Page 41 of Silverproof Damsel

Warm liquid flowed onto my chest as the sounds of feet rushing toward us pulsated in my ears. Panic, unlike anything I’d ever known before, shot through my veins, like gasoline flowing too quickly through a fuel pump. It inundated my engine. Before I had a chance to fully understand what was unfolding, Nyota’s limp form was ripped away from me.

Cole’s dark features tightened with confusion when he realized Nyota wasn’t moving. “Are you hurt?” My head slowly shook in reply to his question. “Nyota? What the fuck—” Cole’s words stilled as anger sharpened over his handsome face. “Silver?”

Cole’s words caused warmth to drift up my chest to burn my ears as guilt gnawed at my innards. Trembling, covered in Nyota’s blood, I turned as an angry snarl was released from several of the Van Helsing brothers.

“Is she dead?” Illeron demanded with worry filling his tone.

Shivering violently as Rhys’ wrath swung toward me, I shook my head. Opening my mouth to reassure him I hadn’t harmed his sister, it closed as Illeron began snarling vitriol.

“This is your fault,” Illeron stood up, eyes widening with horror. He jabbed a finger into Rhys’ chest. “You are honor-bound to protect us and your house first and foremost. You brought your whore home, now Nyota is fucking dying. You’ve failed to uphold your vow to us all, brother. You’re unfit to be the alpha of this house.”

“There was no silver inside this house.” Rhys’ tone was cold, lifeless. Azure eyes simmered with malice as he turned them on me. “Either issue a challenge for my seat or get the fuck out of my way so I can deal with the issue at hand, Illeron.”

My blood turned to ice as it ripped through my veins, leaving me chilled to the bone. My heartbeat became thunderous drums beating noisily as I rose to my feet, stumbling back a few steps asthe angry disposition of each Van Helsing focused on my every move.

“Take Remington to the Onyx Wing and lock her inside, Nikolas. Once you’re assured the doors are locked, stand guard outside the door. She’s not allowed to escape back to her murderous bloodline. Mikel, go review the camera feed to figure out how Remington was able to bring silver inside my house.”

“Walk,” Cole commanded with a viciousness in his tenor I’d never heard him use before.

I’d never harm Nyota. Once she was better, she could tell them herself that I hadn’t done it. The fear of her dying caused a fist to grip my heart, squeezing it tightly.

“I didn’t do this. You know I’d never hurt her!” I shouted, but Rhys turned deadened eyes toward me, giving me pause.

“Wouldn’t you? You’re as fickle and murderous as the whore whose womb you were grown in. Cole, remove her from my sight before I do something that can’t ever be undone.”

Cole’s hold on my elbow tightened as he jerked me toward him. The grip he had on my arm burned. He’d never been anything other than flirtatious before. None of that softness lived within him anymore.

“You can either walk or be dragged. Decide now, Silversmith,” Cole warned coldly, forcing my feet to move one in front of the other.

“I wouldn’t hurt her, Cole. She protected me when none of you cared. Nyota has saved my life more than anyone else.” My words fell on deaf ears as he dragged me down a dark, wrecked corridor.

I couldn’t wrap my head around what had occurred. I hadn’t been here for more than an hour before shit had gone sideways on me. It was as if I’d walked right into a well-thought-out trap. One that had taken little to no effort to spring once I’d stepped into the mansion.

One of Rhys’ brothers wanted me dead. Whoever it was had already infiltrated my dreams and then attempted to blame me for their sister’s death. The lengths they’d gone to ensure I took the fall for Nyota truly terrified me.

Whoever was behind it was after me or Bullet, but Illeron had gone right for Rhys’ throat. He’d placed doubt in the minds of the other Van Helsings as to where Rhys’ true loyalty lay. Rhys wouldn’t believe me over his brother. I’d walked myself right into a viper’s nest, voluntarily.

Chapter Seventeen

Colehadn’tspokenasingle word to me before locking me inside the Onyx Wing. I’d screamed for him to let me out for a few moments before conceding in defeat. After an hour of beating on the door, to no avail, I rolled into a ball, rocking in front of it. I’d remained there long enough that I’d ended up crying myself to sleep in that very spot.

Slowly pushing up from the floor, I rubbed my swollen eyes before stretching my limbs. Inching further into the entryway, I wrapped my arms around my abdomen, glaring at the impressive entrance of the apartment, which was surely my gilded prison now.

Peering at the steps leading down to the lower floor, I released a puff of air at discovering crystal quartz had been carved to form the staircase. Each step had been polished to reveal the glittering rainbow embedded inside each flattened panel. Over it, a clear coat of some sort protected the crystalized stone stairs.

Moving to the side of the stairs, I caught my first real glimpse of the beauty of the Onyx Wing. Rhys hadn’t been playing around when he’d designed this place. It was unreal, along witheverything I’d have chosen myself if I’d had a similar budget to play with.

The foyer was painted in dramatic shades of midnight blue. White furnishings added a startling contrast to the room. Large wing-back chairs sat in front of silver railings, peering down over the lavishly decorated room below.

Below the midnight-colored entrance room, darker colors filled the spaces. Ink-colored walls seemed to pulsate with magic around a large, opulent front room. They slithered as if the walls themselves were alive with life beating through them. Towering pillars went from ceiling to floor. It added a larger-than-life feeling to the space.

On the farthest wall, a waterfall cascaded through a bed of crystal quartz. It flowed through the room, then vanished beyond sight. Rainbow prisms reflected from the light shining through the crystals until they were swallowed by the darkness of the space.

A large, intricate chandelier hung from the ceiling. The beauty of the pieces forced my eyebrows to shoot up toward my hairline. Shards of grayish-colored, smoky quartz hung down in various lengths. Each shard projected light from both the fireplace and the candles lit at the entrance of the foyer.

A large fireplace sat in the middle of what, at first glance, appeared to be a blacked-out windowpane. The more I stared, the clearer the image became. The walls weren’t even walls. They were magically enhanced runes that were even now pulsating and dancing with the protection magic they yielded.

From where I stood, I could sense the sheer volume of magic used to infuse to protect the space’s inhabitants. It was why the walls had appeared to slither. I’d never seen an actual space created by magic. I hadn’t known it could even be done.

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