What the hell am I going to do with her? She’s seen too much. She now knows too much. She has the key to a weakness, and she could use it against me, or better yet, share it with anyone to use against me.
Yet, I can’t fucking kill her.
“You’ll stay here.” It isn’t a request, it’s a command. And I’m sure my tone gets that across without question. I don’t bother looking at her or anyone as I speak. “You’ll get your own room. But don’t test me. If you try to leave without my approval, I will hunt you down, and I can’t be responsible for my actions when I catch you.”
I hear her little gasp and bite the inside of my cheek when my cock starts to grow in response.
I’m such a fucked up bastard.
TEN
Astra
The room I’ve been given to stay in is nice.
It’s very different from the room I have in my father’s mansion. I hate that place. I really do. And I’m kind of thankful I’m not going back there, at least for a little while. I know I shouldn’t complain. Most people would be thrilled to be pulled out of a tiny house in the middle of the woods and moved into a castle. Okay, it’s not exactly a castle, but it is huge. Not only am I not used to so much space, but it kind of makes my skin crawl.
I sigh as I flop down on the bed. The duvet is white and covered with pretty pink painted roses, bunched together in twos and threes, and sporadically placed so it doesn’t feel overwhelming. The pillowcases have little rosebuds in matching colors. The pattern feels classic—as inold—but it makes me smile. The massive sleigh-style bed faces a set of double doors, which lead out to the huge wrap-around walkway running the length of the top floor. While the bed fills up most of the space on this side of the room, there is a little sitting area with a small couch and coffee table on the far side. There’s even a TV on the wall, which seems out of place given the decor.
All-in-all, there’s not a lot of extra room, but that’s okay because I don’t need much. I can’t imagine I’ll start doing yoga here or have a dance party for one.
Checking out the room with my eyes has only provided me with a few moments away from my thoughts. It doesn’t take long for things to start sitting heavy on me again.
There has been so much thrown at me today.
I haven’t even had time to process all the things Sandra said to me. It’s hard to believe that was only a few hours ago.
I’m still having trouble comprehending the things she told me. Like, how she’d trapped me with her magic. Did the aunts know this? I can’t imagine how they would be clueless. Now that I think about it, never once did they try to take me past the edge of the cottage’s land. I become furious with them. Why didn’t they tell me? Why didn’t they do something to break the ward? Sure, Sandra said it was basically my father’s doing, but it still doesn’t make it right. Why wouldn’t she just refuse? Unless she wanted to do it. Maybe she didn’t want me around. Maybe I reminded her too much of my mother or she didn’t want to have to deal with me after my mother’s death.
I shouldn’t have run when I did. I should have let her talk.
But if I hadn’t fled when I did, I wouldn’t have run into Donovan in the alley. I wouldn’t be here right now. Heck, I would probably be back at my father’s mansion still, in bed because any little thing I do drains me. At least this way, I feel better, even if Donovan gives me emotional whiplash. I don’t think he’s going to make things easy on me, and I hope he realizes I want to make it out of this just the same as him. I’m not expecting or even hoping for more.
I’m not ready to die, if that’s where this curse is headed.
This is my first time in the world. I may have had access to the internet and TV, but being in it is way different than sitting back and only seeing it. Especially, when I now have a freedom I didn’t know had been taken from me. There are so many things I want to do, things I want to see and explore.
I scowl at the ceiling. I can’t believe Sandra messed with the world and my emotions the way she did. I can’t help but think about howwrongit is. Are there no rules or laws against things like that? I grew up with magic, and I know there are certain things you don’t mess with. I wish I could remember living with my mother and her coven. I wish I could see her magic, however she might have woven it. I don’t remember. Even though I strain my brain, I can’t recall anything other than a feeling when I think about my mother. This warmth surrounds me and I don’t want to let it go. Sandra had said I might not get my memories back because I’d been under the spell for so long. It makes me angry. Sandra took my mother from me, and I might not ever remember her again.
A knock tentatively hits my door. I just know it’s not Donovan.
“Yes?” I call out.
Torrin stands in the doorway with a tray of food. He sets it on the table beside the door.
“Torrin, right?” I ask, just to make sure I heard right, and also to see if I’m allowed to call him that. Maybe there’s a more formal name he’d rather I use.
“Correct.” He flashes me a quick smile. “Lucille makes the most wonderful food,” he says, keeping his feet just on the other side of the threshold.
He’s giving me space, which I greatly appreciate. I’m stuck here, apparently, and he doesn’t have to be nice to me. Honestly, I think that’s the last thing Donovan wants.
Ugh, thinking about him makes me want to throw something. I can’t believe the way he talked to me before he walked out of the room earlier.
I may be trapped here, but I am not going to make it easy on Donovan Falco.
Torrin, on the other hand, I’ll treat him with respect as long as he keeps doing the same to me. I don’t trust him, but I won’t go out of my way to be mean to him.
“And Lucille is… Mr. Falco’s wife?” I can’t make eye contact as I ask the question or stop myself from cringing just a little. I don’t know why I haven’t thought of it before. What if he’s married? If my father has opened my eyes to anything, it’s that men can be cruel and uncaring. Marriage and vows and promises mean nothing when it comes tocertainneeds.
