Page 19 of Cursed Lifeline

“Not bad,” he grins. “For a girl.”

Dropping my swords, I quickly step forward, pull a dagger free from between my breasts, and hold it viciously against his throat.

My breath comes out labored against his lips as his mischievous smile grows. “A girl you’ll be thankful to have on your side if you ever come face to face with the undead in the dark.”

Sweat pools on his brow as he gives me a daring wink, and I shove him away with a sort of sibling rivalry. Stashing my dagger back into hiding, I walk off the sparring mat.

“We’re not done for the day,” Alfred starts in, ‘Come back and…”

I don’t listen, and his words become a faint echo as I stride off through the courtyard and make my way back towards the manor.

He may not be done, but I am.

For the past year or two, Alfred and I have discussed a possible calling on my life in detail. But it wasn’t until after my party a few weeks ago that he confided in me what that calling is. I’m sure the timing had something to do with a certain Prince of Darkness that has haunted my dreams ever since we crossed paths.

At the very least, I expected a scolding for how my brother discovered me pulled into an illusion and desperately clutching the enemy. What I wasn’t expecting was to inherit two more overbearing brothers: Caelum and Silas, who have also been assigned to train me against the uprising revolution in France, and the Immortalis Coven, who has joined forces with my father to kill the king.

As I climb our front steps and attempt to free my thoughts of the burden that has been bestowed on me, I trip over a rip in my gown that Caelum’s sword inflicted earlier and curse my brother and his two friends under my breath. I wish Alfred didn’t insist I train in a dress. He’s firm on the fact that I need to know how to move in one, and I hate to admit he’s right, seeing as walking around in pants like a man would stir up scandalous gossip. But I definitely could maneuver more easily in a less obstacle-inducing frock.

Normally, the trio of watchers have been coaching me at night when everyone is asleep so prying eyes can’t see what we’re doing—especially fathers. But with Father away on business and seeing as most of the staff have been given the day off, Alfred called for extra training and insisted it would be beneficial since the rioting in the country is gaining momentum.

As I enter the house, a cool breeze sweeps through the entryway and caresses my clammy skin like a bad omen as I climb the stairs. A shiver runs up my spine as I hit the landing on the second level. I’m halfway down the darkened hallway to my right, which leads to my private chambers when I sense I’m not alone.

The telling signs of a migraine pinches between my eyes.

Coming to a stop in the middle of the corridor, his voice as he left me standing in the middle of the ballroom a fortnight ago haunts my thoughts.

Stay away. Far away, Esme.

But before my heart begins to feel the pain those words so effortlessly evoke, I’m suddenly pulled into a darkened corner. Pressed tightly between the man who has been relentlessly on my mind these last couple of weeks and the wall behind me, the blade pinching between my breasts is my only reminder to keep my wits about me as Felix’s frame sinfully presses into mine. The dagger pricks my delicate skin, forcing me to remember who I am and what he is; as he licks his lips, his eyes lock with mine, and he gathers my hair in his right fist.

Neither of us speaks. The silence building between us becomes a powerful aphrodisiac, and I suddenly find myself losing the battle to not fall for any more of his tricks or his breathtaking illusions. Despite my best attempts to deny how he makes me feel, my breath hitches as he leans closer, tugs my hair to the side, and growls against the curve of my neck, “I lied.”

He breathes in deep and groans. My breathing quickens. My hands shake as he slowly binds them in his left palm and raises them above my head.

Paralyzed, I’m rendered speechless. Caged and restrained for his undoing, my knees wobble. My thighs shake.

A whimper falls from my lips as I ask, “About what?”

His strong left arm wraps tightly around my waist, and he draws me closer. My breasts ache as they firmly press against his firm chest before his mouth tenderly brushes against my collarbone, then further down against my chest. Then, further still, between my breasts. I suck in a sharp gasp when his warm breath dips between my cleavage.

“When I said I wanted you to stay away,” he growls.

His violet eyes lift slowly, seductively. When they hesitantly meet mine, they’re aglow with forlorn longing.

Holding his hungry stare, I whisper, “Don’t play tricks with me.”

He cocks his devilishly handsome face to the side and tries to read me. Tries to enter the secret workings of my mind. His magic twists around my thoughts, fiercely looking for an area to penetrate, but I keep a guard up as best I can.

It’s a trick Alfred has started to teach me. And I am glad he did since the man who’s intent on hunting me when I should be the one hunting him doesn’t seem to take no for an answer.

After a moment, Felix whispers with heartache, “I could never lie to you, even though we both know I should.”

He gently releases my hands above my head, and my arms slowly fall to my sides. His fingers trail over the curve of my face before resting on my lips. His eyes follow their path before passionately capturing mine. “Do you want me to stay away, Esme?”

It’s a question that’s so easy to answer, yet I pause. Though my hesitance should tell me the truth, my heart has me whispering a moment later, “No.”

His smile is one I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

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