Dark Promise by Annika West

42

As I stepped off the elevator and onto Level 47, all I could do was scream.

It was like my worst nightmare come to life.

Marigold stood in the kitchen, drinking orange juice straight from the jug. Like a damn animal.

Her blonde hair was huge. Her blue eyes were massive and mascara-ed to perfection. Her tinkling laugh promised imminent suffering.

Across from her, my mother covered her mouth, giggling.

What in the name of all the sewer rats is my mother doing inside Vulcan Corp.? She’s not supposed to be here. She’s supposed to be safely outside this godsforsaken building.

What if she finds all of the things that I’ve drunk-bought?

Literally, so much anime merch hidden under my bed. And not even from shows I’ve watched. It’s T-shirts showing the hottest 2D men that I could find.

So. Many. Shirts.

And why did I buy that body pillow?

But that wasn’t even the worst part about this.

My dad walked into the kitchen.

I cite the same reasons for panic as above.

Hux guided me forward, and I walked as if on a cloud. As if I was floating on a gust of my own anxiety.

August appeared next, looking very blond and very pretty. He pulled Willow and I into a strong hug and probably said something sweet about missing us.

The elevator dinged behind us.

As the newcomer revealed himself, I screamed.

Hux grabbed my shoulders, concerned and clearly ready to murder for me, because that’s what proper mates do.

Not him. Anyone but him. There is no omen worse than this.

The man’s skinny body was framed in the huge elevator doorway. His gray, cloudy eyes stared at a place that seemed to be just over my right shoulder or directly at my left.

Maybe he was going cross-eyed.

Maybe he was trying to trick me.

There was no way to be sure.

I stumbled backward, even with Hux’s support. I had to get out of here—no! I had to fight.

There was no other choice.

The man’s huge mail bag forced him to lean to the right at a dangerous angle. A ploy to make himself appear weak, instead of revealing the ferocious enemy he was.

This is it. This is where he tells me my awful fate, and then a building will fall on top of me. Or Marigold will become my roommate.

All I knew was that whatever curse this man was about to deliver, it would likely kill.

Gary, the Union Mailman Who Cursed Me With A Terrible Day, squared off with me.

I held my shaking hand out to the side. “Knife. Someone give me a knife.”

“Aster,” Mom said in that condescending mom voice that all moms seemed to have. “You’re not going to stab the mailman.”

“That is not a mailman,” I explained. “That is a bringer of doom. A horseman of bad days. An omen of destruction and hellish fates. Now, give me a knife!”

I had to be prepared for anything and everything Gary was about to throw at me.

At that moment, the elevator doors slid together, but Gary still hadn’t budged.

They smooshed against both of his sides, making his eyes go wide, as if he’d forgotten he was standing in an elevator. And then they slid back into the wall.

Gary opened his mouth, probably to deliver my destruction, and announced, “Mail for Aster King II.”

“Shut your creepy mouth!” I screamed while Hux forcibly held me back. I flailed in his arms.

Mom, the traitor, calmly strode forward and took the mail with a smile. She then gently turned Gary around by his shoulders and maneuvered him safely back into the elevator.

He continued to face the back wall, so he didn’t see her wave to him as the elevator doors shut.

By that time, I was pretty much hyperventilating.

In those precious seconds, he could have made eye contact with me and supplied an abysmal fate.

My body shuddered.

Hux had lifted me off the ground in a sort of bear hug. I wasn’t sure if he meant to comfort or restrain me.

Over my head, he informed my mom, “It’s fortunate that she temporarily forgot her own powers. I’m actually quite afraid for Gary’s well-being when she’s in the room.”

“He…” I gasped. “He’s the one you should be afraid of.”

“Aster?” Hux prodded gently.

“What?” The elevator doors stayed blessedly shut. Looked like Gary was scared off for good.

“Is this about the sewers?”

I shivered, my legs still dangling. “It is most certainly about the sewers.”

“If I set you down, do you promise to behave?”

“Will you bribe me with chocolate?”

“I made sure to have all of the cabinets stuffed with your favorites.”

I shuddered in relief. “I can manage that.”

My parents watched with thinly-veiled shock.

Mom nudged Dad. “Did you see that, Hunter?” she whispered.

“I did,” he whispered back. “Cayne stopped her meltdown right in its tracks. Incredible.”

“You know, I wasn’t entirely sure how their dynamic would work, but now, I’m beginning to see. But what did he mean about powers?”

Hux and I both stiffened.

They didn’t know about my fae-ness yet.

Once my feet touched the floor, I snarled, “You know I can hear you, right? And what the hell is she doing here?” Jerking my chin toward Marigold, I made sure to channel all of my disapproval into one glare.

Dad answered, “Since your mother and I have been here, and since Marigold has been a friend for some time, we invited her. She explained that she comes here all the time, so I figured it wasn’t an issue.”

Hux didn’t mention that Marigold came here uninvited most of the time, but that wasn’t the point of this reunion.

“Whatever. Come here and hug me.”

Mom rolled her eyes while Dad chuckled, but both tucked me into a group King embrace that made me feel very fuzzy.

Look at me! The picture of affection and familial love. That’s what I was.

My parents had known I was in Faery, since apparently, Hux had fully expected to come back through the portal with me. He’d left August in charge and had invited my parents to stay in Vulcan Corp. in case anyone came after them for his or my sake.

It was endearing and infuriating.

But better than him imprisoning them and threatening their lives in exchange for my obedience.

Baby steps, as they say.

“How did you know you’d come back with me?” I shoved him, ignoring his rock-hard abs and the fact that he didn’t even budge a little.

Who made him out of mountain materials? Seriously. It wasn’t fair.

He caught my arms and used my momentum to pull me close. “Because I’d made up my mind. Why wouldn’t it happen?”

He was teasing. Sort of.

I still wanted to snap at him, but he was petting my hair in a way that was far too distracting. Plus, he’d given me a chocolate croissant, and I was very busy chewing and scattering pastry flakes all over the both of us.

Dad added, “He was also certain you’d be coming back soon, and here you are. No harm done.”

Hux pointedly looked over me as I stared up.

“He said that?” I asked Dad.

“Um… yes.”

“Huh. Huxley Cayne, what would you have done if I’d refused to come back with your rich, spoiled ass?”

Shivers ran down my spine when he glanced down.

Heat raced through me.

“Do you really want me to answer that?” Hux purred.

I swallowed. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Not in front of my parents,” I ground out, trying to claw out of his hold.

He released me, but not without a warning look that told me he wasn’t above throwing me over his shoulder like an Aster-shaped sack of potatoes and hauling me to his bedroom.

All to remind me exactly how he intended to keep me with him.

Hux raised his voice. “We have a meeting in thirty minutes. However, Aster and I have important business to attend to.”

August’s face blushed ten shades deeper, clearly picking up on the bedroom vibes. “Right! I, uh, I’ll prepare documents? Are there documents? An email? Our printer is working again. Fixed it yesterday.”

Mom patted August on the head. “Take a deep breath, dear. It’ll be alright.”

I moved to smack Hux in the ribs, but he caught my hand and laced our fingers together. “Aster and I have to file the paperwork dissolving her Indentured Employment.”