Page 152 of Wings of Lies
“Now you sound like Brock,” I spat before he covered my mouth. He flinched as the rune flickered, but it wasn’t enough. Mypresence, my words, my touch, nothing was enough to get him back. I needed the general to the queen’s husband.
Oliver stood, bouncing his attention from the scene we were making and Magda, who sat daintily smiling in her chair, golden hair gleaming.
I ducked, forcing Aspen’s cuffed hands to choose between muffling my words or keeping me close. He attempted both by pressing a hand into my chest and mouth, failing to silence me.
“Where is she? Where’s my mom?” I asked, voice muffled but strong.
“Sweetheart,” Aspen gasped, awkwardly twisting my face toward his. The rune flickered between skin and red light, mirroring his emotions as they wavered between worry and emptiness. “Listen to me, please. I know you can’t shield your emotions, but no more questions, or we won’t leave, and I need you safe. Once I open the door, run.”
His eyes. I reached up, tempted to touch them. They glowed. He wore two pairs of magical suppressing cuffs, and his eyes glowed with power.
“Did you hear me, Lucille? Run and leave us.”
I pressed a hand to his cheek, realizing even with my Binding Rune and his power-suppressing cuffs, nothing stopped the tingles of our bond. “But I have to save you,” I said, staring into the eyes of the male who wanted me to stay safe, staring into my Aspen’s eyes.
He dropped his forehead to mine. “There’s nothing left of me to save.”
Magda threw her head back and laughed. “Sorry, darling, but I no longer need her questions with how much sorrow and hope she’s throwing about. It’s so raw and potent. Delicious,” she tittered. “Although I will say, Lucille. You won’t have to wait long before you find your mom again.”
What did that mean?
As Aspen approached the door, she dropped her head slowly, her gaze locking onto us with eyes that mirrored the color of her pendant—a hue that filled me with growing dread.
“Run, Lucille,” Aspen snapped, pressing me against the door.
Even if I wanted to, the doorknob wouldn’t twist.
Magda stood, hair floating around her in a glowing halo. “You’ve given me quite a meal. I’m not ready to let you go yet. Not with one last thing to do.”
A strand of golden hair lengthened, floating over to Oliver, who scrambled toward us. It caressed his cheek. He flinched back as the glowing hair seared a line into his skin.
“You should’ve listened to the princeling, darling.” She prowled forward. “But I’m quite glad you didn’t. The last time the prince came, he gave me nothing. But you two. You don’t shield your emotions. It’s delectable.”
“Uncuff me, Luc—prisoner.” Aspen vibrated with tension and warmed my hands with his unnaturally hot back. The heat penetrated his thick leather uniform. Almost as if the rune sent its searing heat through his body or his power sought release. I couldn’t tell which, or maybe it was both.
“She doesn’t have the key. I do, and I think it may be best to leave your cuffs on,” Oliver said next to me, trying his hand at opening the door.
“But Nephilim, don’t you know what’s on the prince’s wrists?” Magda said, smiling like she was about to win something.
Oliver raised a brow. “I do know. They’re called cuffs.”
“But they can?—”
“Get me to my sister? Yeah, Lucy told me.”
“But my vision showed me she hid that information…” she trailed off and frowned.
“Sorry to ruin whatever chaos you had brewing, but your next emotional meal isn’t on the menu.”
Magda sighed as her skin shimmered like the glow in her hair. “Fine, darling. We’ll do this the hard way, then.”
“Uncuff me!” Aspen bellowed.
But before we could react, Magda sent a flare of golden light at Oliver, and it sank into his skin.
“I hate doing the dirty jobs.” Magda pouted. “So please knock out the female and kill the prince for me. He’d make a lovely addition to my fence.”
Oliver slid a dagger from the sheath on his hip and stepped toward us. He smiled in a twisted sort of way. In a way I’d never seen. “With pleasure.”
