Page 55 of Owned

“Unless he’s not threatened by it.”

The silence was heavy this time and Valen looked up from his work. “Shit.”

“Shit,” Bastian agreed and then he let out a furious groan. “You idiots— How could henotknow?”

The wrench slipped from Valen’s hand and clattered to the concrete as he straightened abruptly, his body tense as if ready for a fight.

“Don’t panic,” I said. “There’s—”

He paced the length of the garage, his movements taut with frustration. I knew he wanted another way—one that didn’t drag Avril deeper into our darkness—but there wasn’t time for idealism. Not anymore.

Before the tension could sharpen further, I noticed a tiny figure approaching the garage from the direction of the house.

“Get your shit together,” I snarled.

Bastian struck Valen on the arm to try to distract him, and Valen rewarded him with a glare as he stopped pacing and leaned against one of the workbenches.

The figure drew closer and his feet crunched over the gravel. His hunched posture announced him as one of Lucian’s favored lapdogs. The dark-robed figures were a familiar sight in the mansion, but I never saw them outside…

What the fuck was going on?

The strangely sallow man paused at the edge of the garage door, but didn’t enter.

“What do you want?” I demanded, keeping my tone as imperious as my father’s.

He bowed, a sickly obsequiousness in the gesture. “Master Titus,” he wheezed. “Your presence is requested.”

“Imagine that,” Bastian said, feigning surprise. “Father’s favorite called to his side.”

Valen watched me, waiting to see if I would rise to the bait. I didn’t give him the satisfaction.

I turned back to the servant. “Tell him I’m busy.”

The creature’s eyes widened with fear. “Master Lucian insisted.” His watery eyes tracked over my brothers. “He wants all of you. Immediately.”

“Well,” Bastian snorted as he straightened and tugged on the lapels of his leather jacket. “This must be important.”

The man turned expectantly, and while I didn’t want to follow him, we hadn’t been left with much of a choice.

The others followed, but we weren’t in any hurry, and Lucian’s twisted little minion shrank in front of us as he hurried back down the path that led to the house.

Whatever Lucian wanted—it wasn’t going to be good.

It seemed too convenient that we’d just been discussing him.

What if I was right?

What if hedidknow about the oath that we had sworn to Avril in blood? He had to have sensed it.

We’d been fools to undertake such a spell under his roof… but Avril had been impulsive and it was impossible to deny her what she’d demanded of us.

But if it didn’t matter to Lucian—if he knew and hadn’t punished us—I needed to know why.

My brothers and I crossed the threshold of Lucian’s study with deliberate care, wary of the fury we could all sense lurkinglike a coiled snake. My father’s presence dominated the room, a malevolent force of will that seemed to bend the very air around it. The mist-wreathed orb that hovered above his desk pulsed in time with his heartbeat and its red glow stained his pale hair and spilled down over the papers strewn across his desk.

“You took your time,” he said. “Have you nothing better to do than squander my patience?”

“Your messenger has short legs,” I replied.

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