Sewn & Scarred (The Fated Creations Trilogy #3)

Chapter Forty-EightEvaline

Chapter Forty-Eight

Evaline

“ A re you ready?” Vasier asked as we approached the double doors that would open to the throne room.

I nodded, my jaw tight and the hand that was not holding onto his arm clenching at my side.

The two humans standing on either side of the doors each grabbed a handle and pulled, revealing the affair inside.

I felt Vasier’s eyes on me, as if gauging my reaction to the event.

But it was all too much.

The throne room—the same room I’d been betrayed, stabbed, and choked in—was unrecognizable.

Usually it was empty, save for the Vasi that stood around to watch whatever torment Vasier had in store for me that day. But now, it was full. Overflowing with decor and music and dancers.

Vasier walked us through the doors and my senses were assaulted by it all.

The high ceilings seemed lower from the red and white and black silk runners that were draped all across the ceiling. Pinned here and there, and sweeping down toward the crowd in grand valleys. Intricate gold chandeliers fell from between them and hung above the dancers. Clear crystals dangled around them, and the reflection of the candlelight danced around the room.

“Do you like it?” Vasier asked low in my ear, and I was surprised I heard him from how loud it was in here. There were so many people I feared the room wasn’t big enough for us all. There was no part of the floor that was not taken up by a waltzing couple, tables filled with wine and food stood on the perimeter, or the full orchestra that played from the stage-like platform constructed around the throne.

I nodded vaguely, unable to actually answer as my heart raced and my throat filled with the fear that Sage wasn’t going to be able to save me. Not in a room with this many eyes on me, not with this many Vasi.

Vasier stopped just inside the doors and used his free hand to take mine from his elbow and set it gently into his other, where it propped up toward me. He lifted it so we walked forward with our arms bent, joined hands at the height of my eyes, and the ballroom parted for us.

No dancers ceased, no music halted. Though the movement in the room didn’t falter, I knew every pair of eyes was on me.

I felt each and every one of them in a sick and horrifying way, unlike anything I’d ever endured.

And this moment, this experience of walking into a Ball and knowing that every gaze was on me, reminded me of Maddox’s gaze at the Ball in Kembertus. When I hadn’t known how my life would change, how he would impact it so completely.

My heart gave a painful lurch as my eyes swept over the crowd, met with several other pairs as we walked forward toward the throne, and I knew that I wouldn’t survive the night.

Sage, even if she wasn’t planning to betray me, either would be too late, or too underpowered.

“They’ve been working on this all night and all day,” Vasier mused as we walked forward, and something colorful caught my eye. I tilted my head to the right, then the left, to see that both walls of windows that I’d shattered on my very first day here had been replaced with the finest stained glass murals I’d ever seen.

I cringed back at the sight of them, but Vasier kept a steady hold on my hand so that I couldn’t pull away.

“I have to admit, those didn’t appear overnight,” he said, continuing us forward as I craned my neck to look at them. “They’ve been working on them since your last test.”

I shook my head as we walked past them, felt the goosebumps scroll over my flesh as tears welled in my eyes.

It wasn’t that they weren’t beautiful, because they were.

It wasn’t that they were done so quickly, or that I was the reason they’d been broken in the first place.

No. It was the subject of the murals.

Me. And Vasier, standing just as we were now, even with the same attire we wore.

“Settle down,” he said, pulling my hand as he turned in front of me so that I crashed into his chest. My wide eyes looked up at his as he smiled down at me, his eyes alight. “You will be happy here, remember? I promised you would be, and you will be,” he said as he brought one hand up onto my back and pressed my chest to his. “You will be happy, you will not worry, you will cooperate,” he said and his eyes that had been normal a moment ago, if not amused, rippled again.

In an instant, I understood that for a second time in my life, as a horrid man held me in his arms and took my hand to start to lead me in a waltz, I had to don my mask. It was the only way to maintain my secret that his compulsions didn’t affect me.

