“I’ll kill you!” she screams, and even then, I can tell she doesn’t believe the words that just flew out of her mouth.
My laugh grows menacing. Taunting.
“We can workshop it when we get home, love,” I say with a soft grunt as I try to pin her to the wall, but she’s fighting a lot harder than the two previous times. Must be all the food I’ve been feeding her.
It’s then I feel it.
Like a cold vacuum through my senses.
I’m suddenly weakened.
And everything grows dull.
15
VEIL
There’s an unbelievable strum running through my veins, and both Gemini and I grow still, my back pinned to the wall as his fingers dig into my bare arms.
His eyes widen, and I feel mine do the same as his mouth falls open on a sharp inhale. But when I see his expression shutter, his typical non-threatening demeanor evaporating, my urge to run as far away from him as possible surges back like a deadly tsunami.
His glare turns cold, and it coats my skin with frost.
“What did you just do?” he asks so chillingly, his teeth gnashing with a bloodthirsty threat.
His fingers dig even deeper into my arms, and I know I’ll find bruises in the shape of him tomorrow morning.
What did I just do?
Every atom in me is vibrating with the fear of Gemini’s righteous anger, but I can hardly concentrate. My mind is pulled to the crowd beyond the deserted corridor. I have an insatiable craving to hunt down every single lie and dirty secret of anyone with a pulse in the main room.
Gemini shoves me hard against the wall, and I snap my gaze back to him, realizing I was staring toward the closed doors at the end of the corridor.
“Who are you?” he growls, his tone accusing and enraged. His eyes bounce between mine as he stares, his gaze desperate but menacing.
He stares like he’s never seen me before, and I wonder if my time has come. If death has finally arrived to collect my soul for the long journey home.
“I — I have no idea what’s happening,” I manage to croak out shakily as I fight the urge to screw my eyes shut.
Then I sense it.
Like a balloon popping. And whatever it was that I was feeling, it’s now gone like a puff of smoke. I can tell Gemini felt it too. His grip loosens infinitesimally around my arms as curiosity flashes through his features.
The silence slithers itself around us, slowly curling around my throat like a lazy, coiling snake. I can hardly swallow, waiting for Gemini to say something.
“Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky.” It’s a low, threatening hiss. “Pretending to be a weak, little rabbit, when you are anything but.” His face now inches away from mine, he snaps his teeth close to my nose, and I wince. “Aren’t you, pet?”
My body rattles under his touch as his fingers dig painfully into my arms. “I don’t know what you mean …” I utter quietly, trying to bite down on the panic still filling my lungs.
He releases me and takes a step back. His face smooths back to the Gemini I’ve become accustomed to. Lighthearted and mischievous. The one skilled to manipulate me into feeling things I refuse to admit out loud. It sends a shiver down my spine, and I’m unsure what to make of the sensation, other than to ignore it.
“Well, Veil Vulturine,” he says with a dark curl of his lip, “I think it’s time for us to find out.”
“Where are you taking me?”Although I ask my question in a soft tone, my voice echoes through the arched corridor, and I cringe at having disturbed the silence around us.
Gemini doesn’t answer and simply continues to drag me by the wrist—I should be grateful that, at least this time, it’s not by a leash tied around my neck. I don’t have any more struggle left in me. For today.
All that I’ve gathered is that we’ve descended multiple flights of stairs to reach the subterrestrial levels of Mount Pravitia—the most prominent building in the city. It didn’t take much for Gemini to charm the guards into letting us past the lobby.
