Sinjin (5 page)

“Who was she?” I asked, after receiving the distinct impression that the woman was dead.

“Her name was Bella,” Jolie answered. “You’re going to make a right around the wall,” she instructed as she led me around the wall at the end of the hallway and then into the restroom. “She was a witch who waged war against our side…and lost.”

“She was a witch?” I repeated. “So she was one of your
kind?”

“Yes,” Jolie answered and I could detect her irritation at my reference to “her kind
.” Apparently, she considered me to be one of her kind as well… I wasn’t.

“So you killed her
… or what?” I asked. The sound of the door closing behind us meant we were now inside the bathroom. I blinked a few times as soon as Jolie removed the blinders from my eyes. Glancing around myself, I took in the large, subway-tiled shower, which was butted up against an enormous bathtub. Across from the tub and shower were the sink and toilet. I set my clothes on the edge of the sink, and sat down on the lid of the toilet before untying my tennis shoes.

“I didn’t kill her,” Jolie started, crossing her arms over her chest, almost protectively. “Luce did.”

“Luce?” I repeated as I frowned up at her, shaking my head. “How is that possible? How could Luce have been in touch with her in the first place? It’s not like Luce has ever been
here
, or even knows where ‘here’ is?”

“It’s entirely possible because that’s what happened,” Jolie retorted matter-of-factly. “Luce visited Bella, whether in her visions or in person, I’m not sure. But he told her that your people intended to wage war against us. He also lied to her and told her she was meant to be queen, not me.”

“Why would Luce do that?” I asked, not grasping the sense in any of it. Then I reminded myself not to put any trust in my sister. As the queen of the Underworld, she was no better than a spider, weaving a web of lies.

“Because it was the only way he could reach me,” she answered. “Bella attacked me; and combined with Luce’s power, the two of them would have killed me.”

“Okay, that makes no sense at all because Luce never wanted to kill you,” I argued with her, frowning all the while as I pointed out a gaping hole in her story. “He wanted you to become one of us.”

“I understand that,” she replied with comparable frustration. “But that was the
whole point to his plan. He offered me his hand while saying it was the only way I could ensure my own survival. And, of course, the first thing I thought about was my baby’s survival. So, really, what other choice did I have?” She took a deep breath. “It was either die or accept his help. It was the perfect way to ensure that I did what he wanted me to do.”

“And that’s when you ended up at our camp?” I asked. I placed my shoes and socks in a neat pile beside the shower.
And, even though I didn’t want to do it, I honed in on my sister’s belly just to make sure her baby was still okay. Because I knew her pregnancy was a risky one, I found myself checking on her baby constantly. As soon as I focused on the life growing inside of her, I was rewarded with a burst of energy that seemed to radiate out of her.

“Yes,” Jolie answered as she faced me quizzically, obviously aware that I wasn’t fully focused on our conversation.

I cleared my throat. “I, um, was just checking on your baby,” I said in a small voice as I pretended to pull an errant thread out of the hem of one of my pant legs.

“Oh,” Jolie responded and sounded surprised.

“Everything’s good,” I informed her and then faced the shower, obviously uncomfortable with the direction our conversation had headed.

Jolie t
urned to face the door. “I’ll leave you alone now,” she said. “Just holler when you’re ready to be escorted to the main house.”

“So you’re really going to introduce me to everyone?” I asked, my voice
hinting at my disbelief. As far as I was concerned, it wasn’t a good idea to give the enemy any sort of information, but luckily for me, Jolie wasn’t on my side.

“Yes,” she answered succinctly.

“And how does Rand feel about it?” I asked, expecting the pragmatic warlock not to be in agreement with any of it. In fact, from the few instances when I was able to pick up Jolie’s thoughts, I got the distinct feeling that she and Rand were arguing about me.

She started to smile at the mention of her handsome mate. “He’s just
… protective.”

I nodded as I turned on the shower and waited for the hot water to heat up. “I wouldn’t call it protective; I’d call it logical and sensible.”

