Page 105 of Shackled to the World
It was Annora’s turn to scowl, and Edgar quickly covered her mouth with his hand, silently urging her to trust him. Only when she gave a slight nod did the tightness in his chest ease. She grabbed his wrist, the gentle squeeze giving him a boost of courage to do the right thing.
The right thing forher.
“Agreed.” Daxion gave them a smug smile that made his hackles rise. “In return, she’ll eliminate the threat of my wife.”
Annora piped up before Edgar could speak. “Agreed, but on my terms. I won’t murder her. I’ll look into a way of breaking the bindings linking the two of you together.”
Daxion snorted, as if the idea was preposterous. “No phantom would willingly give up their power by dissolving the bindings. The only way to break a binding is by death.”
Annora matched off with Daxion, going head to head in a way that made Edgar want to snatch her away and shove her behind him. “I’ll track her down. If she doesn’t agree to the terms, I’ll find a way to break the bindings myself.”
Interest sharpened Daxion’s face, similar to a hawk studying his prey. “You think you have the skill and strength where so many others have tried and failed?”
He was dismissive, but a tiny thread of curiosity lingered. It was chilling. If Annora did manage it, Daxion would never allow her to leave his control. The men on her team must have come to the same conclusion, because displeasure hardened their faces, but none of them protested.
“Like you said, I’m a half-breed. My mother was a powerful woman in her own right.” Annora shrugged like it wasn’t a fucking big deal to admit she could do magic. “Who knows what I’m capable of?”
“Then I must insist that you be trained in our ways.” Daxion gave her a crocodile smile that held no warmth. “We have far more research materials for you to review.”
Everything inside Edgar rebelled at turning her over to be trained by the sadistic bastard.
That was if she even survived the training.
The smug fucker was trying to lure her in with knowledge of her past.
Knowledge that Edgar kept hidden from her for fear she would crave the life that he’d given up.
Daxion would try to destroy her, bend her to his will, trap her in a way that she would have no choice but obey him.
Edgar would not allow her to be broken.
Actually, he wasn’t even sure she could survive it.
“Fine. Agreed.” Edgar crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the man he despised. He couldn’t believe he was going to agree to allow the man anywhere near Annora. “But her men will go with her. All her men.”
“Unacceptable.” Daxion sneered at the others. “Being a half-breed will already be a mark against her. My name might not be enough to protect her if she doesn’t cut herself free of the shackles they placed on her. None of the others will accept her with them as baggage.”
Edgar’s gut sank like a stone, because as much as he wanted to deny it, he was right.
They were albatrosses around her neck.
If they wanted her to survive, she’d be better off without them.
The rest of the guys looked just as conflicted. They didn’t want any harm to come to her because of them, but Edgar wasn’t sure he—or any of them—were strong enough to let her go.
“I—”
Before he could agree, Annora turned and slammed her knee into his balls hard enough to drop him. He cupped himself, trying to breathe through the agony. He reached forward to clamp his hand around her ankle before she could do anything foolish.
“Don’t.” He pleaded with her with his eyes, and her expression softened slightly.
“I’m not shackled to these guys. I don’t see it as a punishment, and I won’t give them up. I don’t give a fuck whether the phantoms accept me or not.” Annora turned to face Daxion, her expression defiant. “I’ll agree to your other terms as long as your protection extends to them. If any of them are harmed, the agreement is null and void, and I’ll bring your whole empire down around your ears. Understand?”
Chapter Twenty-six
Dark particles invaded her lungs while she waited for her father to accede to her demands. If he attacked, she had every intention of dragging his ass into his dreaded dead zone and leaving the fucker there, even if she had to stay and make him.
She was tempted to do it anyway. The only thing holding her back was it wouldn’t stop the other phantoms from coming after them in retaliation.
