Locked in Silence: Grimm's Circle, Book 5 (12 page)

“My
clothes
are back there. My
money
. Every damn thing I own. And excuse me, but you don’t
own
me, do you?” Jerking against his hold, she tried to pull away, but she couldn’t. That just pissed her off even more.

Damn it, this night had
sucked
.

Her skin was still prickly tight with the remnants of that awful arousal she’d felt from the incubae then the succubae, although it hadn’t been as strong with the succubae. The female demon’s power had been stronger, but Vanya had worked harder to shield against it, and she hoped that had helped—maybe that was the key, just a little extra shielding.

She hoped so, because it was the one bright note she had to hold on to.

Glaring at Silence, she snarled, “Let me
go
, damn it. I want to go to my own room, not be bossed around by some commandeering, thoughtless bastard who doesn’t give a flying fuck about what I want or what I feel—”

“Is that what you think? You little—”

Then he cut his thoughts off, closed his eyes. Wide shoulders rose and fell as he took a deep breath before looking back at her. Slowly, his fingers uncurled from her wrist. He let go and she jerked her wrist back, went to climb out of the door, but he warned her,
“You take off right now, I will catch you. Do not make me chase you.”

It wasn’t so much the words, but the look in his eyes that kept her in place.

Sinking back against the plush leather of the seat, she waited in sullen silence.

She saw his hands from the corner of her eye, pretended she didn’t.

Then she felt terribly small.

He wouldn’t speak to her mind when he was angry—it was as though he didn’t want her to see the things that would make matters worse. If she wouldn’t look at him…

Locked in silence
…

Sighing, she looked back at him. “What?” she demanded, not caring that she sounded more than a little bitchy.

Come inside. Please. You’ve had a bad night and you should have a decent meal, a quiet night
, he signed.

Something about the look on his face, in his eyes had her heart softening.

Damn it, she didn’t like that he could get under her defenses with so little effort. Especially when she
wanted
to be angry, when she knew she was even a little entitled. She didn’t like it that he could get to her so easily…didn’t like it at all.

Grouchy, she shot him a look from the corner of her eye and then looked back at the hotel. “I can’t afford this place—I can’t even afford to split it with you.”

He touched her arm as he said into her mind,
“Another thing we should talk about…you’re not to be a pauper all your life, Vanya. You actually do get paid for this.”

Okay, now
that
wasn’t anything she’d been expecting.

“Um…paid?” She snorted. “And it’s drawn on what bank, exactly? Almighty God, Inc? Guardian Angels, LLC?”

He grinned.
“Nothing quite so obvious, dear one. But Will and others have…well, businesses in place. And you’ll get money. If it makes you feel better, we can split the cost and you can pay me back once you do start getting paid.”

“And when is that?”

He gave her an enigmatic smile.
“When you get out of training. For now…I’m responsible for you. I guess I should have explained that before now.”

“Responsible for me?” She curled a lip at him. “
I
am responsible for me.”

“For your actions, your neck, yes. But by our traditions?
I
am responsible for your way right now.”
His hand stroked up her arm, curled over the back of her neck.
“Stop being so stubborn, so proud for one night…let me take care of you…I owe you this after being an ass, at least.”

His fingers dug into the tight tense muscles.

She swallowed and looked back at the hotel.

Hell.

“One night,” she muttered. “Yeah, I guess you do owe me that much.”

If he’d manipulated her into the hotel, he couldn’t feel too bad over it.

He might feel bad tomorrow, when he manipulated her into staying longer. But he wasn’t taking her back to that squalid little box of a room, not tonight. Not after…

He closed a hand into a fist, forced the rigid muscles in his back to relax.

She was walking in front of him, her ass swinging in that short, snug skirt.

Too many eyes rested on her as they made their way to the check-in desk. He could see her discomfort rising—
damn it
.

She looked lovely, all that pale, soft flesh, but she was also a walking advertisement for sex and they both knew it. It had been ideal for the club, but not exactly ideal in the luxury hotel, something Silence hadn’t even thought of—he’d only thought of getting her someplace
else
, away from the darkness and despair that seemed to be her life.

The lady behind the desk gave her a blank look—professional but dismissive.

Silence narrowed his eyes at her.

If he could have…

But he couldn’t.

Each way he turned this night, he was messing up, it seemed.

He signed to Vanya, aware of the hotel employee’s gaze lingering on his scarred hands.

Can you check us in
?

She gave him a worried look, but he reached into his wallet. She didn’t have any identification, he knew. He did, though, and it would pass anybody’s scrutiny—after all, Will had arranged for it. He gave her a license and credit card.

She arched a brow and then handed it to the woman behind the counter.

Reaching up, he rested a hand on Vanya’s neck.

Alone in a room, that was all he wanted.

And he’d make this miserable night up…

The hotel employee looked at them with a brilliant, beaming smile. “Mr. Marseilles, we were expecting you earlier. We’ve got your rooms all ready for you.”

Silence looked at the woman, lifted a brow.

Vanya blinked. “Waiting for us?”

“Yes. The reservations had you down to arrive today.” The woman looked at Vanya, her smile faltering a bit before she steadied it.

Silence sighed and signed to Vanya.
Will.

Then…

His name was Will.

And he offered the silent prisoner a choice.

“The time is coming when you will have a choice, Eustache.”

He curled his lip, sneering at Will. He did not care for that name, whether it was his or not. It reminded him of a time when he’d thought he had found something. When he’d hoped for things. When he’d been betrayed.

But because he was curious, he awkwardly used his hands to form the gestures that Will had been teaching him—that hands could be used to form words, he’d never imagined it. But a way to speak again that didn’t involve writing out the words.

What kind of choice
?

“A hard one,” Will answered bluntly. “Men are coming—men who have learned of you and your secrets. They will come and put another man in your place. It’s a man who resembles you so it may not be questioned, at least not for some time.”

