Page 76 of Owned

It wasn’t working—my blood had bound me to this horror, and I couldn’t get free.

Help!

I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

My vision blurred and my body sagged as though pulled toward the book by some unseen force.

The blackness spread from the center of the grimoire, swallowing everything in its path until there was nothing left. Just darkness.

My vision blurred, and the room distorted and writhed.

Movement caught my eye, and I turned my head to beg for help— I’d expected to see a servant.

But it was Lucian who stood beside my bed.

His pale eyes swept over me and I recoiled as I realized he was naked beneath the deep midnight blue robe that was draped over his shoulders.

Pale skin. Moonlight hair.

“At last,” he said. “I have been kept waiting far too long—”

He walked toward me with measured steps and I tried to pull back.

Suddenly—I could.

My arm was free.

I let out a cry as I jumped up from the vanity. The chair toppled backwards onto the floor and a smile tugged at Lucian’s lips.

The grimoire was gone. The whispers in my mind were quiet.

Abandoned.

Alone.

Candles burned all around me and illuminated the room.

The scent of candle smoke and the heady richness of flowers filled my nose.

What was happening—

A gossamer robe embroidered with magnolia flowers was draped over my shoulders, and it barely covered my nakedness—

Frantically, I grabbed at the edges of the robe and tried to pull them over my breasts. Lucian’s eyes glittered hungrily in the candlelight as he stared at me.

“Now is not the time to be shy, Avril— But I do take some delight in seeing that there is still something of that virgin girl in you yet…”

I looked around frantically but found no escape.

Bile rose in my throat as he approached me.

Power radiated off him.

I could feel it on my skin.

Cold and inescapable.

“I—”

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