Page 200 of The Harbinger
“There’s nothing for you to worry about. You’re safe with me.”
His words did little to quell my unease. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was truly safe by his side. Sure, I had his brand, and it was supposed to protect me, but was it enough to shield me from the looming threat of his father’s demands? Or was it just his ploy of lulling me into a false sense of security like a wolf in sheep’s clothing?
“Am I?”
He half turned towards me. “You doubt me?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Just wondering how far you’d go to get what you want.”
He leaned in close to me, his eyes filled with a darkness that seemed to bleed out into the space around us like tumultuous spirits writhing behind them. “You’ve seen the lengths I’d go to in order to keep you out of harm’s way.”
A faint furrow creased his forehead, a fleeting sign of discomfort as his expression remained otherwise stoic. The slight twitch at the corner of his mouth hinted at a momentary lapse in his composure, a fleeting regret he quickly repressed.
He’d spilled blood for me. Taken a life and snuffed it out like a bug. He’d kept his father from me and even cared for me while I was sick. Yet I’d only doubted him. I’d questioned his loyalty to me while my own loyalty dangled by a thread, poised for the slightest sign to snap.
Sacha slipped his hand around my nape and pulled me closer, his lips a hair’s breadth away. “What are you thinking?”
“How I don’t deserve you.”
Deep and rich, his laughter rumbled through the limo, filling the space around us with its infectious sound. I sank in my seat, his hand falling from my neck.
“You have no idea how wrong you are.” He grabbed my hand and kissed it, his knuckles still bruised and cut. “If I were any different, I’d send you away. But I’m not that kind of man.” He drew me in closer. “I’m selfish, and I’m keeping you. So you’ll never know what it’s like to be free of me.”
The limo came to a gentle stop, and I gazed at the magnificent white castle with awe. It was like something out of a dream, with its faux fire lanterns lighting the path to the grand entrance.
The castle’s walls were rounded and smooth, giving it a soft and welcoming feel. And the domed roofs atop each tower were elegant and refined, like something from a bygone era.
“Here we go.”
The driver opened the door, and Sacha stepped out. I slid along the bench, took his outstretched hand, and emerged onto a black running carpet leading to the castle doors.
“I don’t belong here.” I stepped closer to him, and he kept hold of my hand.
“Then neither do I.”
My stomach did flips, and a smile burned my mouth as I worked to keep it contained. Grigoriy, Yuri, and Vlad flanked our backs as we walked along the carpet up three stone steps and into an arched doorway while Dmitri took the lead.
Two staffers opened wide doors, and an announcement was made in Russian, then in English. “Elder Alexander Ruslanovich and his companion, Mia Primack.”
Sacha led us deeper into the room, his confident steps cutting through the low buzz of whispers like a knife. The air was thick with tension and anticipation, and I could feel the eyes of every person in the room upon me.
As an outsider, I was used to being on the fringes of society, never fully accepted by those around me. But in this room, the whispers and hushed tones were like a swarm of bees, a constant reminder of my otherness.
My heart raced in my chest, and I held my head high, determined not to let their judgment get the best of me. But the beady eyes and stifling atmosphere coiled around me like a serpent ready to strike.
“Your companion?” I clutched his hand tightly as the crowd parted, and a glaring reality slammed into me like a freight train. Everyone in the room wore black and white, from the men in their sharp suits to the women in their elegant dresses. And then there was me, standing out like a sore thumb in my blood-red gown. Whatever confidence I had with him by my side dwindled like a decaying sprout.
“It means you are mine, and I am yours.”
His tone should have shaken me from my stupor, but I couldn’t help but be wither from the pressure, their whispers, and stares surrounding us like a dense fog. Sacha pulled me further into the room, with its towering ceilings and live orchestrated music reverberating off the brick walls.
Why was I the only one dressed this way, in a gown that seemed to scream for attention in a sea of black and white? Why would Sacha set me up to be the center of attention like this?
“Sacha...” I leaned into him, my voice barely above a whisper, as he led me towards his father, sitting at a table like a king at his feast. “Why am I the only one dressed this way?” My teeth ground against one another, and my heart stuttered as the voices of gossip grew into hisses.
He turned to me, his gaze unwavering and for a moment, disintegrated in those abysmal eyes. “I want you to be noticed,” he said softly, his voice barely audible over the music. “To stand out from the crowd. Youarethe most important person in this room.”
My cheeks grew warm at his words, my heart fluttered in my chest. “But isn’t this night supposed to be focused on the chosen sacrifice? It’s supposed to be their time.”