Page 49 of Spellbound
Someone or something had disabled it.
My brain caught up with my body and I stood, knocking the painting onto the grass, then took off toward the mansion. Maddox was there. Where was my dagger? My pistol?Think. In the atrium or the armory? Or did I take it to my room? It was times like this when I hated myself for being an unorganized mess.
I reached the back door, frantically whipping my head left to right in the kitchen, looking for anything out of the ordinary. The same cluttered shelves and sink filled with plates and cups awaited me. The alarm shrieked in my ears, defending me as I rushed into the living room.
Come on, Maddox. Where are you?
Atrium. The image snapped into my mind. My pistol was in there. I’d left it on the shelf after weapons training.
I took off, knocking over a plant as I raced around a corner. Sweat beaded on my forehead. My breaths quickened as I reached the heavy door to the atrium and threw it open.
I spotted my pistol on the second shelf. “There you are!”
I ran at it, when someone grabbed me from behind. A scream climbed up my throat, but a hand closed over my lips before it could alert anyone. Kicking my legs, I tried to look up.
Viktor’s whisper danced into my ear. “Don’t scream. Be very quiet, understand?” Viktor slowly removed his hand from my mouth, then closed the atrium door.
I pushed him away from me. “What the fuck are you doing?” Tears coated the skin below my eyes.
He placed a finger against his mouth. I wanted to argue back, but a loud thud sounded outside the heavy door. The alarm continued blaring. Adrenaline coursed through my veins. I grabbed my pistol, glaring at Viktor as I did.
I stepped back when the pounding shook the closed door. Viktor stood in front of me. I stepped to the side, pistol in hand. I had one shot, and I couldn’t miss. My hands were shaking and teeth chattering. I tried to compose myself, but my arms weakened. Why did my body have to shut down when I needed it most?
The door slowly opened. My eyebrows furrowed when a woman walked inside. She was tall, with long, dark wavy hair and maroon-red-painted lips. Her icy-blue eyes roamed over me, but her gaze landed on Viktor.
She smiled her pearly whites at him, placing her hand on her hip. “Well, well.” Her red silk dress matched her lips, covering every curve and leaving little to the imagination. I pointed my pistol at her, moving it slowly to follow as she paced around Viktor. It was like I wasn’t even there.
“Freya,” he said, his tone contemptuous.
I blinked three times. Freya? As in the goddess?
“I’ve been wondering where you were.” She grazed her finger along his chin, sweeping it up to his ear.
“Darlin’, why hide then?” he asked, taunting her through gritted teeth.
“Not pleased to see me?” She tilted her head. Hesitance played on her lips. Appearing dewy, the tanned golden undertones of her skin contrasted the darkness in her waves and thick eyebrows. She was beautiful but intimidating.
How did she know Viktor and he know her? The pistol trembled in my fingers. If she was in fact the goddess of the hunt, I didn’t stand a chance. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to put down the only weapon I had to protect myself with.
He grabbed her wrist when she went to touch him again, and he crushed the bones under his tight grip. The cracking barely made her wince.
Shaking him off her, she sighed. “Now, now. Let’s not be hasty. You know I can heal in less than a minute.” She took a step back. “I wonder why you’ve not yet burned this place to the ground and killed the coven. Without them, you could take what you’ve clearly come here for.”
“I will kill you,” he warned. “Why have you been cloaking yourself only to show up now?”
She sighed, as if this entire thing was such a hindrance. “They’ve been looking for me.” She clicked her tongue. An unnerving smile unfurled on her lips. “Someone’s been killing people apparently. Such a horror.”
“Give it up, Freya,” he spat. “Did you get what you came for?”
“No.” She looked over his shoulder, noticing me for the second time. “Alexander has the boy. I came for her. Once they’re dead, we can access the vaults. I tried, but it set off this awful noise.”
I assumed she meant Maddox, but who was Alexander?
“Mmm, hello, pretty little thing.”
I didn’t like the way she looked at me, like she was a snake and I was dinner.
He growled. “She’s not yours to take.”
