Anchor of Secrets by Tessa Hale
3
Footsteps sounded on the stairs.I jerked upright, out of my hazy half sleep, and scrambled back against the wall, as if that would somehow save me. It hadn’t once so far. My muscles cried out at the sudden movement, pain still radiating through them at the faint memory of the burn.
Damien grinned as he took me in, dirty clothes and matted hair. But that was what seven days without a shower did to you. The only privacy I got was when I was allowed to go to the bathroom in a bucket.
“Ready to tell me?”
“I told you everything I know.” My words were barely audible. A faint rasp from screaming so much.
His eyes flashed red, and a muscle jumped in his cheek. “Stop. Lying.”
“I’m not lying. Don’t you think I would’ve told you by now if I knew?” The truth was, I wouldn’t have been able to hold back any information if I’d wanted to. The pain radiating through me was too great.
Damien cocked his head to one side, cracking his neck. He opened his mouth, teeth elongating into fangs.
I wanted to beg, to plead, but I knew it wouldn’t do any good, and I refused to give him the satisfaction. But I couldn’t hold back my shudder.
Damien surged forward, and his teeth sank into my shoulder. I was so covered in wounds, it was a miracle he’d found a new place to bite me.
I tried to brace, but it was never enough. The pain stole my breath. A blazing white-hot fire that surged through my veins, burning me alive from the inside out. Then the scream came. I didn’t want to let it free, didn’t want to give Damien that sense of power, but I couldn’t stop it.
Damien jerked his teeth out of my flesh and straightened with a wince. “Damn, your voice is annoying.”
The scream didn’t stop, though. It kept going as pain ravaged my body over and over in waves of burning lava. It kept going until my voice gave out completely and even after that. It just turned to a silent scream then.
Damien let out a dramatic sigh. “Finally.” He studied me. “I wonder if we’re doing permanent damage to your vocal cords.”
Probably. But I couldn’t find it in me to care. All I could focus on was trying to breathe through the agony.
“Are you ready to talk yet?” he pressed.
There were no sounds that escaped my throat, and my only movements were those of writhing in pain.
Damien bent over me, tapping against my forehead. “Did I break you?”
A snort came from the bottom of the staircase. “Probably,” Lucien muttered.
With my torture, I hadn’t even noticed them coming into the basement.
Caspian’s gaze locked with mine, and his jaw went hard. “This obviously isn’t working, D. You need to try something else.”
Damien whirled on his friend. “Are you questioning me?”
“N-no. Of course not,” Caspian stammered.
Damien stalked toward him. “You don’t think I know what I’m doing? You don’t think I can lead our den?”
Caspian shook his head frantically. “You’ll be an excellent leader.”
But even through my pain, I could read the lie in his words. Caspian didn’t think anything of the sort.
“I won’t let that trash seize power. They’ll sway The Assembly, turn our allies away from us. It’s not going to happen,” Damien growled.
“Damn straight,” Lucien encouraged.
Damien jerked his chin at Lucien. “What do we know about the Crescents?”
Lucien straightened, but a smile played on his lips. “They’re running around like chickens with their heads cut off. They have no idea where she is or who has her.”
Tears leaked from my eyes. They were looking for me. Even if it was just because I was something destiny had ladened them with, they were still looking. I wanted to feel a flicker of hope that they just might find me. But I couldn’t grab hold.
A beep sounded, and Damien pulled out his phone, scanning the screen. He cursed.
“What?” Lucien asked.
“The Assembly wants to ask me some questions about Leighton.” His gaze jerked to me.
It was then I realized I was still writhing. My body still reacted to the pain, even though my brain had completely dissociated by this point.
Damien crouched in front of me. “If you get me into trouble, I will drain every drop of blood from your body, and I will do it slowly.”
“Are you sure no one knows about this place, D?” Caspian asked.
“I’m fucking sure. It was abandoned almost a century ago. I found it by accident.”
Caspian looked around as if he expected The Assembly to jump out at any moment.
“Grow some balls,” Lucien snarled. “The Assembly can’t rule us. The vamps should be leading the supernaturals anyway. Everyone knows we’re the strongest.”
Damien straightened from his crouch and grinned at his friend. “That’s the fucking truth.” He turned toward Caspian and glared. “Either you’re with us or against us.”
Caspian’s already fair complexion paled even further. “I’m with you. You know I’m with you. I just think we need to be smart. Think outside the box so we make sure we get you to where you deserve to be.”
Damien stilled at that. “Think outside the box, how?”
Caspian’s mouth opened and closed as he searched for something, anything, to get Damien off his back. “We need to link you back to the bond so you can take over. Lead like you were always meant to.”
Damien scowled at him. “Why do you think I’m questioning Leighton every damn day?”
“I know,” Caspian hurried to say. “But there has to be a way to go around her. Someone else who can help. Maybe a caster who could work a spell?”
Damien stilled, his brain working over the problem. Then he smiled. It was an ugly, twisted curve of his lips. And it made me shudder, only intensifying the burning agony surging through me.
He turned slowly toward me. “If Leighton won’t tell me what I need to know, then I’ll bond to her. The Crescents will have no choice but to welcome me with open arms.”