Mine to Spell (Mine #2) (4 page)

Perhaps it’s a good sign. If his conversations are always so short, I won’t be lectured as much. Father always did talk too much. Maybe I’ll be able to find a sort of freedom, not the type I have with Serena, but something in my own way.

“
It wouldn't take long to introduce you,” Serena persists.

“
We'll meet soon enough.” He smiles in a manner most charming.

“
Very well.” Her tone is stern, like she trying to bite back everything she wants to say. Her movements appear stilted and forced as she hands him the paperwork that will bind my sale. An urge suddenly strikes to burst it into flames as I did the blanket, but I contain myself.

He skims it and flashes a black and silver spell at it. His signature. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, but it happened so fast, I couldn’t catch much. Most spells happen too fast for me to learn much even though I'm constantly trying.

I expect him to say something to Serena about her not being able to spell her signature or demand to spell it for her. Instead, he silently watches as she uses the special pen Zade spelled for the occasion since she doesn't do magic herself. It has to be sealed with magic as well as a signature. I didn’t get to see him cast that spell, but the pen flashes an emerald green at the tip as she writes.

The moment her pen lifts from the document, he whips the paper in front of him, scans it, and stares right at me, a hungry grin on his face. The change is so sudden and jarring, there’s no time to fake anything. My pure shock must be showing.

I hurry to exchange the surprise from my expression for something more pleasant. Despite the itch to, I don’t move or fuss under his stare, yet neither do I look down like I should. Might as well start my new ownership off with the expectation of defiance, even if I’m pleasant about it. It doesn’t seem to bother him, though. Another good sign?

He stands and heads for the door. “Come.”

Is he speaking to me?

“
Would you like us to join you somewhere?” Serena’s voice sounds as confused as I feel.

He whirls around and sneers at her. “Not you. I’ve no further use for you, wench. I was speaking to my property.”

The condescension in his voice makes me want to hurl a hex at him. What have I done?

Serena slowly rises, her back as straight as when she would face father for punishment. “Where are you taking her?”

“She and her whereabouts are no longer your concern.”

As if summoned by his words, the clopping of more horses sounds outside. Does this mean he’s taking me with him? Now? That can’t be. The engagement ceremony isn’t for another month. I need time to plan, to think.

The room suddenly seems very, very small. Everything’s too close. Cramped.

“
You can’t take her now,” Serena persists. Her voice sounds far away.

“
Why not?”

“
Because no one takes a bride before the wedding.”             

His smile slants up one side of his face. “Ah. But you know better since you were also taken before the wedding.”

Her fist tightens in her skirt. I must do something before this morphs out of control. This was supposed to help them, not make things worse. If I don’t go, things will be much, much worse. And whatever consequences might befall Serena, I will mostly likely be forced to go anyway.

Zade’s certain to have heard all of this and be on his way. I have to act before he gets here. I shake the hold that’s frozen me and force my legs forward. Edward reaches a hand out to me and snakes it around my shoulders the moment I’m within reach. It takes all my willpower not to pull away and pulverize him with a hex. Only a lifetime of practicing saves me from following instinct.

I can’t look at Serena. Can’t face what this must be doing to her. That I’m walking into what she always protected me from. He’s not going to be as bad as father, though. I’ll be fine. Everything will be fine.

Except I can’t convince myself of that enough to give her a forced smile.

“No,” Serena says.

Edward yanks me toward the door, but Zade stands in the way, blocking every inch of the opening and then some.

“Where are you going?” Zade’s voice is low, threatening.

“
I’m taking what’s mine. No different than what you did, only I won’t be stupid enough to give my property away.”

It takes all my willpower not to flinch.

“I’ll pay you to let her stay longer.”

For a brief moment hope kindles, but Edward’s cold chuckle extinguishes it. “Didn’t you see how much I paid for her? Money is nothing to me. She is everything.”

A chill rushes through me. Why am I everything? Why do I matter so much? I’m simply a girl who’s trying to help her family. That should mean nothing to a Chardonian warlock. My magic then? But it's not everything. Is it?

This can’t be happening. Yet somehow it is. Zade doesn’t move. I can’t let this escalate any further. Serena protected me for this long; it’s my turn to be the protector, even if it is the last thing I ever wanted to do.

“Please step aside, Zade. I’ll be fine.” My words come out sure and steady, like I mean them to be, not like the fearful quivering overwhelming my insides.

Zade’s eyes dart toward me, narrowing like he’s going to contradict my words. But thankfully, he moves aside. Edward grips my upper arm and strides toward the hall.

Suddenly, Zade reaches out to Edward. “If you mistreat her—”

“
You’ll what? There’s nothing you can do. She’s my property. Any interference will constitute you breaking the law. I’d hate to see you lose your Chancellorship over something so trivial.”

Anger flames at the insult. If anything, the last year has taught me that no one is trivial. But now isn’t the time to fight. I will Zade to leave it, but he doesn’t get my silent message. “The Chancellorship may be important, be she’s more important. Don’t forget it.”

Zade’s words and stance warm me, yet are also enough to make me want to cower even though I’m not the one he’s threatening. Edward only laughs, this time big, happy and loud, crowding the small space further. “Oh, I won’t forget how valuable she is. You can be assured on that count.”

He yanks me forward, digging into my arm so hard there will be a bruise later. I clench my teeth to keep from crying out.

“At least let me get her things,” Serena calls out.

“
The only thing of yours allowed to enter my house is her. And she is no longer yours.”

The words are sharp against my ears. Part of me is aching to struggle against this, but most of me is still attempting to process it. This was just supposed to be a meeting to sign me over to him. Nothing more.

