lust. Still, the way he says it makes it feel truer than ever. “Why was I brought here?”

“Once the poison is purged, you’ll be renewed,” he says simply, a hint of excitement tinging his voice. “The magic insideyou will awaken your dormant abilities. Your ancestors were of our kind, you see…”

“Turn around and face me, you coward!” I scream, stepping forward as anger boils over. My teeth clench, and my brow breaks out in sweat. “I never asked to be here.”

The demon doesn’t move as butterflies swirl around him, casting an eerie glow around the shadows of his horns.

“I said turn around!”

I lunge toward him, reaching out to turn his hulking body to me. When I touch his shoulder and pull, he spins to reveal a blank face, smooth and featureless. A scream tears from my throat as I stumble backwards, my legs tripping over a fallen branch, plodding me onto my ass. I can’t feel the soil or the condensation on the grass. It’s as if there’s nothing below me at all.

The faceless man kneels in front of me, his tone caring despite my terror, but I can’t feel the gust of his breath against my cheeks. I feel nothing. “Don’t be afraid. This is the beginning to break the curse placed on us. When you’re healed, you’ll understand.”

Tears burn in my eyes as I clutch the mossy ground, feeling the soil squish beneath my fingers, but it’s not cold. It feels like nothing. “Why me? Why Gideon?”

He reaches out, his clawed hand stopping just short of my face. “When the time comes, you’ll understand. There are far worse things than the draugr coming, but love can stop this. Love will bridge the two worlds, you’ll see.”

The butterflies swarm around him, glowing brighter as their wings blur into a cascade of light. I try to protest, to push the hulking creature away, but the light of their wings grows until everything is consumed.

His final words echo, “Hold on, Ruby. He won’t fail you.”

The sound of gravel crunching under my body helps stop the oppressive onslaught of my mind. The sprawling dairy farm is so close that the scent of hay and manure hangs in the air. A cluster of lazy cows roams the fencing, giving me an occasional noise of dissatisfaction when I grow too close.

My fist clenches around my phone as I steel myself for the call. I have to maintain some decorum, but I feel overwhelmed and furious that I have to beg the very person who did this to my mate in the first place for help.

The line rings once. The seconds between the rings stretch into eternity as my pulse hammers against my ribs frantically.

Ruby is dying.

A shuddering exhale leaves my lips as the seconds between the ringing linger until I hear a click.

My breathing stops as I hear her answer, “Gideon?” Her voice is smooth though clouded by exhaustion. There’s something cautious in her tone that picks at the thin strand of patience I have left. “Are you safe?”

I hate hearing her ask as if she cares about my safety. My grip tightens around my phone. My patience is razor-thin, and her fake empathy grinds down the last of it. “Shut up, I don’thave time for your games,” I snarl into the receiver. “I need the herb.”

“What are you talking about?” Avalon slowly inhales, sighing with exasperation at me, as if she’s still waking up. “Gideon, are you drunk?”

I almost crush my phone, a wave of rage washing over me. My hand trembles as I pace back and forth behind the cottage. “Don’t play dumb, Avalon,” I snarl through my clenched teeth. “Don’t play dumb with me!”

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