Page 37 of Owned

I couldn’t believe what had happened.

I had never felt anything like it, the way my magic had flared, bright and unstoppable.

It had torn through Lucian’s grip like paper.

Shit.

Lucian loomed above me, and I could see the way his expression shifted, from amusement to something else.

Surprise? No.

Suspicion.

He had underestimated me.

He wouldn’t do that again.

I struggled to my knees, the room still a blur. My magic had been more than I knew, more than I thought possible.

I had been weak, but maybe I wasn’t.

Not really.

Not if I could find that power again. Harness it.

The grimoire’s whispers were a satisfied buzz in my mind—was it… proud of me?

My hands were quickly bound, and the iron of Lucian’s power wrapped tight around my wrists. No mist this time—a hard, tight band of deep red smoke that didn’t move as I struggled against it.

The brief surge of power had left me exhausted, and I swayed on my knees.

For the briefest moment, I had been free—

Just long enough for the cold surface of the stone to remind me I had very little time.

Lucian’s voice cut through my thoughts, sharp and polished. “You have more power than I realized,” he said, as though testing the words. “The grimoire couldn’t fulfill its promise to your father, but it seems to have taken a liking to you.”

He sounded intrigued, but his tone was dangerous in its gentleness. With a flick of his fingers, he dragged me forward as the smokey red bands around my wrists writhed and tightened.

“What should I do with you, Avril Velez?” His voice had lost its playful edge. He sounded sharper now, impatient. Our eyes met, and I almost flinched at the intensity of his stare. “Your father would be proud of this… stubbornness.”

“I wouldn’t know,” I said.

Lucian tilted his head as though considering my words. “Do you knowwhyJulia told me of her husband’s plans? Do you knowwhyshe gave him up?” He crouched in front of me, his voice too soft and close. “She understood therecklessnessof his actions. The futility. She saw him for what he was: a failure—” His words cut into me like razors.

“Go to hell,” I whispered.

“I’m not sure your mother would have applauded my restraint.” He gave a slow, deliberate shrug. “She didn’t think Dario deserved a second chance.”

“And what reward did she get for her loyalty?” I hissed. “She’s dead—”

I wanted to shout in his face that I knew he’d killed her.

But something stopped me.

“Careful, my dear,” Lucian murmured as he leaned closer. “Mercy and patience are two qualities I am not known to possess in abundance.”

With a quick motion, he reached out and grabbed hold of my elbows. He hauled me to my feet and I let out a choked cry and my knees buckled as feeling rushed back into my lower legs.

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