Page 108 of Her Dark Promise

“Good. Now that you are here, we can go.” Their father called them over, pointing to me as if I were a stray animal. “Say your goodbyes, boys. You will return to the village infamous, survivors of the beast. They will crown us.” He thought long and hard, tapping his chin. “But do I need the beast to live?”

No one moved.

Soren swallowed audibly. “Father.”

“Perhaps not—we could slay the beast, stop the Reapings. What a legacy we’d hold. With her death, we can move into this very castle.” He played with the idea, staring past me. “We could crown ourselves.”

Callum got too close, pulling a weapon free—a blade.

“Don’t!” I took my eyes off the man for a moment to push Callum away from me, when I felt a searing pain in my side, I turned my attention back to their father before hearing shouting from behind me.

I looked down to find a calloused hand gripped around the hilt of a deformed blade protruding from my stomach. I slowly looked up at the man and found him staring down at me, eyes wild and determined.

I brought my hand up to use my magic, but nothing. Not even a drip of power came to my aid when I needed it most.

“Not so powerful now, are you?” He laughed a bit, and I felt powerless. Helpless. My legs gave out, having no strength to keep me up, when he wrapped both hands around me and held me to him. “Beautiful, though, isn’t she?” And he shook me, causing the blade still in my side to move and jerk. More pain seared through me and I couldn’t help the cry that escaped my lips.

Callum yelled, “Let her go!” Spit formed around his mouth. Callum took a step in our direction when the man’s hand wrapped around the blade and warned, “Tsk tsk. I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Step back.”

He crushed me even harder against him, so hard that I could almost feel my bones snapping under the pressure.

“Enough, Father.” Soren stepped forward. “You have made your point.”

“Oh, I don’t think I have. It doesn’t look like she is going to give up easily.” A chill ran down my spine as his nose grazed my neck and he inhaled. I could feel my body betraying me as it grewweak, my limbs not obeying the order to attack him. My arms wouldn’t even raise, and I could feel myself sinking into his hold.

What was happening? This shouldn’t be happening.

You are finally learning your lesson.

Circe?

Everything started to slow. My mind was hazy, though I could feel his hands roaming over my stomach and took a few steps over the line he drew in the dirt.

“Did you fuck her?” I wasn’t sure which brother he was asking, but I could see both of their cheeks flushed at the question.

He laughed. “Both of you? I don’t blame either one of you for being enticed by this witch.” The word was poison on his tongue, not having the same effect as when Bastian said it.

“Do not speak of her like that,” Callum hissed, taking another step forward, but Bastian stopped him.

“Any of you get closer, I’ll stab her in her heart and end it!”

Callum shook, I could see him. My eyes pleaded with them. “Just do what he says,” I told Callum, my voice weak. “Don’t hurt him,” my voice begged, and that seemed to delight him.

The man looked me up and squeezed my body hungrily. His hand had roamed up, pulling at the fabric of my dress to expose my breasts. He scooped up one of my nipples into his mouth and bit down—I cried out. Tears began to form in my eyes.

“I wonder if she would like to fuck me, too? Wouldn’t want her to miss out on having a taste of the entire family.”

Soren lunged forward to grab me, but Bastian released Callum to go after him. With one swift hit to his face, a punch that sounded as if it cracked his precious cheekbones, he fell to the earth.

Callum took the freedom to move around Bastian. He was going to try and save me, and he was going to die if he did. “Don’t,” I said again, harder. “Don’t you fucking move, Callum.”

He froze mid-step, nostrils flared, eyes watering.

“You like my boys, don’t you?” He freed my other breast from the fabric, toying with it. “Have they grown on you?”

“Yes,” I said weekly, feeling my body start to go numb.

Bastian merely stared at the scene, warring with himself on what to do.

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