Page 15 of Fallen
At least he’s alive.
He better still be that way when we get there.
Chapter 11
LEVIATHAN
Tied to a rickety wooden post in an abandoned stable, I’m seriously questioning my life choices. Elias is pacing in front of me, his black suit disheveled from our scuffle at the gala. His eyes—hazel like Silas’s but wilder, unhinged—keep darting to me, and I’m fighting to keep my Chameleon magic from fading me into the splintered wood behind me. I’ve tried disappearing my wrists to loosen the ropes but they must be doused in something because I can’t get myself untied. In fact, I can’t make my entire body disappear.
Just parts of it. Which is not helpful.
So, now I just get to wait for backup and hope that Rowan answered my call. I had no idea Elias had magic like that—the ability to transport me across distances which makes sense as to why he’s never been caught.
“You’re perfect, Lev,” Elias purrs, his voice a mix of reverence and madness. He stops pacing and crouches in front of me, hisface a little too close for comfort. “Silas doesn’t deserve you. He never did.”
I force a laugh, my voice hoarse from the chokehold he had me in earlier. “Yeah, well, this is why I don’t date. Creepy shrines and kidnapping?Hard pass.” Mentioning my current mates seems like it would be in bad taste.
His eyes narrow, but there’s a flicker of amusement in his gaze, like he’s enjoying my defiance. The stable’s far wall is littered with photos of me at my office, at the diner with Silas, even one from college I didn’t know existed. It’s a full-on stalker setup, and I mutter under my breath. Silas really wasn’t kidding when he said his brother was obsessed with me.
Elias stands, his metallic, forest scent filling my nose. It’s the same scent from the last body, which means I was right but hell, I wish I was wrong, just this once. I trusted Silas, and now his twin’s got me trussed up like a turkey, ranting about winning my love by framing his brother for murder.
It’d be funny if I wasn’t strapped to this pole.
“Elias, can we be real for a second? What’s the real reason for all this bullshit?” I still haven’t figured outhowhe’s going to frame Silas for this but that’s not really my problem right now.
He spins, his eyes blazing with fury. “Silas betrayed me,” he spits, his hands clenching into fists at his side. “He was supposed to stand with me, prove unicorns are superior. But he chose his pathetic little bar, his fake life. He told me about you, Lev—how special you were, how you made him feel alive. I wanted that. Ideservethat.”
I swallow, my throat dry. “So, you’re killing to… what? Prove a point? Win me over? That’s not how love works, dude.” I think back to the night where he told me I was the flavor of the month, pulling on whatever details I can remember. Something in his eyes was unfamiliar and at that time, I hadn’t mastered myability to smell magic. Which means, Elias was probably the man I spoke to. Not Silas.
A cackle rings through the small space. “Love? It’s power, Lev. You’re a Chameleon. Rare, perfect,all mine.With you, I can show the world what unicorns are capable of. Silas will rot for my crimes, and you’ll be mine.”
I grimace, trying to focus so that I can loosen the ropes. My magic isn’t doing it so I’ll have to do this bullshit the old fashioned way. “You’re delusional,” I say, trying to buy time. “How’re you even pulling this off? What’s the trick?”
His smile is smug, and I know I’ve got him. He wants to brag. “Magic. Pure and simple magic. However, add a little bit of black magic to it and you’ve got yourself an entirely different beast.”
“Right, right. And in the forest, why the fuck did you try to kill me?” For someone who’s obsessed with me, that doesn’t make any sense.
“Honest mistake. You smelled weird.”
Understandable in a weird, twisted way, I guess. “But why young male shifters? Why not, I don’t know, go after Silas directly?”
Elias’s face darkens, and he steps closer. “They were practice. Weak shifters, unworthy of you. I had to perfect my kills, make sure Silas took the fall. Every death was a message—to him, to you. You’re mine, Lev.”
My stomach churns, but I keep my expression neutral. The mate bond thrums with energy, letting me know that they’re on their way. “That’s all sorts of fucked up. I didn’t even date any of those shifters. One of them, I didn’t even fucking know.” I wiggle the slightest bit, easing my thumb out from one of the ropes. It’s just enough leverage to loosen the restraints so that they fall away. “Besides, I’m not yours and I was never really Silas’. I’ve also got mates, Elias. They’re coming for me, and you’re not gonna like what happens when they get here.”
“Your Basilisks? They’re too late. By the time they find you, you’ll be mine, or you’ll be dead.”
I fade fully now, my body blending into the post, only the ropes left. I try to sift out of this small place and into the clearing but it seems he’s smarter than he looks. The area is laced with something, the faint scent of ginger reaching my nose.How convenient.
“I caught onto your precious little tricks, Leviathan but you see, I’m not going to lose you that easily.” He steps forward, his gaze traveling the length of the stable. “Silas thought he could keep you. He told me everything a few months ago. How you loved him, how you trusted him. How he never understood why you left. That’s when I told him I stepped in because he never deserved you.”
A few years ago, I might have reacted. I might have flung myself at Elias and fought him for what he ruined. But right now, I just want to get out of here. I take a few steps to the side, placing myself closer to the entrance. “So, a bit of jealousy-fueled murder? Silas had me, and you didn’t. That’s what this is about, isn’t it?”
He spins, his eyes wild, and I flinch as he lunges, his horn shimmering into existence. It grazes the post where I was, splintering the wood into tiny pieces. I scramble back as my magic flickers and I reappear, the scent of ginger stronger in this corner. “You don’t get to leave me,” he growls. “You’re mine, Lev.”
I dodge another swing, my magic fading me again. “You’re pathetic,” I say, my voice echoing to throw him off. “Killing to frame your brother? Obsessing over me? Get a hobby, Elias.” He roars, his horn slashing through crates inches from where I am, and I dive, rolling across the dirt floor. “You’ll never win. Silas was a mistake, but I’m not that kid anymore. I’ve got a family now.”
Elias’ frustrated scream lashes out through the room, the magic forcing me to become visible. I’m only inches away from his shifted form, the unicorn grinning at my helpless body. That’s when I realize, I can’t move.
