Page 77 of Shattered Jewel
I won’t give him the satisfaction. Instead, I square off with him. “I’m aware of every single location of my mother’s creativity.”
Little do they know I spent most of the last six years fighting for my life inside this home until I moved to the dorms. One wrong step and I’d literally lose an eye. “If you want to move off this mezzanine, I suggest you play nice.”
The strange dance of dominance between Kaspian and me breaks when one final curse sounds out.
Cav appears at the base of the stairs, fury bunching every muscle in his exposed arms, since he seems to have lost his shirt and is in his undershirt. Light chemical burns are visible along his forearms and shoulders.
“What happened to you?” Wilder asks him at the mezzanine’s balcony.
“My boot snagged on a tripwire,” he bites out as he stares me down while I linger behind Wilder. “A wooden ceiling panel gave way, and a bucket of cleaning supplies, paint thinner—whatever caustic liquid Caroline got her hands on—rained down on me.”
Sasha makes an impressed sound.
“The back of my jacket took the brunt of the downpour. I tossed it before it ate through the material since it was fucking sizzling.”
“Too bad the Court doesn’t allow female members,” Wilder says. “Mrs. Wraithwood would fit right in.”
Cav’s fiery glare fades from his eyes, seeming to be a momentary lapse before the austere, calculated Cav Nightshade kicks back in, and he takes the stairs to where we all stand.
Sasha sighs next to me, eyeballing Cav’s chiseled, muscular arms and the carved line between his pecs that disappears into his white undershirt.
She’s clearly finding it hard we’re supposed to be against these guys. I don’t blame her. There’s something about their survival instincts that stirs lust in anyone lucky enough to watch them work. Wrestling control from chaos seems to be their forte.
Then I remember what’s hidden under the white of Cav’s shirt.
Unbidden images of Maverick trapped in similar situations flood my mind. Alone, without any allies, dealing with these deadly Court members who could kill him without batting an eye. Who did.
Reality snaps back when Axe moves, lunging toward Sasha with unexpected speed, only to be halted by Kaspian’s hand on his arm midstride.
Axe grimaces. The action looks painful with the gash across his cheek. Kaspian says something under his breath that I don’t catch. His eyes soften as he talks with Axe, and then they sharpen when they land on me.
“Will you help us navigate this death trap, or should we continue to find our own way around?” He arches a brow as he asks it. “It won’t be pretty and will involve a lot of destruction, starting with your precious brother’s room.”
“Don’t you—” I’m halted by Sasha’s hand on my arm.
“Don’t feed the trolls,” she warns. “You’re giving these guys exactly what they want.”
Except I have no doubt Kaspian means what he says.
It takes a second to get my emotions under control: hurt, grief, anger, frustration … all the feelings I’ve refused to feel for years.
Stay positive, Elara. Your world works better when you choose pink instead of black.
“The right sequence on the wall,” I begin reluctantly, pointing toward the hidden panel near the entrance, “will disarm most of the traps on this floor.”
Cav steps forward, curiosity creeping into his frosty gaze as he studies me. “And how do we know you won’t trick us?”
I bite back a sharp retort. “You don’t. But as you’ve eloquently pointed out, it’s in my best interest that everyone makes it out alive.”
He seems to consider this for a moment before grudgingly relenting with a curt nod.
Good. If they think their safety lies in my hands, then I have some say over their actions.
Vulnerability, it seems, has become a two-way street.
Chapter 20
Axe