Page 63 of A Hint of Delirium

“Don’t worry about my brother. He won’t be back anytime soon.”

My eyes slowly widened and I ripped my arm out of Alec’s grip. Stepping to the side and away from him, I searched for an exit. “What did you do?” I gasped.

“Nothing he hasn’t done to me a million times before,” Alec smirked. “Now, Violet, let’s not be difficult. We have a long road ahead of us.”

I started backing away. “No … no!” I grabbed the first thing I could find and threw it at him – a lamp, which he easily dodged – and ran.

“Ofcourseyou’re going to be difficult,” he sighed.

I didn’t make it far before Alec lobbed a fire ball at me, stopping me in my tracks. I shrieked and he grabbed me before I could go any further.

“No running in the house,” he chided as if I was an unruly child.

“Ansel was right. We never should’ve trusted you!” I cried, trying futilely to rip out of his hold.

He laughed. “Ansel is always right. You should have listened.”

With his free hand, Alec opened a swirling portal. Before I could react, he dragged me inside and we were gone in the blink of an eye.

30

VIOLET

There weren’t many things I regretted in life, but making that deal with Alec was definitely one of them. It might have been just two weeks ago, but it felt like a lifetime. Now that I knew more about myself and my relation to the fae, I wish I could go back in time and have a redo.

As many times as I’d been tossed into a portal by one brother or the other, I’d never passed out. However, that was exactly what happened when Alec threw me through his latest portal. I woke up in a location I didn’t recognize, which was compounded by the raging migraine that pounded through my temples with a vengeance. I reached for my head, certain I’d find a tender spot from being knocked over the head, but there was nothing to suggest I’d been the victim of a physical assault.

I glanced around the small room from where I lay on a cot with a tiny pillow under my head and an itchy wool blanket over me. Weak light from a narrow window above my head was my only connection to the outside world. It appeared I was in a basement.

Something felt off, but at first I couldn’t figure out what it was. I did a quick inventory, searching for injuries, but didn’t find anything. I sighed, then sat up and huddled at the far end of the cot, bringing my knees to my chest and hugging myself for warmth. I wrapped my arms around my legs and slid my hands down my legs until they reached my ankles.

That was when I realized what was wrong.

Bare anklets.

My anklet was gone.

Alec removed my iron anklet.

My heart skipped a beat and then I started sweating bullets. I ripped the itchy wool blanket off and jumped off the cot like it was made of lava. I paced the small room, peering in the corners to see if it had fallen off, even though I knew it was a fool’s errand. Never in my life had that anklet ever fallen off.

With the anklet gone, I didn’t know what would happen or what I was capable of, but I didn’t want to find out.

I stomped over to the only door and banged my fist on it, yelling for help even though I was fairly certain no one would come to my aid. After several minutes with no response, I ran back to the cot and stood on it to reach the window. Try as I might, the window was painted shut and wouldn’t budge. I pressed my face to the glass to get an idea where I was, but the damn thing was frosted and I couldn’t see anything outside except blurry shapes.

While I was still trying vainly to see out the window, the door creaked open behind me. I whirled around and almost fell in my haste to see my would-be rescuer, deflating when I saw Alec standing in the doorway.

He gave a devilish smirk. “Morning, Sunshine.”

“Where am I?” I practically growled.

Alec flicked on a light switch and light bloomed in the room, giving me a better look at my handsome Unseelie captor. “We’re in a secret hideout. That’s all you need to know.”

“Where’s my anklet?” I demanded.

He chuckled. “Aren’t you the tiniest bit curious to see what you’re capable of?”

“No,” I answered quickly. “Not in the slightest.”

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