Page 76 of The Art of Exiley

That scumbag drugged me! I wiggle, trying to break free so I can give him a piece of my mind. But the spidersilk rope doesn’t budge.

How have I gone from having a boring, average life to being abducted and restrained twice in a matter of months? Sheesh.

“Let me go,” I try to yell, but it comes out as more of a croak since my mouth is so dry. How long have I been out?

“Well, hello there, little light spinner.” The tall boy no longer wears his mask, and his predatory gaze is no longer appealing. Fear raises the hair on my arms. My head is pounding, and the ropes binding me to the chair bite into my wrists as I continue to struggle.

We’re in a dank, low-lit room. Bram is standing a few feet away with the gorgeous Valkyrie who was with Rafe on the Atlas.

“Soon the halls should be clear enough to get her out of here unseen,” the girl says to the others.

“Where are you taking me?” I ask, a quaver in my voice, but they all ignore me. I begin to thrash hard enough that the chair thuds against the tiles.

“I guess you’d like to go back to sleep.” The tall boy strides over, but he’s halted by the squeak of a door behind me.

“What’s going on here?” The voice is deep with an overt sense of authority, and everyone in the room goes completely still.

I know that voice. I turn as much as my restraints allow.

Rafe.

I’m unsure if I should feel relief or fear. He’s a familiar presence, but there is certainly no love lost between us, and I don’t trust him.

His gaze meets mine, but his eyes are apathetic, giving nothing away.

“Hi, Rafe.” The tall boy speaks casually, though his shoulders are tense, and his gaze has locked with Bram’s in silent communication.

“Why do you have my lab partner restrained to a chair?” Rafe asks coolly.

The tall boy twirls a lock of my hair around his pointer finger. “Just having some fun with a weed,” he responds. “I didn’t know you knew her, cousin.” My heart sinks upon hearing they’re related. The boy unwinds the hair from his finger, then places his hand on my shoulder and squeezes in a way that makes acid rise in my mouth. He leers and asks, “Do you mind sharing?”

“Get off me!” I struggle against his touch. How did I ever let this slimeball touch me?

The adrenaline boost from moments before is starting to wear off, and I feel woozy.

“You’re a fool, Leo,” Rafe says in a bland, bored voice. “Do you know what she is? You shouldn’t be standing so close.”

“This philistine excuse for a Sire?” Leo scoffs. “She’s harmless.”

“She could kill you with one touch.” Rafe raises his hand, palm out. “The right amount of Ha’i zapped to your heart”—he snaps his fingers—“pop.” His lips lift into a cruel grin. “And perhaps you would deserve it for acting so rashly. Now, let her go.”

Okay good, this is going in the right direction.

“We need her,” Leo responds, resisting Rafe’s command.

“And what could you possibly need her for?” Rafe asks, menacingly stalking toward Leo.

“There’s a bounty… on Sires,” Leo explains, meeting Rafe’s gaze without backing down.

“What?” Rafe growls, and the fierceness of his tone freezes my blood.

“The reward is astronomical,” Leo says, seemingly unshaken by Rafe’s obvious anger, though Bram and the girl cower as if they might disappear if they’re quiet enough.

Rafe speaks sharply, each word slicing through the tense air. “You know who must be collecting. How could you even consider helping them?” His blue eyes have darkened to a terrifying shade of midnight. “What are they offering you? You have no need for their filthy provincial money.”

Rafe reaches over and splays his hand in shiin over the left side of Leo’s chest. The threat is clear.Pop.

Leo’s eyes show the first flicker of fear, but he stands his ground, and realization dawns on Rafe’s face. “Antimatter,” he breathes, and Leo nods affirmatively. Rafe lowers his lethal hand. “So they’re offering antimatter as a reward for the abduction of Sires?”

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