Part 6 (1/2)

Seven.

We finally pulled off the highway a little over thirty minutes later. The road wasn't well traveled, but it was paved. More trees separated us from the world. Good. I needed them right now. My oxygen level hadn't gone back to normal since his mouth was on mine. My legs still trembled with need. I hated it. Hate him. Hate this day.

Wished it was over.

I could tell it was far from it.

”Why am I here again?” I asked testing my weight on my legs and smiling when they proved to work once more.

”To sign a contract,” he replied with disinterest, mocking me, ”If you embarra.s.s me inside, you will regret it. Try to act...like a lady.”

My jaw dropped. I was a lady! ”I can act like a lady.”

His eyes mocked me as if he was saying prove it. He stopped me briefly and with a flick of his hand righted my appearance to the way it was before our little roadside stand-off.

I had no sooner grasped what he had done before he was moving again without a single word. I hurried to catch up with him but by the time I reached him, the doors to the club were opened by two giant Fae. Both dressed in dark s.h.i.+rts and low hung jeans, both brunettes with shoulder length hair and dark green eyes. Twins?

”Ryder, good to see you brother,” The one on the left said, followed by a nod from the one on the right.

”Savlian, Sevrin are they here yet?” Ryder asked already walking away without waiting for an answer from the twins.

I tried to follow him, but was body checked by both men. Today was not my day. I was going to need a donut pillow by the time I got home for my behind! I came back up onto my feet like a firecracker. ”I'm with him!” I growled fiercely.

”New pet Ryder?” The one called Sevrin asked over his shoulder to where Ryder had turned to watch us. The guy's green eyes looking me over, making me sweat from the intensity inside them.

I looked to where Ryder stood, his eyes raking over me as well with his c.o.c.ky grin locked into place. ”She is, let her through.”

”Anything else?” The tall Fae asked, his eyes telling me he enjoyed this job entirely too much.

”a.s.semble the team. We'll be in the third room, the warded one,” Ryder said sweeping his hand in the direction of a staircase.

The club was huge inside and unlike the non-descriptive wood of the outside, the inside was lavishly decorated. Beams stood out prominently from the ceiling every few feet, going from one side of the room to the other. The high ceilings had chandeliers made with spiky coral hung from each beam. The tables had similar ones, much smaller that hung from chains from the same beams lighting up the tables and others dimly illuminated a more private setting in the back.

Celtic designs were highlighted on the walls, light s.h.i.+ning through them from behind the frosted gla.s.s paneling. Brighter blue lights lit up the bar area from more frosted gla.s.s. The stage was set up for a performance, guitars and other instruments laid out as if the band had just stepped out for a smoke.

The stairway he was walking to lit up before his foot could even touch the first step, as if it was aware he was on it before he actually was. I watched each step he climbed, change to a different color before I attempted to step on it myself. My eyes bulged as I stepped on it and a siren went off across the room.

My eyes went up to meet Ryder's golden stare. He turned and kept walking as if nothing had happened, so I continued to follow him watching each step he took, change from the beautiful rainbow colors to crimson red as I stepped onto them. It was an alarm system, as if the stairs could tell the difference between my steps and Ryder's.

When we reached the top, a long winding hallway stretched out before us. Ryder's long strides were difficult to keep up with but I managed-just barely. While I wasn't short, I was compared to his long legs. I had to jog to catch up, just to fall behind as soon as I did.

”Why are we really here?” I asked looking behind me as I felt something slither over my skin. I shook my head and brought my eyes forward just in time to collide against Ryder's chest. I jumped back as if he was on fire.

”Consider it another part of your interview.”

I rolled my eyes and rubbed my arm where I had felt something touch my skin. There was nothing there, but the feeling had yet to leave my skin. I stood s.h.i.+fting from foot to foot wondering what he would make me do now. I didn't have long to wait before ten well-built Fae dressed in dark colored clothing walked up behind us blocking my exit.

I stepped back away from them. The odds of fighting them all were slim if they decided they wanted a fight. Hot breath touched the side of my neck and I instantly realized I'd stepped towards Ryder for protection. He'd probably help them beat the s.h.i.+t out of me.

”Behave, or I will make you,” Ryder growled low and huskily into my ear, quiet enough that those striding towards us wouldn't be able to hear him.

I watched the men get closer, their features hidden in the shadows by the hallways dim lighting. As they all got closer to where I stood, motionless on high alert, my hands itched for weapons I'd left at home. I hated that I was defenseless except for my spells.

They nodded dark heads in Ryder's direction before he opened the door beside us and walked through, the others waiting for me to follow his lead. I did, but the moment I pa.s.sed over the threshold I felt it again, the slithering. And then a violent pain rocked me and nausea fought to get out from my throat.

”What the f.u.c.k!” I shouted even as I tried to keep the bile at bay.

”It is magic proof,” someone behind me said, pus.h.i.+ng past me into the room. ”Well at least from your kind of magic,” he snorted.

I held my hand out in front of me. The scars normally hidden by the faint glamour I usually generated to hide them, now showed vividly. Whatever they had inside this room stripped all magic from me, all glamour. I was officially one hundred percent f.u.c.ked. They watched me, seeing me.

A Witch was normally covered in spells. Most ran out of room and would be forced to use their faces or necks to complete their spells. Most were ruined of flesh by the time they had hit my age. I had one spell, to bar Fae from using me for s.e.x and that had been done at the base of my neck. Two stars sat on my shoulders, marking the two deaths that had touched my soul. And another on my hip to always remember what had happened. The rest were not visible unless I chose them to be, or unless I stepped under a black light.

”f.u.c.k me, she isn't all fuglied out.” The Fae who Ryder had referred to as Savlian said as he came around with his eyes narrowed slightly as he took in my features more carefully.

I glared at him, and then closed my eyes briefly as I felt nausea rolling deep inside of me, removing power that quickly was dangerous and it was taking everything I had to stay upright on my feet. Ryder was watching me, intently. It took a very powerful Witch not to succ.u.mb to the loss of their powers. Most would be flopping on the floor at his feet like a fish out of water.

I flicked my gaze to the walls, white walls to the naked eye. Sanction spells were written upon them, rendering anyone not of the Fae defenseless inside the room. ”Cool trick,” I growled righting myself and squaring my shoulders firmly.

”You have no visible ink, explain.” Ryder said in disdain.

I smiled coldly, unwilling to share my secrets with him.

”Want another example of why you don't want to f.u.c.k with me?”

”I don't need ink,” I whispered narrowing my eyes at Ryder.

”Explain.”

”I can't explain it, not here.”

”Try,” he barked angrily.

”I can't! Not without having a f.u.c.king target, so unless you want give me one...?” I let the question trail off leaving it for him to figure out. I was bluffing, of course, if I stepped out of the room I could call up the power to light up my spells, but he wasn't on my need to know list as far as I was concerned.

”Sinjinn, bring me the contract. Zahruk, get to it.”

I wanted to leave like this instant. The slithering feeling had yet to go away, as if something was literally crawling over my skin. I hated being unarmed, felt weak and the worst part was they knew I was. I knew how to fight better than most, but the odds were seriously not in my favor.

”On your knees,” the one called Zahruk growled with a thick accent I tried to place.

”On my knees?” I exhaled slowly. I was in severe need of a stiff drink.