King of the Unsightly (Tempting Trickery #1)

Sing for Me

A n enormous white granite mausoleum with four thick pillars loomed over us. Each one had a distinct design carved into it. One covered in thorns. The next had blooming lilies. The other two had the moon and stars at the top with bodies piled at the bottom; it resembled a mountain desperate to reach the heavens. A work of art cut into four parts, telling a hauntingly vivid story of longing and death.

Valeria dragged the black granite door open, and it scraped against the concrete floor.

She tilted her head and beamed at me, acting like some valiant chauffeur, but she looked more like the ferryman, Charon, escorting us across the River Styx after we paid our dues.

“Enter,” Valeria said, delicately waving us in.

I gulped and jiggled the tension out of my hands.

My heart pounded against my ribcage like the last remnants of my soul didn’t even want to be here either and were desperate to flee my body.

I tried to calm my nerves as I stood in front of the ominous entrance.

My eyes flickered back to Gren, who paled as he scrunched his nose, yet he still took my hand and squeezed it longer than usual before letting go.

I gave him a thin smile, and we walked past her.

I knew Gren was by my side, but it didn’t make me feel any less nervous as I picked at the drying scabs on my fingertips.

Could we really escape unharmed if it was a trap?

A nagging thought told me even if I could do a little magic, it didn’t mean I could go up against an unknown entity who had been tracking me for god knows how long.

A casket with the same engraving as the pillars caught my eye, and it made the hallway appear more menacing as moisture permeated the air.

My body tensed and I barely stopped myself from having a full-on panic attack—only the sound of water dripping from the ceiling alleviated my nerves.

My legs took another treacherous step in the eerily lit hallway, and the granite walls warped and melted like acid as the air around me turned thicker than the swap I trudged in with Kaschel. The resemblance it had to his shadows was uncanny as it wrapped around my body and filled my lungs.

Each step pierced the soles of my feet and shot agonizing ripples throughout my legs.

The hallway ended with another black granite door, and it automatically swung open when it detected our presence.

I hesitated for a split second before walking through, and a woman in a gunmetal-gray suit and shoulder-length, salt-and-pepper hair stood there, arms relaxed. Her sharp brows harshened her expression; her yellow eyes blazed in the dim light, revealing her monstrous nature.

She wasn’t what I expected.

She looked like some big-shot CEO, yet she was here in some rich dead guy’s mausoleum—if we were still in the mausoleum. I doubted it.

Valeria stalked past me and kneeled before the woman.

Valeria inclined her head, as if waiting for something.

The woman’s soft voice cut through the room; my skin crawled as it slithered across my flesh. “Next time, don’t stray away from what I assigned you. I mean, what made you think you could wield her grimoire?”

Valeria rose to her feet. Her eyes were desperate for forgiveness. An expression I had never seen on her before.

Pure terror.

Bile rose in my throat, threatening to eject across the floor when I couldn’t stop the tremble in my hands.

Valeria lifted her chin, catching the woman’s agitated gaze. “I thought it would help us—”

“Don’t.” The woman held her hand up, and it hypnotized Valeria. The woman gently caressed Valeria’s neck and brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “My ambitious Valeria,” she hummed as she stroked Valeria’s cheek. Valeria leaned in, completely enamored by her touch. The woman clicked her tongue. “Lynne, take her away and make sure she repents for her misplaced avarice.”

A familiar petite woman with long, dirty blonde hair emerged from the shadows. Her blazing eyes turned pitch-black matching Valeria’s as she snatched her by the hair.

Lynne wrapped one tiny hand around Valeria’s neck and before Valeria could defend herself, Lynne twisted it.

A snap resounded in the room, and Valeria collapsed onto the ground, limp.

“I hate when they don’t listen and become thirsty for more than they deserve. Don’t you agree?”

I stood there gaping at Valeria’s lifeless body as Gren took a step forward, responding to my shock, and attempted to shield me from any potential harm. A kind but unnecessary gesture. I didn’t need anyone getting injured for my sake.

The woman shivered in revulsion as she stepped over Valeria’s corpse and strolled over to my side.

Lynne winked and gave me a small wave as she dragged Valeria by her leg and disappeared into the dark hallway.

The woman dusted her hands off on her suit like she had touched something revolting when she didn’t even lift a finger.

The woman finally spoke again, and all the hair on my body rose, but her focus went to Gren. “Did you do as I asked?”

Gren took another step forward, blocking the woman from getting any closer and nodded his head.

The woman laughed, hollow and abrasive against my ears.

My mouth hung open as I stood there dumbfounded.

I had to be hearing things. This wasn’t what we discussed.

My words were barely audible even to me. “What is she talking about?” When Gren didn’t respond, and the silence in the air was so palpable I could taste it, I asked Gren louder and more forcefully, “Did you plan this from the beginning?”

Gren didn’t glance my way and spoke to the woman in front of us. “The blood ritual is almost complete as requested. She is tethered, you just need to finish the last part.”

“Good. Then I shall keep my promise to you.”

“Thank you.” Gren bowed.

