Page 9 of Wicked Chains
“Yes. You are to report directly to me, and only to me. I have little patience for the bureaucratic nonsense of the academy governance.” He leans forward, eyes cold.
“I understand.”
“Do you? I wonder.” He waves his hand in dismissal.
I turn, never taking my eyes off his until the door closes behind me.
The guards outside stare straight ahead. I pause for a moment in the hallway.
I do not want Rose to be free. I’ve lived long enough to understand that freedom is rarely an option for most of us. What I want is for Rose to survive. And if that means aligning myself with the Blood Moon Coven, so be it.
There is no honor in this choice. Only necessity.
And necessity is the mother of monsters.
The corridor outside my quarters is empty, or nearly so.
She is waiting. I could sense her before I saw her.
Rose leans against the wall beside my door, her arms folded tight across her chest. The blood mark is hidden, but I know she’s keenly aware of it, especially after the display of subservience that bastard Ash put her through during the assembly.
She regards me with a look that is half challenge, half accusation.
“Done kissing the ring?” she says, pushing off the wall.
“You survived the assembly, then.”
Rose shrugs. “I’m here.” She stares at me, unblinking. “Why are you doing this?”
I open the door. “Come in.”
She hesitates, but follows, shutting it behind her with more force than necessary.
“I want an answer,” she says.
“You already know it.” I remove my coat, folding it neatly before draping it on the chair.
She steps closer, eyes narrowed. “Are you really aligning with them?”
“Yes.” What else can I say?
She laughs, incredulous. “Wow. Just switched sides because someone with more power showed up?”
I let her say it. I deserve it.
“You don’t understand the game, Rose.”
She circles me, and it reminds me of the first night we met.
Will we always be circling each other, she and I?
“No, Lucien, I think I understand perfectly. It’s always about power. Whoever holds the power gets your loyalty.”
I pivot to keep her in view. “Power keeps you alive.” I mean it differently than how she will take it.
“Is that what you tell yourself?” She jabs a finger into my chest.
I catch her hand, gentle but unyielding, and move between her and the door before I realize I’ve done it, blocking her path with my body. “If I could buy your freedom with my own, I would.”
