Page 84 of Ransomed to the World
“Once she’s presented, we can just duck out, right?” Logan looked at the guys for confirmation. “She’ll be protected then?”
No one spoke for a heartbeat, and Sadie rolled her eyes at their naïveté. “Being presented to the council is just the first step. The claiming ceremony, where she’ll be paraded in front of the other houses, will make it official. As the only living offspring, she’ll be considered the heir to the Daxion House. She’ll be protected to a certain extent, so they won’t come after her openly, not unless they want to try and take over the whole house.”
“And is that bad?” Logan countered, trading glances with the others. “I mean, do we really care?”
“Are you fucking kidding me? Taking over a house is usually a fight to the death. Hundreds of people will die, and even more will suffer.” A snarl twisted Sadie’s face, and she whirled toward Edgar. “I won’t help you if you only plan to abandon our house when they need us most.”
“As much as I’d love to put all this behind us, leaving isn’t possible.” Annora stopped at Logan’s side, touching his arm when he looked ready to argue. “Daxion will be furious at being forced to claim me in public. He’d never let me go without getting what he wants. As soon as he claims me, he’ll have control over me.”
“Unacceptable.” Mason crossed his arms and scowled, as if preparing for a fight.
Being under someone else’s control again was her greatest fear, and he knew it. She loved that he was trying to protect her.
“There is only one answer that would satisfy everyone and keep Annora safe.” Xander crossed his arms, his muscles flexing in a distracting way. “We kill Daxion.”
Chapter Twenty-three
Annora followed Sadie through the streets of Central City, fidgeting in the outfit the other woman loaned her. The dress was created for someone taller and less busty, but the phantom insisted that she wouldn’t be admitted without wearing appropriate attire.
You look beautiful in anything.
Annora nearly snorted, wanting to call Mason out on his bald-faced lie, but sincerity rang in his voice. No matter what she wore or didn’t wear, he would always find her beautiful, and some of the tension eased out of her shoulders. That she could hear him meant that his troll was at least partially in control, his beast no doubt disliking not having her close.
The guys were watching her, their presence humming through their connection, but they kept their distance.
Or almost all of them.
Annora swore that she saw the inky black face and crystal blue eyes of a little fox peeking out at her from behind carts and buildings, a tiny ferret loping at his side.
While she wanted to chide them, she was too grateful for their support.
To avoid drawing attention to them, Annora kept her head lowered, her shoulders bowed, making herself as forgettable as possible. She’d love to call on the darkness and smudge away her presence the way she normally did, but she was afraid the use of magic would make her shine like a beacon.
Without the guys near to act as buffers between her and the outside world, she was left floundering, the confidence she’d gained the past few months wilting a little. It was disorienting not to know where she was being taken, and she glanced around the square they just entered. “Where are we going?”
Though Sadie didn’t look at her, Annora could practically feel the girl roll her eyes. “We’re going to the heart of Central City—the Capitol Building. It’s the seat of power for phantoms, and how the island got its name.”
Sadie paused and nodded to a squad of troops, but didn’t slow her pace, only continuing their discussion when they were well past. “Think of the island like an old wagon wheel. Central City is the hub, each family is assigned a section to govern, and the ruling member of each household serves on the council.”
As they wound through the streets, the buildings became more elaborate, the streets wider and cleaner, and the people more refined—their clothes, hair, and mannerisms becoming more pretentious. She was afraid to look at them too closely, afraid to draw attention to herself and be labeled a fraud.
One thing stood out to her—the closer they got to the center of the city, the richer the air became. Not just cleaner and crisper, but dark matter all but floated on the breeze. Every time she inhaled, it spread through her system until her skin tingled, and she resisted the urge to rub her arms and suck it all down.
Traffic picked up, and more and more people joined them while they walked toward the hub. What confused her were the people. They were full-blown phantoms. She expected them to be brimming with magic, barely able to contain it, yet they generated so little it barely registered.
The more people she passed, the more she realized how very different she was compared to them. A dozen or so people were like Edgar and Sadie, but dark matter didn’t inhabit their bones.
Not like her.
One building loomed over all the others on the island like an elaborate royal castle. As they got closer, she saw a large wrought iron fences circling the building, which only reinforced the impression. The guards took one look at Sadie and waved them through, while other people in the throng around them were held back to be questioned and, in some instances, searched.
The courtyard was magical. Yards of lawn stretched out before them, cherry blossoms in bloom, flowers perfectly groomed. Intricately carved granite benches were scattered about for people to stop and rest, the carvings on the legs depicting animals like none she’d ever seen. In the center of the yard was a granite fountain big enough to be mistaken for a small pool. Water trickled down the three tiers, while a group of swans floated along the surface of the crystal clear pool.
It was like something out of a fairy tale.
Sadie didn’t slow her pace as she strode across the lawn toward the granite steps. A pair of ancient wooden doors nearly two stories tall was waiting at the top, ready to crush any who dared approach.
As she neared, static crackled in the air so thickly, her hair started to lift. Annora made it up the steps, then stopped dead, the power blasting off the entrance like bathing in pure dark matter.
