Page 19 of Dominion

I had to take back control, to do something, to change these things. I was tired of just being a bystander in my own life, letting everyone else command my every move.

“I’m going to stay in the car, Cillian,” I said calmly, even though I was everything but. Cillian was one stubborn mule, and coming from me, another stubborn mule, I knew I couldn’t fight with him about this, even if I wanted to. I had to reason with him. “I won’t even make a sound.”

“The answer is still no, Sky.” With his back turned toward me, I tried thinking of a million other reasons why he should let me come. Why it was a good idea for me to be there.

Ash and Dylan didn’t know all these people. They didn’t even know Cillian. While Indigo was going to go with him, I didn’t want them to be alone.

I didn’t want them to think that I’d abandoned them.

I lifted my finger to my cheek, scratching the skin underneath my right eye. The familiar twitch started pounding in my left eye, the nervous tick that started from the moment I came here.

“Cillian—”

“Oh just let her come already, Kill,” a new voice piped in. As I turned to my left, I saw the woman who arrived this morning, Chiara, coming from behind another SUV that was parked in the line with the other five. “She’s a big girl.” Her emerald-green eyes flashed to me, the mischief as evident in them as the morning fog still clinging to the ground. “Aren’t you, sweetheart?”

I hated the condescending tone in her voice, but by the look of things, I was the youngest one here. I didn’t need a degree or to be older to know that none of these people worked regular nine-to-five jobs. The way Chiara moved, like a cat ready to pounce at any moment, reminded me of Ophelia.

But Ophelia was subdued compared to this woman. Ophelia was kind, talking to me like I was her equal and what I had seen in her eyes, the remorse she felt over whatever it was, was nowhere to be seen in Chiara’s eyes.

Darkness had many forms, but the one living inside of her stared back at me every time she looked at me. It was in every movement of hers, every look, every single word. She was a master of pretenses, that much was obvious. Even the sweet,saccharine smile she wore all the time couldn’t fool me into thinking that she was someone soft and kind.

Ophelia was scary in her own way, but Chiara… Chiara just didn’t give a flying fuck about anything or anyone. I had no idea how Cillian knew her, or why she even came, but the looks she gave him carried a lot more warmth than the rest of us earned from her. I didn’t mind her looking like a devil in disguise if it meant that she would get my boys back.

“Chiara, stay out of this.” Cillian glared at her, his entire body pulled taut. “You know very well how dangerous it will be once we get there.”

“Yeah, I do.” She laughed. She fucking laughed. “But I also know that it’s going to be fun, and she should be there. Besides,” she practically glided toward him, placing her hand in the middle of his chest, her fingers spread over his pectoral muscles, “she loves them, and they love her. Who is the first person you would want to see if you were in this kind of situation?”

A tick appeared in Cillian’s cheek, his eyes flying from me to Chiara, his mind obviously working overtime, trying to think up another reason why I shouldn’t be going, but he knew that Chiara had a point.

I wasn’t a child and I could take care of myself. There were more than fifty men coming with us, all of them obviously highly trained for this kind of situation, so why wouldn’t I go? There was no reason to keep me back at the house when the two guys I loved more than my own life were waiting to be rescued.

I clung on to the hope that they weren’t harmed, that they were okay, but knowing Judah, that was highly unlikely. Agitation had been running through my body since we came here, and my biggest fear wasn’t even what would happen to me or when this mess would end. My biggest fear was losing Dylan and Ash to the madness that followed Judah wherever he went.

I knew what he was capable of. I knew the techniques he used to break me apart and put me back together, making me feel as if I should’ve been thankful to him. The only reason why I never said anything, why I stayed back when I should’ve been running away from the very first moment, was the brainwashing he was capable of. That he held the two of them for more than three days now was what worried me the most.

“Fine—”

“Yes!”

“—but you’re staying inside the car.” He pointed a finger at me. “Is that clear?”

My head started moving up and down, nodding. “Yes. I won’t move a muscle.”

“Somehow, I find that hard to believe.” He huffed. “Come on. If you’re going to come with us, we need to get you proper gear.”

“I’ll do it,” Chiara said, looking straight at me. “I think I have something that’s her size.”

“Chiara.” The warning in Cillian’s voice was as clear as day. “I thought we talked about this?”

“You talked, I listened, darling. But I never said I would stay away from her.” I had no idea if I should be flattered or terrified by her words. But I would take any help I could get, even if it was from someone who actually scared the crap out of me. “Rick can help you with the rest of the bags,” she told him, looking straight at me. “While we get dressed.”

“You’re already dressed,” he grumbled, placing his hands on his hips. “Chiara, no funny business. Don’t give her any ideas.”

“Me?” She feigned hurt, placing her hand on her chest. “I would never. I’m the sweet, innocent party here.”

“Yeah, yeah, and I’m Santa Claus.”

“Well…” she looked him over. “If you continue as you’re going, you’re about to start looking like the Grim Reaper.”

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