Light Shadows (31 page)

“Gabriella.”

I’m not sure that I even really hear my name on his tongue. Like maybe my desire for that sense of familiarity was so strong that my imagination created a variation of it. A heavily accented version that I know, yet I don’t know.

“Gabriella.”

The voice is richer now, less raspy. I hear him clear his throat and he repeats it a third time with perfect clarity. I let myself look at him, or maybe I’m actually forcing my gaze to drift over to the man on the bed. Because even as my eyes find his in the dimly lit room, they burn like I’m looking at the sun.

“That is your name, correct?”

I nod slowly, as if the movement pains me.

“You’re a little thing. How old are you, child?” I can’t tell if there’s malice in his tone, or genuine curiosity.

After a long beat passes as I internally debate whether or not to answer him, I whisper, “Twenty-one.”

“And you aren’t human, correct?”

I shouldn’t tell him. Niko had warned me that he would try to get into my head and manipulate me into letting him go, but I honestly don’t see the harm in talking with him. This is
Dorian
. This isn’t some stranger on the street. Hell, just less than 48 hours ago, we were both on this bed, and I was straddling his face as he composed a symphony between my thighs.

I know this man. I love this man. And maybe…maybe if I can just remind him of that, he’ll come back to me.

“I’m not,” I squeak, not fully confident in my decision.

“But you’re not like me.”

“I’m not.”

He ponders my answer before raising a brow. “So…what are you?”

“Different.”

“Different how?”

“Just different.”

He purses his lips at my answer, yet accepts it. A few strained moments pass as I fight the urge to crawl inside his head and unearth whatever block is on his mind.

“Come here, girl. Let me have a closer look at you. I promise, I won’t bite. Unless you want me to.”

I swallow against the dryness in my mouth as I stand on shaky feet. He’s only yards away, but every step feels like I’m being torn in half. I can feel him luring me, pulling me into his trap. And while I know he’s dangerous, and his only interest in me is devious, I want to go to him. I want to hold him and kiss him and tell him how happy I am that he’s alive. Then I want to slap him for scaring me like that.

But this Dorian…
this
Dorian wouldn’t kiss me back. He wouldn’t laugh while I tackled him to the bed. And when I slapped him, this Dorian would surely slap me back hard enough to make me go flying into the wall.

Still, I make my way to the bed where he’s bound, his magic stifled to hinder his escape.

“There you are,” he smiles in that wrong way again. “See, that wasn’t so hard, now was it?”

I shake my head. “What do you want?”

His shoulder twitches as if his intention is to shrug, but his restraints won’t let him. “Just the pleasure of your company. You said you know me, and I know you. How?”

I nearly chew through my lip as I try to find a way to explain what he is to me… what we are to each other. There is no definition for it, no term to fully grasp that depth of devotion. Dorian once called me his girlfriend, and it just didn’t seem right. He was certainly more than a boyfriend to me. He lived inside me. He felt every one of my emotions as if they were his own. He came as he felt me orgasm, the intensity heightened through the deep emotional bond woven from his magic.

Dorian had become more than life to me. But right here, as I looked down at the imposter taking up space inside his body, I couldn’t find the words to tell him. And while I hoped to bring him back with those memories, they weren’t for
this
Dorian. And wouldn’t let him have them.

“We were…we dated,” I settle on.

He barks out a laugh that sounds anything but humorous.
“I
dated
you?”

My face heats with aggravation. “Yes. Why is that so hilarious?”

“No offense, but I wouldn’t
date
you. I don’t think I would even
fuck
you.”

I take a step forward, bold on hurt and anger. “And why’s that?”

“Well, for one, you’re not one of us. And do you know what I mean by that?”

Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I twist my lips into a partial grimace. “You mean Dark.”

“Correct. And if you are not Dark, you might as well be Light. We don’t mix. Ever.”

“But you know I’m not Light.”

