Page 74 of Wicked Dove
KAEL
Istep into the elevator and the doors creak closed instantly, sealing me in with my fate. The whoosh in my ears confirms I’m moving and I take the few moments of reprieve that I have to shake off the hold Elodie had me trapped under. I don’t know what the hell that was, or what possessed me to chase after her and blurt stupid fucking words at her, but I can’t take them back now. Instead of focusing on her, I should be shifting my attention to the fact that Rion is on the hunt for her father.
This just keeps getting messier and messier, despite my best efforts.
Rolling my shoulders back, I tilt my head to the ceiling as I take a deep breath, refocusing my attention on what’s to come. I’m surprised it’s taken them this long to summon me. Usually, I’m called upon most mornings, but to let me get back into the swing of things without the constant control like this is very un-Sanctum-like of them. It weighs heavily on my chest.
The way they allowed me to walk back in was already suspicious. There’s something more at play here. I’ve already decided on that fact, but I still haven’t managed to catch their angle. I know why they want me alive, really. I’m a tool in their never-ending box of weapons, but Elodie doesn’t make as muchsense. Not when no scythe before her has never made it out of The Sanctum headquarters alive.
I’m intoxicated by the mere thought of her, so much so that I can almost smell her sweet scent in the air around me. It reminds me of when I was a child, running through the flower meadows without a care in the world. That’s what she smells like, sweet freedom, yet she represents everything but.
Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I ball them into fists, willing my cock to subside as her perpetual intrigue continues to overwhelm and taunt me. She’s absolutely under my skin. From the moment she opened her eyes in our glass cell, I knew she was a fireball, and when I honestly thought death might be upon me, uponus, I had to know if her sweetness runs all the way to her core.
It does.
Tenfold.
I’ve never lapped at anything sweeter, and I don’t think I ever will again. Unless it’s her, which is exactly what my body wants. Except, it’sneveras simple as that, definitely not in The Vale, and especially not at Institute Thirteen.
It’s more than how she’s got me mesmerized; it’s the fact that she’s had both Rion and me using our fists in her defense. My mind goes back to earlier, stumbling over the fact that Laurie mentioned Rion wants to know about Elodie’s father. I’m not surprised he turned to her; he always does. Elodie, however, was startled at the mention of her father, but not shocked. I wanted the answers there and then, but I’m not asking her.
I need to speak to Rion. I just have to make it through this first.
As if sensing my mind shifting back to my current situation, the elevator chimes, and a moment later, the doors open.
My eyes widen in surprise at first glimpse when I realize we’re not at the main headquarters. Well, we might be, but TheSanctum hasn’t summoned me to their usual chambers. Instead, a small corridor stands before me with a single door sitting slightly ajar at the end of the hallway.
I stride toward it, fixing the lapels on my jacket as The Sanctum members come into view on the other side.
My eyes land on Anya’s first, Willow’s mother. The sneer across her lips reminds me of the look her daughter gives me when she doesn’t get her way, which is all the time when it comes to me. As a member of The Sanctum, you would expect Willow’s mother to warn her away from me, but instead, she seems to encourage her infatuation. She purses her lips as she assesses me, her tongue slipping across her bottom lip, and it takes everything in me not to roll my eyes at her. She’s a damn viper.
Cordelia sits beside her, a surprising sight, since they usually occupy opposite ends of the table to spread out the feminine power. While Anya sneers, Cordelia remains stoic, her fingers curled under her chin with her elbow fixed on the table before her as she observes me. Her only tell is the rage in her eyes that burns freely.
Saken sits at the center of the five of them like always. He looks tired, almost bored, but I know that’s far from the truth. Sometimes I wonder if it’s a show, to appear weak and mellow when actually, a monster resides beneath the surface. I’ve seen what he’s capable of, the things he’s done, and I know better than to think he’s not a threat.
Toman leans back in his seat, arms folded across his chest as he stares at me with his lips set in a firm line. His black hair makes him look edgier than he actually is. He always seems like the most by-the-book Sanctum member we have. It doesn’t mean he’s any good at it. If anything, he’s the worst, but there’s always got to be some poor dog holding up the back of the race.
Finally, I turn my attention to Rikard, who immediately squirms in his seat, lacing his fingers together so tight hisknuckles whiten as he tries to match my stare, but fails miserably. He was once important to my family, my father at least, but just as many things happen in life, the shattering of their friendship remains eternal.
“Take a seat, Mr. Forrester,” Toman orders, waving at the single seat across from them. The desk they’re leaning against serves as some kind of power play, but all it actually does is hold Saken’s glass of water. How delightful.
Instead of saying anything, I oblige, keeping my mouth shut as I wait for someone to get to the point.
Saken clears his throat, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he blinks at me. “Multiple witnesses have confirmed there have been a few incidents with you settling back into The Vale,” he states, giving me a pointed look.
“What incidents are you referring to?” I ask. It’s always better to get the specifics before I admit to anything.
“A scene was caused in the dining hall on your first morning back,” Anya declares, pursing her lips as she tilts her head at me, and I scoff.
“A scene was caused in the dining hall because of your daughter, don’t pretend otherwise,” I snap back, and she scrunches her nose in distaste.
“You abused another student yesterday,” she pushes, eager to get under my skin, and I huff.
“I protected the girl you have insisted I take guardianship of,” I reply, watching the frustration sizzle in her gaze, but it’s Saken who responds.
“And now, I have professors concerned about your influence on others.”
Laurie. I should have known.