He continues jerking me forward, out of the house and into the carriage. I tumble onto the wooden bench as Serena calls out something I can’t make out. Edward slams the door shut, and I’m left in darkness. Alone.

Chapter Four

When the carriage finally stops, and I’m allowed out, night has fallen, replacing daylight with heavy clouds. The house appears to be big, though it’s difficult to discern in the moonlight that attempts to peek from behind one of those clouds. Whatever the building's exact size, it rivals Zade’s house. There are no servants or anyone around except us. Even the horses and carriage have been led away by servants I didn’t see. I shiver, my thick skirts not enough to warm me.

“Follow.” Edward strides toward the house.

Left with no other choice but the one I’ve forced upon myself, I do so. He leads me inside where there are a few dim electric lights on, but it’s almost as dark as it was outside. The scent of fresh air trails in with us, yet as we go along, it’s replaced with the musty smell of disuse. Where is everyone?

The further we twist through the halls, the stronger the urge to run back the way we came grows. Shouldn’t there be at least one servant here? Someone to greet him? To take care of his needs? Zade said he had lots, but where are they?

Edward turns down yet another hallway. Still no one in sight. What can he possibly have planned? Is he going to brand me tonight instead of waiting for the engagement ceremony? Leave some sort of tattoo on my neck that claims me as his forever unless tarnished?

I can’t keep quiet any longer. “Where are we going?”

He spins around so fast I almost trip into him. “Shut up.”

Without another word, he hurries down the hall. Fine. I can shut up. I can also stop following him.

Between his erratic behavior and the lack of people, I don’t dare discover what his plan is even if it means severe punishment for trying to escape him. Blast. This isn’t helping my family, and it certainly isn’t helping me.

I turn to retrace the path out. Except, which way is out? Not only is this place massive, and we’ve twisted through much of it, I was too busy wondering about unimportant things to pay attention. Foolish act.

A moment later he realizes I’m no longer following. “Come. Now.” His tone is the same as before but with an undercurrent that sends a streak of fear darting through me.

Slowly, I angle toward him. Though we’re about twenty paces apart, the stone coldness of his words demand obedience. These are the orders of a warlock who is always obeyed. My body knows those orders so well, trained to follow them from birth. It leans forward to surrender, but I can’t do it. I can’t.

I’ve brought myself far enough to keep my sisters out of trouble. They shouldn’t have any problems now if he’s the one that is supposed to control me and not Serena. I won’t suffer myself to be led toward whatever doom he has waiting for me. Not just sneaking away. It’s too late for that, but openly defying him. The instant the decision is made must show on my face because at that moment he strides toward me. So I take the only option left. I turn and run.

His footsteps are heavy on the floor behind me, closing in. It won’t be long before he catches me. I push myself faster, wishing I’d worn breeches regardless of having to meet him this morning. When I come to a cross-section, I randomly dart down a hall, willing it to be the correct one. Before I’ve gone two steps, a hand wraps around my arm. Caught.

He snatches me to him, anger narrowing his dark eyes. “Don’t run again, or there will be punishments.”

His words mean nothing. Father used to say and do much worse. Yet his grip, vice-like around my arm, means there’s no choice but to comply. I struggle anyway, jerking away from him.

A powder blue spell shoots from him, straight at me. It’s weaker than anything father ever threw at me but still enough that I float up in the air a few inches, drifting in a sort of bobbing motion behind him as he continues on. I flap my arms and legs every which way but continue floating after him. All my struggling is useless.

My anger brews my magic into a storm worthy of capsizing the entire house. But it's entirely useless. I punch my fist in the air and give a growling scream. Edward doesn’t even bother to acknowledge it.

We turn again, but this time into a room. Its grandeur is dimly lit by electric lights showing a space crammed with books, all of which seem to have titles related to magic. Chairs and a sofa dot the room, all matching the velvet red drapes.

He directs the spell holding me to the far wall, away from all the books and chairs. I wobble over against my will. As much as this makes me think of father, being around a new spell is distracting. Rarely do I get to see a spell so close for so long. In spite of its obvious lack of power as it struggles to keep hold of me, it’s fascinating. I’m studying it, wishing I always had more of a chance to see spells like this one. When I'm not the object of its hex.

Then I realize, not only has it distracted me from my anger—but from Edward. He’s only a few paces away, a wild look shining in his eyes.

Distraction flees. There’s nothing left save for bludgeoning fear. His face, which was so deceptively bored before, has grown excited, eyes wide, mouth slightly open like he’s thirsty for something. And the only thing around is me.

Serena’s experience with Thomas last year at the tournament flashes through my mind. I kick and thrash as hard as I can toward him, but nothing changes about my predicament. His eyes only grow hungrier as he steps closer. I scream for help, but his crooked smirk silences me.

“No one can hear you. Even if they could, they wouldn’t step in the way of what belongs to me.”

Fear tightens my throat, but I force words out. “You can’t. The law says—”

“That I own you. I won’t wait for the engagement ceremony for what I want.”

The engagement ceremony? Not the marriage ceremony? The unexpectedness of the comment rattles me a moment. And that moment is enough for his spell to propel me toward him. I steel myself to fight, to bite and claw and thrash, but instead of him grabbing for me, he pulls out a knife.

Fear closes my throat tighter, but I can’t lose my words—not now. I need them to save me.

“
What are you doing?” I sound calm. Reasonable. Not at all the frantic girl screaming inside me. I’ve never been so thankful for the tightness of my true emotions. Perhaps I can convince him to stop whatever has been planned.