Dorian rolls his eyes with boredom. “Doesn’t matter. On the supernatural food chain, my kind is at the top. And you, child, are most likely somewhere in the dirt, hiding under rocks, along with the other grubs and rodents.”

Ouch. “Is that right?”

“It is. It’s the order of power. The divine powers will always rule. All others will remain docile or face death,” he replies matter-of-factly.

“Yet, you’re the one bound to this bed, being held captive by a tiny, insignificant grub.”

Dorian smiles crookedly, and for a minute, I imagine that it’s for me. “Ironic, isn’t it?”

“That it is.”

“There’s also the matter of your birth.”

I frown. What would
he
know about my birth? “Excuse me?”

“Your birthright. Your family name. If you know my brother, as you claim to know me, you would also know that I am a prince. But not just any prince—I am heir to the throne. You are in the presence of great royalty and an exquisite bloodline. You should be honored.”

I laugh sardonically.
Is this guy for real?
Did Stavros’s hot tub time machine turn Dorian into the ultimate arrogant jackass? Or was this asshole lying dormant within him all along?

“Pity all your greatness is being wasted on such a worthless peasant,” I reply, smiling sweetly.

Dorian does the weird twitchy thing with his shoulder again. “I’ve endured worse. Besides, I plan to do worse when I get out of here.” There’s promise in his words, not a threat.

“Your brother is doing this for your own good. He doesn’t want to hurt you. He wants to keep you safe,” I insist.

“My brother? Ha!” he snorts, nostrils flaring. “Fuck my brother. He’s no blood of mine. Would a brother allow
this?”
He tries to struggle against the invisible rope, yet doesn’t move.

“Dorian, please. It’s not what you think—”

“I told you, girl. I am a prince. You will address me as such,” he sneers, those ice-blue eyes turning eerily pale. “You know nothing of my brother. You think he cares for you? For anyone other than himself? How considerate could he be if he left you here, alone with a monster? A poor, defenseless little girl, trapped here with the epitome of evil?”

I feel something snap within me before a sizzle settles in my veins. It’s as if the magic inside me is a glow stick, and once you add a bit of pressure, causing it to crack, it comes alive.

I look at the stranger on the bed, seeing a ghost of someone I used to know. “No one said I was a poor, defenseless little girl.” My voice is cold and vacant, devoid of anything I may have ever felt for him.

“Is that right? Well, then, prove me wrong.”

I step in closer, bending forward so he can see the fire kindling behind my icy demeanor. I know I’m poking a sleeping bear, but I don’t care. He wants to see who I am—he wants to know what I’m capable of. Now’s his chance. “I could hurt you. I could reduce you to nothing but a pile of ash with a snap of my fingers. I could make you wish you had never seen my face.”

A slow smile drags across his face and ire sparks inside those pale blue eyes. “But you won’t. Because you’re in love with me. And I’m here, bound like a prisoner, because my brother thinks he is in love with you.”

“What?” I snap to an upright position and flit across the room, fast enough for the secret of my abilities to be revealed. His smile draws tighter—satisfied with himself.

“Ah. I see I’ve struck a nerve. I’m right, aren’t I? You love me. I can smell it on you, stinking of false hope and desperation. I affect you. Even though I’ve been vile to you, I can still taste your arousal.” He inhales then licks his chops, a low hum rumbling his throat. “Mmmm. Tastes sweet. The scent of your sex is on this bed. I’ve fucked you on these very sheets, haven’t I?”

Stunned, I say nothing. I can’t dispute his claim when I know every single word is true. But it was Dorian I had made love to. Not this imposter.

“Tell me, Gabriella…how many times did I make you come the last time I was inside you? Did you scream my name? Did you dig your fingernails into my back? Do you like me to take you from behind and fuck you hard like a wild animal?”

“Stop. It.”

“And when I fucked you so thoroughly, so completely, did you imagine it was my brother sliding inside you? Did you wonder if he was listening to you moan from outside the door? Did you crave his taste on your tongue, his seed spilling inside your mouth? You did, didn’t you? You claim to love me, yet it was my younger brother you imagined between your legs.”

