Page 38 of Owned

“How deep have you delved into the grimoire?” he hissed.

Careful—

The grimoire’s whisper, a voice that had been so loud only moments ago, seemed to retreat before Lucian’s double-edged question.

I couldn’t let him see my fear. I couldn’t let him know how far I had gone.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I said, and my voice broke, fragile and weak.

Lucian smiled. It was a slow, sinister curve of his lips, full of malice and amusement. I knew then that he saw through me, saw every bit of my uncertainty and doubt.

He leaned closer, and the shadows deepened around us. “Do notlieto me, Avril.” His voice was soft, almost tender, but the threat in it was unmistakable.

“I’m not,” I insisted.

“You’re a terrible liar.” Lucian straightened, the ghost of a laugh in his voice. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t even surprised. “But I suppose I must be lenient— It will take some time for the magic you took from that girl—”

“From Clara,” I choked out. “She has a name—”

“Hada name,” Lucian snapped. His pale eyes held mine. “You took her life along with her magic. Don’t shy away from it.” I tried to look away, but I was trapped. “Do you feel shame for what you did?” he continued. “Regret?” His eyes narrowed. “Or was it justice?”

“I—”

I had felt all of those things.

Shame for giving in.

Regret for what I’d done—

And the thrill of justice as Clara’s blood had welled up around the blade of the knife I’d used to slice into her flesh—

“I don’t know—”

“Yes, you do.” Lucian’s voice pinned me in place. “It’s only a matter of time—”

“Time?”

“As I said,” Lucian continued in a tone that seemed more bored than anything. “The magic will settle and mingle with that pale spark you already possessed—it will be wild at first. Uncontrollable. But then it will merge, and you will feel like yourself again.”

How could I ever feel like that?

And it wasn’t just Clara’s magic that swirled through my veins…

The wildness inside me was from other sources.

His eyes narrowed as he looked down at me with a condescending stare. “You will feel… unsettled. Perhaps you will have cravings you don’t understand. They are… remnants…”

I swallowed hard.

Remnants? Remnants of the soul I had stolen?

That explained a few things at least…

“Perhaps you should focus on other matters,” he said. His eyes glinted, cruel and cold. “Like our impending wedding.”

His words were a punch to the gut, and I recoiled from them.

“You can’t—” I started, but he cut me off, his voice smooth and implacable.

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