Page 49 of Payne's Envy

“You can stop hiding now,” Barron muttered.

Wiping my eyes, I stepped around the corner. Barron gave me the deadliest glare. I deserved worse. “Why can’t you tell her you’re not interested? If she hears it from you instead of us, she’ll accept it quicker and move on. What the fuck have you been doing all this time if you never liked her?”

The walls, along with Barron, disappeared. A mirage? No! A memory.

I staggered as I glanced left then right, trying to focus on anything to pull me back to the present, and lost my footing on the pillar.

“Payne!” Ryan shouted.

It took another second to realize I was in my dragon form and could fly again. I flew, but my scales prickled. A terrible fear clung to me. Despite the wind whipping across my scales and wings, I was still stuck in that memory.

Brothers. Those three were her brothers, and the one with the red essence was Barron.

My chest ached like I’d scratched my claws over my insides. The despair felt in that hall, being unable to do anything as my mate was told a lie, clung to me. Why didn’tItell her the truth? Why did I feel like I couldn’t?

I didn’t understand the smell of burnt flesh coming from Joy.

How could I—

No!Paynecaused her hurt. She was my mate. Built for fire. Made for me. I raked my claws across my snout. The scent of burnt skin filtered through, and that twist in my gut only sickened me.

Payne, the old me, was worse than I thought. He caused her so much pain. I could never be that male again.

I had to be better.

______

After listening to Joy’s brother and Payne’s dad talk far too much, I was allowed to enter the castle. When I tried forcing my way, the blue essence brother said I didn’t have to destroy the place to see her. I just had towalkin.

I hadn’t thought it would be so easy, so I shifted back into my smaller form and followed Joy’s brothers.

“See how simple it is to use the front doors?” Blue asked behind me.

I stiffened as I stalked the halls. Those halls were like the ones from the memory. So, it happened in that castle.

“Ah, I miss my Izzie. You should know, Payne—”

“I’m not Payne,” I interrupted Blue.

“Izzie, my mate,” he continued, unbothered by my words. “Left me alone for a while just so I could talk to you and my sister. Do you know what a feat that is? The witch is obsessed with my touch.”

Barron snorted. “I think it’s the other way around.”

“Like you aren’t the same way with Gwendolyn,” Yellow piped in, strangely stoic, considering earlier he had fun irritating me.

“Oh, I know I am,” Barron agreed. “She’s got me wrapped around all those beautiful fingers of hers.”

They were actually silent a second as we walked before he added, “I want us to stop Harvest once and for all, so I can spend my immortal life with Gwen. How can I show her all that I can give her, if we are constantly at war?”

“Isn’t it beautiful to see Barron so happy?” Yellow asked with a teasing edge to his voice. “And to think, it’s all because his wrath almost stuck a bone in Gwendolyn.”

Blue cackled.

I whirled around when something crashed behind me. Yellow was missing, and Barron’s red essence was slightly erratic around him as he pulled his hand out of the concrete wall.

“I think you need to find Gwendolyn,” Blue said.

“Sebastian,” Barron said cautiously as he inched forward.

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