Page 61 of Twisted By Darkness

Who is Ren talking to? Not to me. I can’t even hear him. So someone followed me, someone Ren has an interest in sharing details with. Someone who is behind me.

I can’t turn and look for the person. Whatever Ren is doing, it’s a secret, and I would ruin it.

“While we wait, Shadow Mage,” says the Collector, leaning against his desk like this is all so much fun. “Why don’t you tell me more about how you came into your powers? You look confident enough working with them now.” And he smiles.

My hands curl into fists, nails digging into my palms. “I don’t need to answer you shit.” Ren’s gaze moves to me and he widens his eyes, just an inch. Just enough for me to know what he means. Whoever is behind me, they need a distraction. Whatever plan Ren has come up with, I can keep the Collector’s attention on me. Give them time. “But I will. Since you’re so interested.”

The Collector doesn’t seem to notice, swirling the wine inside his glass, nodding me on. “I am. That time we brought you here, you couldn’t even escape us. And we weren’t even putting up much of a fight.”

I grind my teeth together. Time. I need to give Ren time. Who is behind me? Why didn’t the Collector notice them yet? I can only guess it’s Donatello. He’s the quiet one, the fastest one. If there’s someone between us with a chance at catching the Collector unaware, that’s him.

This is where my life as a poker player can help. One of the things about playing poker is that you have to fool your opponent all the time. Keep them distracted. Make them think what you want them to.

“Prince had some books,” I start, putting my hands down so the guards won’t shoot either me or Ren. My power goes out, and I take a breath. “Books I later learned didn’t quite belong to him.”

“Indeed?” The Collector perches on the edge of his desk. “So the fae prince was a thief, too.” He sways his head from side to side. “That wouldn’t be right, would it? Calling him a thief. Fae have quite different morals from the rest of humans. Even the magic ones. They don’t believe in stealing, much less when it’s from an inferior species. They just take what they want.”

I roll my eyes. “Doesn’t change that they’re stealing if it doesn’t belong to them.”

The Collector waves a hand in dismissal. “You will see, Shadow Mage. When Kayn takes you into the Realm of his ancestors and in the case you live to experience it, you will get to know fae. They’ve always had dealings with the Shadow Mages. You will see their society differs greatly from yours. That happens when you live long enough.”

Okay, so I need to get him talking, and the Collector loves to give lessons. “Prince never told me how old he was. He didn’t tell me much about anything.”

“He was worried, wasn’t he? He had to be.” A chuckle. “He stole from me. Reckoning would come eventually. And to think his own protégé would bring it... How ironic life can be.”

“I’m not his protégé. He kidnapped me. A good slaver is still a slaver.” He did give me my room and let me walk about his place, but I couldn’t leave or go back to my men. Prince even had plans on impregnating me against my will.

The Collector cocks his head. “Is that so? So you’d rather go back to your regular activities, running from the Council, just because you would have your men with you?” He scoffs. “Maybe I should tell that to Kayn. He could take your men with him.”

My blood boils. “Like hell he will.” And then I remember I’m supposed to be distracting him. The possibility of my men being hurt makes me so pissed I forget the acting part. “You know what? Maybe that would be good.”

The Collector’s brows shoot up on his forehead. “Would it?”

“You’re the one who said Kayn just wants to make sure his family lives,” I fib. “If he just wants that, and if he treats us well, I mean, why not? Wouldn’t that make everything easier? We could go with him, as long as he respected and protected my men and me.”

His jaw drops for a second, but he catches himself. “So you would go willingly? You wouldn’t put up a fight any longer?”

“If you would take my conditions.”

He slips down from the desk, approaching me. The Collector narrows his eyes, trying to see through me. “Would you pull back your fighters, Shadow Mage? They’re hurting my people and good guards are hard to come by.”

“Sure.”

He gapes at me for a long moment, no sound breaking the silence. “You’re a strange one, Shadow Mage. After the way you burst into my Palace, you decide to sacrifice the others to save your men.”

Deep inside me, I know that isn’t a complete lie. I never told anyone I was the hero in this story. Never tried to be good and heroic and save the world. That’s not me. That should have been the Chosen One, and look how that turned out. No, I want to keep my men safe above all else, and I know I would sacrifice everything for it.

I keep my poker face on, never faltering. This might be the most dangerous game I’ve ever played. Standing in the middle of a circle composed of the Collector and his guards, Ren as a hostage, waiting for Kayn to show up. I have high stakes here.

“Very well,” the Collector says, putting the glass away and clapping once. “Marvelous news. Absolutely marvelous. I am quite sure, yes, quite sure, that Kayn might accept your offer. He’s not the worst vampire I met. No, there are others.” And he smiles again, offering his hand for me to shake. “Marvelous choice, dear. A wise choice, I might say.”

It’s funny how I went back to being ‘dear’. Is that because I pulled my powers back? Maybe because I offered to surrender, so he thinks worse of me? It doesn’t matter. This is not how this ends. Unless Kayn arrived right now. That would be bad.

“Let us call your men back, shall we?” he asks, turning back to his desk, going for his phone. “Kayn is coming. Let’s not delay his arrival any longer than necessary.”

Ren’s gaze locks with mine. His eyes are intense as he lowers his head in a very discreet nod. My heart skips a beat. He’s ready. They’re ready.

“Giulia told me something interesting,” I blurt out.

---