I let a smile widen on my face and nodded. “I will be happy. I will not worry. I will cooperate,” I said in as lovely of a tone as I could muster.

His smile widened and he nodded. “Good.”

He spun me around the dance floor and I kept that smile on my face, kept my expression light and my eyes as clear as I could, and I prayed that he couldn’t see past it any better than Bassel had.

“You look magnificent,” he cooed softly, and I lowered my eyes down as if sheepish.

“Thank you, Vasier,” I said and noticed the slight shiver that shook his frame for a moment. When I looked back up at him through my lashes, his head was tilted as he studied me.

But he didn’t speak, and I realized that he was reveling in this moment.

I looked at the Ball around us, needing reprieve from his gaze, and noted all the jeweled colors of the ballgowns around me, all the black suits and red eyes.

“Thank you for putting this together for me,” I said as we spun around the floor. “It’s quite grand.”

Vasier hummed and nodded. “I have waited a long time for this night,” he mused, then slid his hand from my back to cup tightly around my waist.

I smiled and noticed the throne rising behind him, up the stairs it sat upon, and knew this was my chance to scan the back of the room. As soon as he spun us around, I looked up past his shoulder as he looked to the orchestra and told me how he’d gone through a lot of trouble to get them here on time, and I saw it. High and set back in the rear wall, was a balcony. It was shadowed, with no candles to light it up, and bordered by crimson spindles that created a rail. It was made even more difficult to view as many of the drapes swept past it, and I knew that would only help hide Sage when she portaled in.

“They’re quite lovely,” I responded back, regarding the orchestra’s music, and sent my magic up there, just as Sage instructed. A shield of air, which was easy. The Terra shield was more difficult, I had less practice in it. My magic reached out, felt for the stone floor of the balcony. Once I could feel it, all the way up there, I locked it down, unmovable.

It’d be difficult to maintain enough concentration to keep it secured, but I didn’t have a choice.

Please, Sage, I prayed. Please come back soon.

Before I’d even finished the thought Vasier was twirling me out, and I tried to squelch the pain that move arose—from when Maddox had plucked me mid-twirl—and smiled back at Vasier as his eyes dropped over my body, resting on the cleavage this dress provided me, longer than I cared for.

He pulled me back into his embrace, but in such a way that as I spun back in, my back pressed into his chest, his body curving around the contours of mine.

I swallowed back the bile and continued to dance with him as he dropped his face into the crook of my neck.

“Not as lovely as you,” he whispered against my skin and I focused on maintaining my shields if not just to take my mind away from his body wrapped around mine.

“Thank you,” I said back, and hoped that when he heard how breathless I sounded, he would surmise it was from being wistful instead of being choked from the too-sweet smell of the soap that still clung to his skin and the feel of his lips on my skin.

By the deep rumble of pleasure through his chest, I assumed it had been the former.

“You look so much like her, like Alannah, that sometimes it startles me.”

I nodded and had so much attention sent to the shield, that I didn’t think about my words before I’d said them. “It sure startled Kovarrin.”

Vasier stilled behind me but didn’t pull away, his lips rising to my ear.

“And what did my brother do, when he saw you?”

I swallowed. “He thought I was Alannah. He just ran and held my face in his hands.”

Vasier’s chuckle in my ear reverberated down my neck and sent goosebumps along it as we began to dance again.

“I’m sure that gave your mate ,” he spit the word, “quite the fright.” He sighed. “Father taking his girl? Gods know he’s done it before.” Vasier growled the last bit and I was thankful when he spun me away.

I stayed quiet, not sure what kind of response he was looking for, but when I was back in his embrace, our chests pressed together, the annoyance disappeared from his face as his eyes lowered over my lips.

“No matter, he’ll never get the chance again,” he said just before he dipped his head and kissed me.

And my reaction, I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t help my body’s natural response to a predator, and Gods knew I’d been unable to fight other handsy men too many times for my body not to protect itself now.