“You’re my sister, Bryn,” Jolie insisted, shaking her head.

“
I’m your enemy,” I corrected her. “The sooner you realize that, the better.”

She didn’t say anything
but just stared at me blankly for a few seconds. Then she turned the doorknob and walked out of the bathroom.

###

As expected, Jolie again momentarily blinded me as she led me outside the confines of the guest house in which I was being held prisoner. As soon as we walked through what I assumed was the front door, a cold, salty breeze chilled me. It was blowing off the ocean. I took my time as we traversed the uneven cobblestones underfoot before I heard Jolie opening another door and we walked inside again.

“It isn’t proper for the queen to bother with her prisoners,” a woman’s voice
announced right next to my right ear at the same moment as said woman took my arm. A burst of energy shot up my arm as soon as she touched me. I tried to yank it away from her, but she held onto me tightly.

“Bryn is my sister, Mercedes,” Jolie explained icily. “She’s not an ordinary prisoner.”

“She is a Lurker and, therefore, your prisoner, first and foremost,” the woman insisted, her tone hinting at the power that lived within her. I honed in on her voice and attempted to read her mind so I could find out who or what the hell she was. As soon as I did though, a flare, like an electric shock, crashed through my head, feeling like my brain was being cooked. I immediately dropped to my knees, grabbing my head with both hands as I gasped in pain. It felt like I’d just been electrocuted.

“Bryn!”
Jolie cried out, instantly coming to my side. “What’s happened to her?” she demanded, addressing the other woman. I could feel her arms around me.

“She attempted to eavesdrop on my thoughts,” Mercedes answered, her voice calm, yet definitely cold and calculating.
“And she learned a valuable lesson.”

I pushed Jolie away from me and stood up, unappreciative of anyone who intended on babying me. I was a warrior, not a weakling. “I’m okay,” I managed
, even though my brain was still reeling. I also couldn’t see anything, which only made the situation worse. It took me a few minutes to catch my breath and calm my frantic heartbeat down.

“Your subjects must not see you trifling with this prisoner,” Mercedes continued. “I never approved of this ludicrous idea from the get-go.”

“I don’t care,” Jolie argued. “We can’t leave Bryn locked up in that bedroom forever. We need an alternative.”

Mercedes sighed and I could hear the frustration in her breath.
“Very well. You go ahead of us and I will lead the Lurker into the Green Room when you are ready for her.”

“Okay,” Jolie answered, sounding tentative. When I heard the sound of a door opening and closing again, I figured my sister was now gone.

“So, I’m assuming you’re the prophetess?” I asked the woman who was still holding my arm. I rubbed my temples, still feeling the echo of the torment she’d just put me through. The power coming off her was intense—so much so that I knew she couldn’t be anything other than the prophetess.

“I am,” she responded.

“Interesting,” I continued as I took a deep breath and focused my power on myself, dissipating the remnants of the pain that still swam through my head. “I thought the Supreme Elder of my people killed you on the battlefield in our training camp. At least, it sure looked that way.”

“Looks can be deceiving,”
the woman responded stonily.

“Apparently.”

Then we both fell silent as we awaited word to enter the “Green Room.” The authorization arrived maybe five minutes later. I didn’t hear a voice letting us know that it was okay to enter, so I supposed whoever okayed it had done so silently. Mercedes nudged me forward, and a few steps later, my mind was suddenly flooded with thoughts that weren’t my own. I could only assume they were the thoughts of the people inside the room.

In another few seconds, my sight was restored. I blinked a few times, trying to get accustomed to the overhead lights, which were incredibly bright. Looking out through a pair of French doors that led to a balcony, I noticed
that night had darkened the sky. I returned my attention to the room and admired the handsome shade of sage that covered the walls. No wonder this was called the Green Room ... Jolie was sitting behind a desk in the center of the room while the rest of it was comprised of amphitheater-style, rowed seating.

