Page 32 of Mistake of Magic
“You couldn’t help it.” River squeezes the shifter’s shoulder, eliciting a surprised brow tilt from Tye. “And we’re about to have more work for you.”
“What do you mean?” Shade brushes my hand one more time before reluctantly stepping away, his shoulders spreading as he transforms from gentle to deadly within a single heartbeat. “What happened?”
“A fight,” Coal says, stepping out of his room. Wearing his signature black leather pants and sleeveless tunic, his blond hair in a tight bun, the warrior is a portrait of bored patience. “Why is the common room a mess and smelling of Slait?”
Tye picks up a half-eaten sweet roll and stuffs it into his mouth. “Sparkle is here. Well, not here—in the library. Because who would want to say hello to her brother when there are books to be read. But returning to other news, did I hear that right? Someone is going to be punished and it isn’t me?”
“I’ll be happy to bleed you tomorrow if you are envious,” Coal tells him.
Tye opens his mouth, the tip of his tongue making a leisurely exploration of his canines. “As tempting as that is,” he drawls, “I must admit that my own pleasures run a wee bit differently.”
“Oh, good stars.” Twisting on his heels, River stalks to his bedchamber.
I retreat to the couch, sinking into the soft cushions, the joy over Autumn’s arrival unable to penetrate the flood of dread drowning my soul. Coal was aslavein Mors. Everything about this is wrong. Vile. Except no one but me seems to think much of it. Most notably Coal himself, who now leans against the wall with deadly grace, using a boot knife to clean his nails. The muscles in his arms bunch and slide with the small movements, and I long to go stand by him. Touch him, comfort him—but I know I’d just be comforting myself.
Coal wants my touch on him as little as he wants my thanks for pulling me off Malikai’s lap.
My breath catches as Coal’s blue eyes find mine. The male crooks a finger to call me over. When I oblige, he gazes down at me. “Your old master liked to use a belt on you, if I recall?”
I nod, a cold shiver running down my spine even as I lean closer, focusing my attention on whatever Coal wants to say. Needs to say.
Coal snorts softly. “Well, I’m not you, mortal. So stop projecting your personal little terrors onto me. It’s embarrassing.”
I snap away from him, the chill in my spine turning to ice. “Bastard.” I twist away, my heart pounding as I stalk to the couch.Bastard. Bastard. Bastard.
The couch shifts as a wolf’s soft paws land upon it, the animal circling before curling up against me, his warm, fuzzy head resting in my lap. I run a hand down his back and feel his rumble of pleasure.
A bell tolls in the distance and River returns to the common room. His hair is washed, and in place of a training tunic he wears a formal uniform, his blue jacket buttoned to the neck and a golden braid encircling one shoulder before looping across his broad chest.
“Pretty,” Coal says, looking the prince up and down.
“It’s the least I could do,” River replies.
Coal snorts again, the two walking out the door as if heading to a dinner party.
In the silence that settles, Tye braces his arm on the back of a chair opposite me and tilts his head at Shade, who, I discover to my own surprise, I’m scratching between the ears. My hand stills. The wolf yips unhappily. The scratching resumes.
“Useless flea transport,” Tye grumbles at Shade. “I take it I have the pleasure of telling Autumn what happened?” He pushes away, stopping a pace short of the door. “If River and Coal return before we do,” he says, turning to look at me over his shoulder, “you may wish to let Shade care for him alone. Coal isn’t one to enjoy company when he’s hurt. When it’s me—and note that I saywhen, notif, because I think everyone knows I’ll do something stupid sooner or later—when it’s me, please feel free to sit by my side. You can brush my hair too; that always feels nice. And feel free to say soothing things about how tight my muscles are, how brave I am, how large my—”
Shade growls and Tye leaves at once.
Five minutes after that, I start screaming.
21
Lera
My wrists are shackled, the metal cutting into my raw skin promising of worse to come. My heart pounds at the sight of those iron bands, sweat beading on my forehead and draining down my face. There is no use pulling against the binds, but I do, ripping away skin. My breath comes so quick that I’m dizzy, unable to fill my lungs properly before the next breath. My hands shake. Tremble. My whole body shakes and trembles.
The click of boots against the cell’s hard floor is muffled, as everything is in the Gloom. The qoru like it here.
“This is the bull?” one voice says to his companion. “Is it not a bit... rabid?”
“I was under the impression you preferred them this way.”
A strip of blazing pain explores my left shoulder blade. Swallowing a scream, I twist to gaze at the male. He’s naked, of course, his gray lizard-like skin stretched tight over bulging shoulders. He bounces on webbed hind legs, his milky pink eyes blinking hungrily, the round maw of piranha-like teeth opening in a perverted grin. The qoru takes a step toward me and I pull against the shackles until—
“Lera!” Arms shake me, Shade’s yellow eyes level with mine as he crouches on the floor, to which I’ve somehow slid. “Look at me, cub. What’s happening?”