He smirked and tapped his throat, lifting a brow.

Will looked away. “I do not know if he will speak or not. I do not know all the answers. I just know that this is coming—and it will be dangerous for you. When they come for you, they will try to make you use your gift for them—Louis was foolish and let wine loosen his tongue. They don’t entirely believe him, but they want to see you for themselves. It will be your best chance to leave these walls for some time.”

There was something Will was not telling him. Secrets. He saw them lurking in those silvery eyes.

“Once you are with these men, you will have to make your own choice.”

He shook his head and signed,
I will not be used. I will not use this…this evil for others
.

“It’s not evil, son,” Will said, sighing. “And I know you will not. Just as I know what will become of you when you refuse.”

He reached down and touched Eustache’s hands. “They will try to convince you. They will beat you. They will torture you. Eventually, they are going to kill you.”

He flinched. Shoving to his feet, he started to pace. As he did, his thoughts spun in dizzying circles. Finally, he stopped and faced Will. Slowly, he signed,
This is the choice you speak of? Either do something I know is wrong or die
?

“No. The choice is this…I can see to it that you die quickly, painlessly—it will end for you before they come. You will be spared what they intend to do, and you will go on to what awaits you beyond this life.” Will gave him a reassuring smile. “And I promise you, that’s not a bad thing.

“Or…” Will’s eyes started to glow. “You can meet your destiny with them. Take what they give you. It will be painful, it will be brutal. And they
will
kill you. When your life is taken, it will be returned. You’ll rise anew…and become something more.”

He stared at Will and wondered if the man had gone mad.

“There you have it. That is your choice. What do you choose?”

Now…

She managed to keep the question behind her teeth until they’d been escorted to their room. If the bellhop was at all curious about their lack of luggage, he was too good at his job to show it. After he’d unlocked the door for them, Vanya had the impression he’d been about to show them around, but Silence cut that off by pushing some bills into his hand, and in under ten seconds, they were alone in the room.

No—not
room
.
Rooms
.

Hell, it was easily four times the size of the little place where she’d been staying. The large, open sitting area had a wet bar, and she was tempted to go get a drink but too uncomfortable to do so—how much did a drink in this place cost, anyway?

“Okay, how in the hell did
Will
know we were coming here?”
 

Silence scowled.
“Will knows everything.”
Apparently he wasn’t so worried about things like how much the drinks cost, though. He was already over at the bar, splashing whiskey into a glass.

She turned away and made her way to the couch, sinking down on it with a sigh. Tired. Too damn tired. The puzzle of Will was just another problem that would have to wait until tomorrow.

She unzipped her boots and tugged them off, sighing with relief as she curled her toes into the plush carpet. Oh, that felt nice. Feeling the weight of his stare, she looked up.

Silence still stood by the bar, drink in hand. His eyes lingered on her legs, but as she looked at him, he looked up, met her gaze.

Swallowing, she looked away. Sensing he was about to say something, she blurted out, “So. Eustache Marseilles, huh? I guess that’s not your real name?”

Silence’s mouth quirked in a smile. He put his glass down and signed,
We all get the identities we need to move in this world. You’ll get one. Will probably already has one in place for you.

“Hmmm. And I noticed that wasn’t an answer.” She shrugged. Sliding off the couch, she said, “That’s okay. I kind of like Silence better than Eustache anyway. Still, I wouldn’t mind knowing your real name.”

“I don’t know my real name.”
He turned away from her.

She froze, staring at him. She knew her mouth had fallen open, was vaguely aware that she was staring at him in numb, horrified shock. But she couldn’t help it.

Any more than she could help the pain ripping through her.

“You…” She stopped, licked her lips. Tried again. “You don’t know your name?”

He looked back over his shoulder at her. With a jerky shrug, he spoke quietly into her mind.
“There is a name I was given at birth, but whatever it was, I’ve long forgotten it. Eustache Marseilles is simply one of the names I go by when I must give a name. To those who matter, I am simply Silence.”

To those who matter
, Vanya thought.

With a tiny smile, she murmured, “So, does that mean I’m one who matters?”

“Of course,”
he said, his voice soft, quiet.

She started across the carpet, her feet sinking into it.

“After all, you’re my student. You matter very much.”

Those words slashed across her heart.

She almost stumbled. Almost faltered.

Student…
Vanya stilled, staring at him as she repeated that word silently to herself. She was a student. His student.

Yeah, his lover too. But mostly, he just saw her as his student.

His responsibility.

Fuck
.

She couldn’t do this.

Staring into his pale blue eyes, she swallowed and then looked away. “I want a bath. Then I want to rest. I’m exhausted.”

He waited until the door shut quietly behind her.

Then he lifted the glass he held, emptied it and turned, hurled it against the far wall. It shattered, splintered into unrecognizable shards.

Why did I say that…?

Yes. She was his student.

But she was more…his friend, his lover…his everything.

No—
he couldn’t risk that. He knew better than to let himself care too deeply. Although it might already be too late.

He was coming to care for her as he’d cared for no other save Sina in years.

And there was his answer.

Silence had never taken change well.

And Vanya was changing everything for him.

He thought of her first, he thought of her last. He thought of her always.

He was starting to think of her
for
always.

Down that road lay foolishness.

He knew he was best suited to life alone. It was a lesson he’d learned over and over again throughout his life.

But that was no reason for him to lash out, hurt her.

He needed to get this relationship where it belonged.

But still, he owed her a night. And while she didn’t realize it yet, her rough night wasn’t over.

Silence had dealt with the punch of a succubae attack, full on, enough to know how it was.

He knew how to evade it, how to shield better.

Since she hadn’t been prepared, though, this wasn’t going to be pleasant for her.