Mercedes led me to the far side of the room where Sinjin was standing alone. As soon as I made eye contact with him, he smiled
at me lasciviously. I looked away, turning my attention instead to the rest of the people who were in attendance.

“Would you mind keeping an eye on her?” Mercedes asked Sinjin
as I glanced back at him and frowned. “I must attend to the needs of the queen.”

His eyes never left mine. “With pleasure,” he replied as he gripped me around my upper arm tightly. I couldn’t take
so much as a step. Mercedes simply nodded and returned to the other side of the room, where she stood beside Jolie. I watched Rand walk through the double doors and up to Jolie, pulling the chair out beside her.

Physically speaking, Rand was striking. He was decently tall, though not as tall as Sinjin, but his shoulders and chest were probably a bit broader than the vampire’s. His tan complexion gave him a
Mediterranean look, but his accent left no question as to his nationality. He was as British as the most annoying vampire I’d ever had the misfortune of meeting. Rand’s face was every bit as handsome as Sinjin’s. Well, almost … maybe. His chocolate brown hair was the same hue as his eyes although his eyes were a shade or two darker. With his angular face, Roman nose, clefted chin and dimples, he was certainly a looker, and then some.

I couldn’t help noticing the way Rand kept his eyes fastened on my sister. He looked at her like she was the only person in the room. His gaze was so filled with love and adoration, I suddenly felt hollow and empty. No one had ever looked at me
like that.

“Watch it,” I barked at Sinjin as soon as he pulled me into the length of him. He was
so close, I could feel his cold breath on my cheeks.

“Our prisoner must not escape her confines,” he said in a whisper that tickled my ear.

I didn’t respond, but faced forward, scanning my surroundings. I had to catch my breath, which was infuriating because Sinjin was demonstrating a knack for stealing it. He also had a way of making my heartbeat race until I was consumed with feelings of anxiety. And I never did well with anxiety.

Seated in the first row were the people I guessed were Jolie’s panel of advisors. One of the most enormous men I’d ever seen was sitting
directly in front of me. His bulky shoulders and the girth of his barrel chest would have obscured anyone behind him from view. He was dressed only in a kilt, which suggested he was probably Scottish or maybe Irish. I couldn’t seem to keep my eyes from the swells and valleys of his well-developed, muscular chest. As someone who considered exercising just as important as breathing and eating, I could appreciate his beautifully sculpted body. His long, blond hair fell to his waist, and shone like spun gold. His handsome face resembled that of a lion—solid, angular planes with a strong jaw. His eyes were deeply set, wide and the color of amber. They were currently riveted on me and his jaw was tight. As soon as I made eye contact with him, I could hear his thoughts.

The
lass is verra bonnie! Aye, Odran mah man, boot ye moost not forget, she’s yer enemy! Och aye, Ah willnae forget. Boot look at her breasts an’ the lines o’ her hips … Aye, Ah would like ta bed her. An’ mayhap she would fight meh a wee bit. Aye, she’s a tigress, that one. Ah should like ta put her in her place an’ teach her how ta soobmit ta the king o’ the fae.

So that solved the puzzle of who the gargantuan blond lion was:
Odran, the king of the fae. Interesting. And the accent with which he’d spoken in his head said he was decidedly Scottish. Next my attention shifted to the much smaller man sitting beside the Scottish king. His build was stocky, but powerful. His widely set brown eyes, high cheekbones, overly generous nose and full mouth made him appealing, but in no way as striking as Odran or Sinjin. Sensing something canine about him, I wondered if he were some sort of were. Judging by the way he was glaring at me, however, it became pretty obvious his thoughts weren’t going to be especially friendly.

Who does this little bitch think she is? She better hope to hell she doesn’t find herself alone with me
’cause I’ll force every secret she ever had out of her and what’s more, I’ll enjoy every second of it.
He continued to study me, a scowl coloring his features.
Yeah, she looks a lot like Jolie. Hmm, maybe I’ll pick up with this one where I left off with the queen ...