Page 7 of Silverproof Damsel

“You thinkI’dever fuck you again? You were my mother’s‘gentle knight’,remember?” I stammered, exaggerating the quote for emphasis. “It makes meilleven thinking about the two of you together.” After making a dramatic gagging sound, I held his stare silently, anger burning in his endless azure depths, threatening to leave me in ashes.

Rhys’ face twisted with rage, delivering genuine fright that blocked the scream building in my chest from escaping. His fingers curled around my esophagus at the same moment the bedroom door flew open, slamming against the wall. The forceof the collision shook the entire room as deadened eyes held my wide, panic-stricken gaze.

“Remove your hand from her throat this moment, Rhys Emric Van Helsing. You promised me you’d not harm her, boy.” Talia’s sharp, motherly tone forced Rhys’ hold to slacken as we both twisted in discomfort. “Your sweet, gentle mother would’ve had your ass for touching a woman in anger.”

“She’s unharmed as of yet,” he rebuked angrily.

Talia grunted, flicking fire-engine red tresses over her shoulder. “Don’t sass me, boy. You know I don’t take kindly to such nonsense.” She couldn’t be over five feet and some change, but Talia held her own against Rhys.

“Do I look like achildto you, Talia?” Rhys retorted as his fingers bit into my tender flesh.

“I was there the day you took your first breath of air, Van Helsing. Your mother was my best friend. Do you think I don’t want to lash out as well? Unlike you, I’ve not taken my anger out on an innocent child. Remington is not Roslyn. She’s nothing like her mother,” she appealed in a low, threatening tone. With a clap of her hands above her head, lavender and lemongrass perfumed the space in a swift burst to my senses.

I surveyed the entire room, searching for the source of the soothing aroma, but found nothing. Rhys’ hand released its hold on my throat as he pushed away from me. I looked back at him as the azure blue enveloped the obsidian.

“My apologies, Talia. Remington was just reminding me of a time and person we’d both prefer not to think about ever again,” Rhys said softly, zeroing sharp, knowing eyes at me.

“Was she now? Best to learn not to bait a rabid beast, dear. Especially one that hasn’t been uncaged for some time. They tend to be rather . . .unstable. One would think her precious cargo would make her more cautious of doing something so ill-advised.” Talia, slightly out of breath, gave us both a pointedglance before gesturing for us to sit with a flippant wave of her hand toward the space next to us.

My lips turned down as I glared in confusion. Just as I was rearing to report the lack of anywheretosit, I gasped loudly as thick, powerful magic violently flooded the room. As I gaped in shock, five chairs and a table appeared in the location she’d indicated for us to be seated at.

Morgana and Raven entered moments later with Cole right behind them. The tension within the small chamber became oppressive as it weighed down on me. It threatened to force what remained in my stomach to expel onto the plush, dark gray carpet where I stood.

I forced my focus toward Cole, finding his eyes already on me. A darkening look flooded his stare as it dipped lower to my abdomen before returning to lock eyes with me. There was something in his stare that hadn’t been there before. Regret? Or was it remorse?

Raven’s presence was a welcome surprise, but neither of us held power here. Not in the House of Witches. Talia had her laws, as did every major house. This was her house. Rhys had brought me to neutral ground. The question remained ofwhyhe’d brought me here instead of where he was the law.

“Sit down, Remington,” Rhys ordered, as if I’d jump to do as he demanded.

It took effort to remove the fear locking me in place. I inched hesitantly toward the chairs magically appearing. If this wasn’t some Alice in Wonderland bullshit, then I didn’t know what was.

“Sit, child. They won’t bite,” Talia grumbled as she took a seat. The moment she did, a tea kettle appeared along with teacups. Suspended in the air, the kettle moved from cup to cup, filling each to the rim.

I sat across from the chair Rhys had chosen to sit in. Space was needed to cool my ardor. Once seated, both Raven and Morganasat beside me. Their hands both patted one of mine, forcing an unnatural calmness to slither through my mind.

Talia’s eyes softened as they landed on Rhys. The moment she attempted to place her hand on his, he yanked it back, then hiked one dark brow in silent rebuke. Talia laughed the silent warning off and held her hand out with her palm exposed. Rhys placed his hand on hers. It sent pangs of jealousy slithering through me.

It bothered me how he could be so tender with her but cruel with me. She had been there when he was born, though. Hopefully, she’d swatted his ass hard to force him to breathe.

Nyota had mentioned most of the immortals within this town had been around one another for centuries or longer. It made sense as to why they had so easily closed ranks, excluding me from their tightly knit circle.

Talia had been best friends with Verity, Rhys’ sweet, amicable mother. She’d personally delivered every Van Helsing child. Talia herself had set the blaze to the Silversmith mansion, burning my ancestors within the inferno. Using her powerful magic, she’d ensured no escape, intending that the mansion be a fiery tomb.

“We have a rather big problem to fix here,” Talia started, as three cubes of sugar dropped into the teacup in front of me.

The power within the room was smothering, yet soothing. I glanced upward, searching for the source of the magical tea party I’d been compelled to attend.

“I’ll deal with it soon enough,” Rhys muttered, scowling. The prick was looking at me as if I were a problem to fix.

“Will you? If you hadn’t been such an obtuse ass, Van Helsing, they wouldn’t be here to begin with,” Talia accused sharply. Pegging Rhys with a condemning look, Talia blew steam coming up from her tea, then waved her hand as two cubes of sugar dropped into her cup. “You and I both knowwhythey’re here.”

Uneasy with the direction of the conversation, I peered up, searching for the source of the sugar. It would be a handy trick to learn.

Snorting, Rhys reached for his cup, following Talia’s lead. “They’re here because a child of two powerful bloodlines has been created. It means Remington is a target whether she likes it or not.”

I instinctively shielded my stomach. It wasn’t a surprise that someone was after me. I’d been hopeful they’d decided I wasn’t worth the effort to kill. A girl could wish, right? Apparently not.

“I warned you about meddling with fate, didn’t I? You chose to ignore the warning during Beltane. When it’s messed with, Fate tends to meddle right back. It never loses.” Talia’s demeanor held a hint of humor. “I don’t know why I bother giving warnings anymore. No one ever listens.” Pausing dramatically, she grinned. “It no longer matters. Nothing can change what has occurred now. Best not to fret over the past, I say.”

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