At the same time that my hands flattened over his chest and pushed away, a small wall of Air did too, which was the only way I was able to back-step out of his embrace.

His eyes widened as they landed on me, catching his balance even though he’d only stumbled back a foot.

He lowered his jaw, eyes enraged. “You cannot be compelled.”

I raised my chin. “It appears that way.”

His eyes darted around the Ball, I think he realized that he’d spoken too loudly, and even with the loud music and chatter all the Vasi around us would still be able to hear. Hear this lack in his power, this weakness.

When he looked back at me, he was shaken. His expression had fallen into a look of confusion and concentration all at once as he must’ve considered what he could do to rectify this situation.

And this leverage that I finally held over him, this piece of me he had no control over, made me forget. For a moment, I forgot that I was alone, in a room full of Vasi. I forgot he planned to rid the world of me tonight. That I was in his grasp, even if my mind wasn’t. For a moment there was only that befuddled look on his face, and my own satisfaction.

I couldn’t help it, I laughed.

“I hope you weren’t counting on that.”

His eyes darkened and he reached out one hand to grasp my throat, and pulled me against his body.

“I only need you to be subservient. And that can be accomplished in other ways,” he said, tilting his head. “Or don’t you remember my warning from all those days ago? I have been a monster for centuries, and that comes with a few tricks.” He tilted his head, eyes remaining on mine as his hand tightened around my throat.

I sucked in as big a breath as I could, not wanting my lack of air to cause my shields to fall.

“It brings with it experience, and wisdom,” he said, leaning closer to me until his lips met my ear. “The kind of wisdom that requires me to always have a contingency.”

I sucked in a breath, squeezed my eyes shut against the chuckle he gave against my ear, his breath tickling my skin and causing me to shiver in disgust.

“Like the insight that you’d die for people you love. And even, people you feel beholden to.”

My mouth gaped as I gasped for desperate breaths, kept my shields steady, and tried to listen as he spoke.

“Like, say, a slave you promised to free?”

I coughed on the breath I’d been trying to take in at the mention of Maeve and the fear that Sage had betrayed me again. He released my throat and spun me to press my back against his chest with his hands pinning me in place by their grasp on my upper arms.

I shook my head, still trying to catch my breath, as he continued.

“I don’t know what it will take for you all to understand that no threat I ever make is idle, and that I am willing to do whatever I need in order to get what I want.” He laughed in my ear. “My brother has been underestimating me for so long, and it appears that you have, too. And while I would’ve thought you’d learned the error of your ways after being brought here by your friend ,” he said, sneering the word. “And after your mate’s change, it appears that nothing I have done has yet been able to impress upon you that I am not to be underestimated. And if none of that has convinced you…” There was a pause as he tilted his head around the room before he spoke. “Perhaps this will.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I croaked out amidst the pain in my throat.

Vasier hummed. “You don’t?” His hands on my arms tightened. “Just because you can’t be compelled, doesn’t mean she can’t be.”

I straightened, fists clenching at my sides, and I had to remind myself to maintain my shields.

He sighed. “And while I didn’t think it necessary at first, considering every guard at your door reported hearing nothing but cordial talks between the two of you, after your little assassination attempt, I had to wonder.” He gave a dry laugh. “Because I didn’t believe you, didn’t believe you’d be so lucky as to find free, accessible blood in your room.” He pressed his cheek to the side of my head. “So I was forced to compel her , to hear what the two of you had been discussing. And I must admit, air shields? That’s pretty innovative.”

I shook my head as the ice seeped through my blood. Sage hadn’t betrayed me, but it didn’t matter. He knew everything, and I couldn’t believe I’d been so idiotic to think I could fool him. A man who’d been alive nearly a millennia. Who’d been planning this revenge for a millennia.

“Leave her alone.”

“How can I? She worked with you, to try to free you. She tried to undermine my plans. And what’s worse, was that she did it willingly. Lauden and Broderick, their betrayals were out of stupidity. But hers was—”

“Out of fear ,” I barked. “You keep them all locked up here, they’re terrified. Of course they’re going to try to escape.”

