Chapter 38

The door slammed open with another thud, Dion walked in, and surprise washed over his face as he found me, being held against my will. My heart stopped racing in a panic beat as I realized I was going to be saved and not doomed.

"Leave her," Dion interrupted, reaching closer to the man, to the son of Queen Alexandria. "Whatever it is, we can talk about it, Elijah."

He dropped my arms, setting me free. His attention turned to Dion and he asked, "Do you know her?" There was a hint of confusion in his eyes as he was trying to make two ends meet. It wasn't going to be long.

I glanced at the door, it was slightly opened. It was my only chance. Once they were going to figure out what I had been doing, none of them would show me mercy and if they even got hindsight that I was leading them to their deaths, they'd kill me first and then go after the Queen. None of that could happen.

"Yes," Dion stepped in front of me, covering me with his body, but also blocking my way out of the room and out of this fucking place. "I know her well. What's the problem? What has she done?"

Something darkened in his eyes. "You have no idea what she has done," He shook his head as his eyes clicked onto me. He knew. I could tell he was smarter than the other two cursed men, sharper and he was catching onto every detail. "She's working with my mother." His attention diverted back to him and he stated, the truth.

"She's not," Dion gave his head a shake in denial. "And why would she even work for her? She's merely in court because of some unsettling matters with her family."

"Are those the lies she has fed you?" Elijah chuckled at him.

I remained quiet while eying the door. What was going to happen if I just left? My hands went around my shoulder, rubbing the area where he had nearly burned me. Dion moved in front of me, protecting me just as Elijah moved to get to me.

"What lies? Make some sense and leave her alone." Dion snapped, rage covering his brown eyes as he reached nearer to me.

"Don't act like a fool..." He trailed off before meeting my eyes.

As I held his gaze, he whispered something under his breath, the word unclear but spell like in nature. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my chest and I collapsed to the ground, unable to move. My hand fell to the sides as I tried to raise my head and break through the spell.

Concern was etched on Dion's face as he rushed to my side, but I couldn't hear what he was saying. My vision started to fade with the magic Elijah had used to incapacitate me. I tried to fight, but it was too strong.

And too much.

My eyes went shut tight as groans fled my throat.

Before darkness closed around me, I concentrated on the voice in my head, the voice that had always told me what to do and what to say, the voice that controlled me.

"Protego." I mumbled under my breath as something warm spread across my limbs before they began to function again.

Dion slipped his arm behind my back before raising me up from the ground as the spell broke. "Leave her alone, Elijah. I won't let you harm her." He warned him, but it wasn't going to be enough.

That man was strong, powerful and a practitioner of dark magic.

"In hell I will," Elijah sneered at Dion as we rose up from the ground. Just as I came to my feet, I looked in the direction of the door, prepared to flee. "You're a fool if you think she's innocent. She's working with my mother and she has you trapped in her spell. Why else do you think you're here, saving her? You're completely trapped."

I had to act fast. Elijah knew my true intentions, he was too quick to figure it out, giving me no time. I quickly pushed past Dion and made a run for the door, knowing I could escape from all of this.

It wasn't until tonight I knew what Alexandria's intentions were for these four marked men. She wanted to kill them and use them in a ritual to break a curse that had been put on her—that her own father put on her. I was surely not going to work for her anymore, but I wasn't going to get involved either.

Escape was my only option.

Where could they even find me?

"Run, run all you want," I heard his wicked voice behind me as I found myself fleeing. Before I could make it past the door, it wafted shut and locked by itself. "A guilty one always runs. Do you now believe me, Dion? She's working for my mother and I'm sure about it." He stomped toward me, fury racing in the back of his eyes.

"Why would she?" Dion turned to me, disappointment in his eyes.

My heart twisted. I didn't want to hurt him, or any of them.

"Flamma Infernalis." I whispered between my teeth. My hand went into the air while the other one splayed over the wall behind me.

I could feel the magic coursing through my body, the adrenaline pumping through my veins as engulfed the room in flames. The spell took effect quickly. The heat was intense, and it was only a few seconds before I could feel the sweat pouring down my face.

Elijah was taken aback by the sudden inferno, but it only took him a moment to put out the fire with his own magic.

My heart pounded in my chest as I smelled the sickening smoke of the fire I had unleashed. Dion's eyes widened at my defense and he stepped back from the wrath while Elijah stepped closer to me and raised his hand before twisting it.

Some words left his mouth as I felt his magic stream through me.

I grabbed my stomach, falling head to the ground and screaming at the pain. It was as if my insides were being torn out of me. Blood gathered in my mouth and I choked on it before it dripped from my lips and my nose at the same time. A pool of blood formed in my hand, not even giving me a chance to stop it.

"You're fucking hurting her!" Dion snapped, I could still hear the concern in his voice for me.

The door thrust open again. The blood falling from my mouth fell onto my dress, creating stains that were never going to go away. I placed my hand on my mouth, covering it, but it didn't help. My eyes watered as the pain worsened, twisting and turning my insides.

It was worst than death.

"Stop it, Elijah." I heard a voice from a distance, it was low, belonging to someone I knew. When I rose my head, I found Callan rushing to his side before his fists were on his chest, pushing him. "End the fucking spell." He growled at him, and his eyes turned red with fury.

I coughed out blood until it stopped spilling from my mouth. The pain disappeared moments later, but some of it still continued to linger inside me. I breathed hard, sweating while the metallic taste in my mouth sickened me. My back pressed against the wall while Dion crouched near to me and placed his arm around my shoulder.

I rose my head, staring at the man who had done this to me. There was only one thing racing in my head.

Kill him.

It was the same voice I heard when I was about to kill my father.

Just as I was about to utter the name of the spell, Callan turned his head to me. "You're going to be in a lot of trouble if you kill him, Vivian." He warned me, knowing what was running in my head.

My lips were sealed tightly shut. I didn't say anything.

"Don't fucking tell me you know her, too." Elijah turned to him. "Goddammit, you fucking fools." He turned, placing his hand over his head and grunting in frustration.

"What are you talking about it? What are you even doing here?" Callan asked, his arms spreading in confusion as he tried to make sense of whatever was happening.

"I can't tell you here."

"What can't you tell?" Callan demanded to know. He always suspected me of doing something and if he knew, he wouldn't spare me. "Is it about the fucking mark? Is that the reason why you're here?" He was getting there, but not even close yet.

"The walls have fucking ears," I watched him intently as he reached into his pocket before pulling out a piece of ash paper and setting it on fire. The paper slipped from his hands and he dropped it onto the ground. The fire raced through every nook and corner inside the room before disappearing.

The silencing spell.

It let no voice leave the room no matter what.

No one could hear us anymore.

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