Page 50 of Wicked Bonds
I shake my head, even though part of me doesn’t want to know.
“It means I forfeit control of my mind, my actions, to the Coven. I’d be their puppet, not just their servant. But I’ve been walking a very thin line trying to give you what information I could.”
“Why?” The question escapes before I can stop it. “Why risk anything for me at all?”
He reaches out like he’s going to touch my face, then thinks better of it. His hand drops. “Because you’re not like the others who’ve been bound before. Most accept their fate. They’re grateful for the power, the education, the chance to be part of something bigger. But you fight everything. You question everything. You make me question everything. You didn’t come from this system, and you didn’t ask to be a part of it. You were free. You remind me of what that was like.”
“Wickersly wants detailed reports,” he continues, voice dropping to barely above a whisper. “Not just about your magic surges, but about your associations. Who you talk to, who you trust. She’s particularly interested in your connection to Drake.”
“Why?”
“Because Drake died attempting to break the Accord. He found something, some possible loophole or weakness, but he was killed before he could act on it. Wickersly thinks he might try to use you to finish what he started.”
“And would that be such a bad thing?”
Lucien’s expression hardens. “It would destroy everything. The Academy, the protections, the treaties that keep the supernatural world from tearing itself apart. Thousands would die.”
“Or maybe that’s just what they want you to believe,” I counter. “Maybe they’ve convinced you the world will end without them because it keeps people like you in line.”
We stare at each other across maybe a foot of space. The morning light is getting stronger, painting golden lines across the wet floor where the water is still spreading.
“What exactly does Wickersly want to know?” I ask finally.
“Everything. How often your magic surges. What triggers them. Whether you’re developing feelings for anyone that could be exploited.” His eyes glance down to my lips for just a second. “Whether you’re becoming attached to any of the supernatural entities showing interest in you.”
“Entities,” I repeat. “Is that what you’re calling yourself now?”
“It’s what I am, Rose. I’m not human. Neither is Soren, and Drake is barely even corporeal. We’re all threats to you in different ways.”
“At least you’re finally being honest about something.”
“I’ve been as honest as I could be.”
“No, you’ve been as honest as was convenient. You want points for walking some imaginary line? For being slightly less of an asshole than you could have been? That’s not protection, Lucien. That’s just collaboration with less balls. Take some ownership of your part in all this.”
“What you need to know could get you killed faster than the Accord ever will.” His control is fraying again, and for a moment, his eyes flash that deep red that means his vampire is close to the surface. “The Coven doesn’t tolerate rebellion. They eliminate it.”
“Like they eliminated Drake?”
“Exactly like they eliminated Drake.” He takes a breath he doesn’t need, visibly pulling himself back together. “Every report I file, every observation I make, I’m trying to paint you as compliant. Struggling but adapting. If Wickersly thinks for one moment that you’re actively working against them…”
He doesn’t finish, but he doesn’t need to. I get the picture. The Coven would rather kill me now than risk me becoming a problem later.
“So what am I supposed to do?” I ask. “Just accept it? Let them drain me dry in two years and call it a life?” Lucien wants me to be quiet, to play along, while I wait patiently for death. “No,” I say finally.
I move the pile of clothes beside my bed and pull out the first shirt I can find. I turn my back to him, drop the sheet, and pull it on. Fuck modesty. “I’m done being managed.”
“Rose.”
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” I say, grabbing jeans, still not looking at him. “I’ll go to Soren. I’ll find Drake. Hell, I’ll march into Wickersly’s office and demand the truth directly.”
I turn around, now dressed. Lucien looks stricken.
I cross my arms. “I’ve spent my whole life having decisions made for me. My mother hid my magic. The Coven claimed me like property. You’ve been managing me like I’m something that needs to be contained. I’m done with all of it. I’m going to save my own ass one way or another. You can either be part of that process or get out of my way.”
“These aren’t friends, Rose. They’re supernatural entities with their own agendas, and every single one of them sees you as a means to an end.”
“Including you.”