Vasier hummed.

“You’re lucky— she’s lucky—that you care for her. Because if not, she’d be hung from the ceiling right now, alive and kicking and bleeding down on all these hungry Vasi mouths.”

My heart raced in my chest, waiting for him to finish his sentence, to inform me that she wasn’t harmed, that he was keeping her safe to use her against me.

“Disobedience needs to be made an example of, after all,” he said, looking around the room in front of us. “One sick cattle and the herd goes with it. It might start slow, and it may spread quietly, but it does spread.”

My body shook as he stretched a hand out to the crowd in front of us, index finger extended.

“Oh, look. You even get to watch the opening act,” he said and I watched his hand move over the crowd, but when it stopped, and my eyes followed it, my knees nearly gave out. They would have, had he not been holding my arm.

In the middle of the room, I saw Maeve’s bright smile, only for a moment as she was spinning while she danced. But then she spun again, and I saw her eyes close, her head tilt back.

That was when I noticed who she danced with.

Riley.

His arms were wrapped around her, and I watched as his head lowered to her neck.

“No!” I shrieked, trying to wrench myself from Vasier’s grasp as I lunged forward.

“Easy,” Vasier crowed in my ear. “He’s only taking enough to mingle the blood.”

I shook my head violently.

“No. No, you can’t turn her,” I said and now the tears came. The desperation swelled through me.

And I remembered the look on her face, the fear in her eyes when she’d told me she’d rather die than become one of them. The hope on her face, when I promised to free her.

Vasier patted my arm. “And I won’t, because you’re going to cooperate.” He tilted his head. “Right?”

“Maeve!” I screamed for her, but the hall was so loud and she was so far away.

Vasier sighed and spun me around to face him, hands still locked on my upper arms.

“She’s compelled. She only thinks she’s having a marvelous time, dancing at this beautiful Ball, like all the other humans. And if you do what I say,” he said, tilting his head. “She will not be harmed. She will not be turned. I will wipe her memory clean, and send her back to wherever it was we found her. And all of this, all her time here, will be erased from her mind.” He tilted his head and clicked his tongue. “But if you don’t, then Riley has very strict orders, and the only thing he needs to carry them out is one look from me. And she will remain here, she will be held in the dungeons and tortured like your mate. She will think of you, every day. She will curse your existence, every moment. And for the rest of her long, long immortal life, she will know that Evaline Manor used her.”

I shook my head. “You’re awful. You’re an awful man, no wonder my mother didn’t choose you!” I shrieked and he was able to quickly hide the pain that flashed over his face, prepared for whatever insult I’d slung at him.

His smile widened, and he half turned toward the stage. He pulled me with him, and for the first time, I noticed a small table standing before the throne. There was a bowl atop it, and a leather-bound book.

A spellbook.

“No!” I shrieked, pulling back on his arm, and throwing a wall of Air against him. He stood his ground and turned to me.

“I’m sorry, I thought you wanted your friend to have her freedom back,” he snapped.

I shook my head. “You can’t,” my eyes darted to the table. “You don’t want to do this.” I looked around frantically. “She’ll never accept you,” I said, trying to buy myself time, but immediately understood my mistake.

He cocked his head. “What are you talking about?”

My eyes widened and I didn’t respond, just pulled against his hand again. If I could buy enough time, Sage would get here, and then she could get the both of us, and Maeve, out.

Vasier took a step closer to me.

“How did you figure it out?”

I looked up at him to see his brows furrowed, his head cocked. “Who told you?” he growled, leaning forward. “Broderick? Riley?”

A chill ran over my body as I realized that he had such a tight grip on Sage, or at least thought he did, that he never even considered that she may be the one to betray him.

“No one,” I insisted. “I figured it out on my own.” Doubt shadowed his features, so I continued. “My bedroom,” I rushed out. “It was clearly not made for me. It’s my mother’s.”