“You may go.” The woman flicked her wrist.

Gren stepped away but I snatched his hand. “ Gren .” My voice cracked. “Were you the one who spoke to me? The ritual? How could you ?” I looked into his eyes, hoping to see any emotion, any hint of truth.

But his vexed complexion held no lingering tenderness. So it was him . He was the one who said those words to me?

Gren pried my hand off him. “Don’t act so pathetic, Addy. It doesn’t suit you.”

My heart dropped, and I fell to my knees as I watched Gren disappear from my view.

A deep pit formed in my stomach, and I tried to make sense of everything around me. Gren couldn’t do this. Not after everything we had been through.

Anger boiled through me like molten lava, fueling me to continue.

The woman pointed at me, and my knees slammed hard onto the ground. She flicked her wrist and sent me flying to the other side of the room.

I collided with a wall, creating several cracks in the hard stone. I gasped for air, coughing up blood.

I cried out in agony as a sharp pain stabbed at my side with each breath.

Fuck . I thought they were after the keys, not me. And I thought Gren was on my side too. How many times was I going to let people fool me? I misplaced my trust, again.

I inhaled, and the piercing pain made me scream out as it sobered me enough to witness the woman prowling toward me.

“I'm sorry, I’m feeling a little hostile since your mother hid you from me when all I wanted to do was cultivate your powers. Welcome to the Winters family, my sweet Adeline. Your grandmother has missed you dearly.” She brushed the back of her hand on my cheek, and I flinched. “Please call me Ingrid for now since we’re not on familiar terms yet.”

My heart slowed as her words crawled against my skin. No way she couldn’t ... no.

My only family was Lucien.

I blinked away the tears and forced the words out. “Let Lucien go.”

The woman, Ingrid, laughed and it sent me over the edge. I called on my magic—from my chest to my fingers—but every time I tried, something blocked it.

Ingrid’s mouth curled, immoral and slimy—like a businesswoman swindling me for everything I had—not a grandmother who reunited with her long-lost granddaughter.

Ingrid took a deep breath and lifted my chin with her pointer finger. Her sharp fingernail dug into my skin.

Her smirk spread and her magic released my body, and I slackened as the pressure left me. “My daughter created a potent witch.” She snapped his fingers, and I fell to the floor.

Lynne reappeared from the hallway with Lucien chained, dragging him behind her. His light hair ruffled as dirt clung to the same clothes I last saw him in. His face was gaunt and covered in deep purple bruises.

I shot to my feet and ran past Lynne and kneeled beside Lucien.

“What happened?” The tears stung and blurred my vision as he looked at me with indifference.

I cupped his jaw, but Lucien didn’t move or flinch from my touch.

“What did you do to him?” I seethed, clenching my other hand into a tight fist as I stared at Lynne.

She chuckled, haughty and full of pleasure. “He should be fine in a day or two. Probably.”

My attention snapped back to Ingrid, who dared to call herself my family, as her temperament turned wrathful. “I’m feeling generous since my daughter’s debt is now cast upon you. So, don’t test my patience with all your useless whining. I hated it when Lasira did it.”

Ingrid materialized in front of me and tapped my forehead. She snatched my arm and traced her black nail along my skin. She pressed down on a vein and punctured my flesh.

Ingrid moved so quickly I had no time to react.

I recoiled from the tinge of discomfort and jerked away, but she had a strength I couldn’t match.

My struggle made her mouth warp into a devious grin as she brought her hand to her lips.

She bit down and stretched out her hand and dropped her blood onto the floor. A ring cast in blue flames encircled us.

I yanked and pulled, but I still couldn’t budge. “Let go!” My head spun as a force entered my body and clouded my senses.

“You should be more careful with how you talk. We will be in the presence of a sin .”

“Wh-wh-what?” I thrashed harder against the force attempting to occupy my mind, but it was cruel and persistent.

Ingrid groaned in irritation. “A witch is only as strong as the demon they sign with, and you have always been his . Had she taught you nothing?”

“She ...” I opened my mouth, but I couldn’t get any more words out.

“Of course she didn’t.” Ingrid chuckled. “She betrayed us and well, I guess you know how great it worked out for her.” She shook her head. “My poor little girl.” She sighed but it held no maternal affection. “I will say, she did a remarkable job at hiding you until now.” She snapped her fingers, and Lynne dropped Lucien to the ground.

My focus shifted to his lifeless eyes. “Are you okay?” I asked, waiting for a response.

I was hoping to catch a flicker of life, but Lucien stayed mute, knees pressed to the cold floor.

I fought back tears as fury burrowed deep within my chest.

Ingrid’s grip tightened on my wrist as she studied the mark on it. She leaned forward, frowning as she traced Kaschel’s mark on the back of my hand.

“You stupid girl. Do you know what you’ve done? How angry this will make him?” Ingrid yanked me behind her and chucked me to the ground at Lynne’s heels and clapped her hands. The blue flames extinguished in the blink of an eye. “Take them downstairs, immediately . We need to gather the others and find a way to get rid of him.”