Page 35 of Owned

“No—”

Its voice thundered in my mind and I gasped at the force of it.

No.

No submission.

Not to him.

Not to anyone.

I had to act.

I had to break free to fight back.

But— But it was too late.

It was never too late.

His power pulled at me, irresistible, impossible to defy.

His grip on me was effortless, unbreakable... And he knew it.

I felt myself unraveling, my resistance slipping away, but I clung to the small defiant whisper that skittered through my thoughts.

“Not yet.”

Lucian was watching. He never looked away. The amusement in his eyes was unbearable. I had to prove him wrong. The mist threatened to swallow me, but I refused to let it.

The room flickered in and out of focus as I fought against his power, my hands trembling, my vision blurring with red. My magic, untested and fragile, trembled within me and resisted my frantic attempts to summon it.

Panic rose, sharp and dizzying, as my magic refused to respond.

I couldn’t do it. Not alone.

The edges of the room blurred and spun as colors bled together and my vision darkened. I fought against the fear and tried to dig deep, to find the power I knew was there. But Lucian’s magic stayed firm, smothering mine, and mocking me with every pulse.

The mist curled tighter, and Lucian’s eyes shone with delight.

He enjoyed seeing me struggle.

I had to get free. I had to get free.

I was running out of time. Out of breath.

My words tore from me, loud and ragged, as they tumbled over each other. “Tell me about my father.”

Lucian’s expression shifted, but only slightly, and the smile tugging at his lips widened. I could barely focus as panic pulled at me, but I could see that my demand had taken him by surprise.

“Your father— He was a selfish man, Avril…”

He paced around me in a slow circle, and the red orb moved with him, pulsing in time with his steps as its mist wrapped new tendrils around me.

“He wanted the power that the Necromi had promised to their leader,” he said. “He wanted what I had… He attempted to overthrow me.” His voice enveloped me, and I closed my eyes against the tears that stung my lashes.

“The Betrayer— He and I were very close at one time. As close as brothers.” Lucian shook his head and let out a sigh that sounded more contrived than genuine. “His actions were… unexpected. And they drove your mother to turn against him.”

“No.”

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