He surveyed me for a moment, then straightened, seeming content with my response.

He turned and started to drag me toward the throne again.

“No!” I screamed, digging my heels against the stone below me. “I won’t help you get to her! Ask anything else of me, please! I won’t help you steal her from the Night!”

He whirled again, but instead of confusion, this time there was only amusement.

“Oh, Evaline,” he said, then chuckled. “It’s adorable that you think I’d ever need your help in getting to her.”

My eyes widened and I shook my head. “You need me, I’m the only person who can bring souls out of the Night.”

Horror washed through me at the shake of his head. At the look in his eyes, at the satisfaction in them.

“No, you’re not.”

Tears came on again but he didn’t seem bothered by them as he reached around me and yanked the tie binding my braid out.

I winced against the pain of his pull on my hair but stilled in fear when I felt what he did next.

He dug his fingers into my braid, pinched my wire, and ripped it out.

I shrieked against the pain, heard some hair rip out from the move, and watched him with wide eyes as he brought it forward, into my line of sight.

“I asked you to cooperate.” He tilted his head and slid the hand that held me down my arm and to my wrist. “You didn’t listen.”

I watched in horror and tried to pull away as he grasped my other wrist until he locked them together in front of me. He had them pinned so that the insides of both wrists faced inward, braced against each other.

He held them close with one hand and moved his other toward them, my barbed wire in tow.

I screamed in pain as he wrapped my barbed wire—my sense of security in this world—around my wrists so its sharp barbs pierced into my flesh, and blood poured down my arms, down my hands, to the floor.

He yanked me to the landing before the throne and makeshift stage while I tried to lock down my fear, lock down my shields, and prayed that they held up against this blood loss.

He stood me in front of one side of the table so that I was still able to look sideways and see the entire affair to my right. My eyes scanned the crowd for Maeve quickly, but I knew it was no use. I wasn’t any better equipped to save her now than I was when I made the promise to keep her safe, I only saw that now.

I cleared my eyes of their tears and looked forward to Vasier, who stood on the opposite side of the table as me.

“You promise?” I whispered, and knew he heard me based on the way his shoulders loosened. How the muscles relaxed in his face.

By the smile, before he spoke.

“I give you my word.” He tilted his head. “And remember? I always stick to it. Whether a threat or a promise.”

If I did what he said, she’d be safe. Sure, I didn’t know what would happen to the Kova, but perhaps this ceremony wasn’t something I should fear, but something I should welcome.

My mother would be stuck with Vasier, yes, but not forever. She’d told me once she wasn’t immortal, and I’m surely not, so in this body, she should die again, someday.

And maybe she was the only one who could stop him. She had a better grip on her magic, had used hers for hundreds of years and I’d only used mine for not even one. She’d learn the other three elements quickly.

A sense of calm washed over me then.

Maybe this was what the Gods always intended. Maybe I was never the one who was meant to kill Vasier, maybe I wasn’t the one who was supposed to wield this magic, at least not forever.

She was the one who angered the Gods. She was the one who created. Maybe, she was the one who was supposed to end it.

Maybe it was never meant to be me.

Perhaps I was only ever meant to be a vessel.

And perhaps that was okay.

Vasier studied me, and seemed to sense this acceptance, because he turned to his left, to the grand doors we’d walked through earlier this evening, and lifted a hand toward them.

I turned to see two Vasi opening the door, saw a figure walk through.

My breath caught in my throat and my eyes widened as the woman stumbled forward. Her sad eyes were on mine, her brows furrowed in a way that told me she already regretted what she was doing. The chains—Rominium I realized—dragged behind her, wound around her wrists and ankles so tight I could see the blood seeping from them.

But this woman, who had done something no one else in the world could do, shuffled closer and closer until she was tripping up the steps and standing beside the table, between Vasier and me.

She cast me one last glance as she settled beside us, but hid the move by flipping her disheveled brown hair out of her face, her flushed cheeks gaunt.