“I said, stop it!” Every light in the room flickers and sizzles. I’m panting like I’ve just run a marathon, adrenaline spiking through my veins. The look of pure madness in my eyes only prompts Dorian to smile once more.

“Hmph. I was only joking. But considering your reaction, I’d say I’m not too far off. Dangerous little game you’re playing, pet.”

Dangerous indeed.
I purse my lips and turn away, refusing to let him see my guilt and shame.

“I don’t love you, by the way,” he adds, not a hint of remorse in his voice. “I never will either.”

“I know,” I whisper in response. Now, more than ever, I’m glad Stavros broke the link. If he hadn’t, I would have been dead the moment he woke up. Still, I feel like I’m dying right now, right here in front of him as he mocks my weakness for him. For this monster.

“And whatever you may think you know about me—whatever you have in that head of yours that paints me as a perfect gentleman—is a lie. I’m not your knight in shining armor. I’m not your Prince Charming. And I never will be.”

I close my eyes to keep my emotions in check as I utter my next words through trembling lips. “I know.”

The walls are closing in on me, and I can’t escape the bedroom and my truth fast enough. I hear Dorian laugh as I race out the exit and slam the door behind me. Then I crumple to the ground, screaming and writhing as unspeakable pain crawls up my back.

I’M AWAKE, YET I don’t want to be. So, I keep my eyes shut tight, too afraid of what will be carved into my back. Plus someone is stroking my head gently…lovingly, and I’m afraid that once I peel open my eyelids, this calming gesture that I have no right to enjoy will cease.

“Come on, baby girl,” Niko whispers as his fingers rake through my hair. “I’m here. It’s ok. I’m here now.”

Niko.

God, why did Dorian have to say that? Why did he have to fill my head with thoughts that I shouldn’t be thinking? Thoughts that would seriously keep me up at night, wondering if his words could be true. That Niko could actually be in
love
with me.

I open my eyes slowly, letting his gorgeous face come into view. Even with a few days of stubble, he’s still one of the most beautiful men I’ve ever seen. Dark hair falls into his crystal blue eyes, only increasing that raw sex appeal that seems to ooze from his pores. His shoulders fall as if his body has just released two tons of worry.

“Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Nice of you to join us,” he smiles. And it’s not one of those forced smiles either. It’s an honest-to-goodness, I’m-so-glad-that-you’re-here…with-me smile. The kind that makes his eyes sparkle as if they’ve been replaced by diamonds.

I slide into a sitting position, taking in my surroundings. I’m in a huge room, much bigger than the white room Dorian and I have—
had
—been staying in. The décor and upholstery is decked out in deep, dark red and black, and there’s more artwork, including many intricate portraits of a girl. Curly, dark brown hair, slender nose and full, pouty mouth. The evidence of a complex mix of heritages is etched in her fair coloring with just a hint of caramel, highlighted by high cheekbones and a shapely figure.

The way she’s displayed in the portraits exudes so much life, so much love. She’s smiling, laughing, looking at someone with a bit of playful mischief. In one, she’s completely naked, lying on her side, her eyes hooded and hungry, and a satisfied grin on her lips. I quickly turn away from that one.

She’s beautiful, exotic, and something about her reminds me of…well, me. I know who she is, but I look to Niko and ask him anyway.

“Amelie?”

He nods just once. “I’d like to think so. At least that’s how I saw her when I painted them.”

“You did these?”

Just one side of his mouth turns up. “Had a lot of time on my hands.” He grabs a mirror from the bedside and hands it to me. “Here. Let me help you.”

I can tell talking about his lost love still hurts him so I allow him to help me roll onto my stomach and lift up my shirt, even though it’s completely unnecessary. “How am I supposed to see it like this?” I ask, turning back to narrow my eyes at him. He points to the ceiling.

Ah, yes. Of course, there’s a huge mirror on the top of the canopy.