Otherworldly Bad Boys: Three Complete Novels (65 page)

I felt sick.

He took me by the arm, and picked the torch back up. “Well, let’s walk.”

“W-where are we going?”

“Your new home for the next few weeks,” he said. “At least until the ritual.”

“The ritual?” I said. Then, as what he’d said sunk in, “I’m trapped down here?”

He led me through the darkened tunnels. “I know. It sucks. It’s not your fault. Honestly, I blame Dean Surber for the most part. Adelaide has really made a mess of things. You’re paying the price.”

He continued to talk as we turned the corner into an identical corridor. “Some people would say that most of the blame lies with Carter, because he’s the one who had to get in your pants before the appointed time and all of that. But I can’t say I blame him.” He caressed my cheek. “You’re so beautiful, Teagan.”

I cringed. “Why are you doing this to me?”

“Because the society needs your power,” he said. “I’m going to miss you afterwards. I know that. But this sacrifice you’re making is going to help all of Scales and Fangs. It’s a big deal. I have to help. For the greater good.”

“No,” I said. “Harper, we’re friends. Let me go.”

He shook his head sadly. “Can’t. Sorry. And, you know, I always wanted to be more than friends.”

I gulped. He was punishing me because I hadn’t been attracted to him?

“Where was I?” He paused. “Oh, right. I don’t blame Carter. Now, the two of you could have been more discreet about it. Reba has a big, blabby mouth, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. But if Adelaide simply had brushed aside the accusation, and pretended like nothing was wrong, well, then we wouldn’t be in this pickle, would we?”

Maybe I
should
try to make a run for it. Maybe it would be better to starve in these tunnels than to listen to Harper.

“But no,” he continued. “She had to make it into a federal case. You want to know why, Teagan? Because she was jealous. That’s right. Her and Carter were hot and heavy last year, and she couldn’t stand the thought of him with you. You’re everything she isn’t. Young. Pretty. Delicate. She was crushed that Carter wanted you instead of her. And so she took him off my play, and she told you to stay away from him. And then when you tried to see him, as anyone would, she put wards on you.”

He sighed, yanking me around another corner. “I think if the wards hadn’t been put on, everything would have been fine. I would have been able to convince you that things were okay. That was what I was supposed to do, you see. I was supposed to get you to see that you were crazy, and that everything was okay. And then we could all go about our business. But Adelaide put those damned wards on you. And after being in excruciating pain like that, there was no convincing you that weird things weren’t happening. That’s why I completely blame her. No one else. Just her. And now, she’s gone and ruined my play.”

His play? What?

We turned left. How many turns had we made? Maybe I could still get back to the door if I got away now. But Harper’s grip around my arm was like iron.

“When it became obvious that I couldn’t calm you down,” said Harper, “I talked to Professor Bancroft and told him you wanted to come here. He said it was perfect. We’d get you down into the inner sanctum, and we’d be able to keep watch over you.”

He opened a door on the right side of the hall. He pushed me inside.

I stumbled, sprawling on the floor. I expected to hit hard stone, but it was plush carpet.

The room was bathed in light. I looked up to see Harper standing next to a light switch. The room I was in was quite modern. There was a single bed in one corner, covered in a red paisley comforter. A flat screen television was fastened to the far wall, in the perfect spot to watch from the bed. A closet was open next to the bed. It seemed to be stocked full of clothes.

“See,” said Harper, “Bancroft was worried that you were going to lock yourself in your room, and that we’d have a heck of a time getting you for the ritual. Would have brought a lot of attention to ourselves, and that’s not a great thing for a
secret
society, is it?”

I struggled to stand up, but it was difficult with my hands tied together. “So, you’re locking me up here instead then. So that you can get me for this ritual—whatever it is—whenever you want.”

“That’s right,” said Harper. “But it completely fucks up my play. And I’m kind of pissed about that.”

“Your play.” I glared at him. He disgusted me. “You’re worried about your play. This society is going to kill me.”

“No, we’re not.” He closed the door and sat down next to me. “We’re not going to kill you, Teagan. We just need your power. It’s a very easy little ritual. You’ll be on an altar with Carter. He’ll have sex with you, and all your power will transfer to him.”

My dream. It was my dream. In the woods, on a raised dais with the dark man. Oh God. Carter was trying to steal my light, just like my aunts had always said. He’d known this the whole time, and he’d never tried to help me.

Harper began to untie my hands. “Of course, when he takes your power, it tends to sort of... lobotomize you at the same time. You won’t really be the same. But you won’t be
dead
. I promise you that.”

“Scales and Fangs did this to my mother.”

He pulled the shoelace free. “To women of the Moss clan for generations on end, all the way back into the fourteenth century, when Scales and Fangs and your family lived in Europe.” He smiled. “You’re part of a vast legacy, Teagan. You should be honored.”

I flexed my wrists, rubbing my hands because some of the circulation had left. Then I dove at him, clawing at his face.

He grabbed my hands and pushed me against the wall. “Hey, hey. I know you’re scared. But there’s no reason to take it out on me. This is bigger than both of us.” He leaned close, pressing his lips against my forehead. “This is going to give us a chance to start over, Teagan. You and me.”

I struggled. “Get off me.”

He let go of me warily. “I guess it might take a little time for you to adjust, huh?”

“Fuck you.”

He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. “I’ll be back to see you soon, okay? I really want this to work.”

I lunged at him, digging my fingernails into his skin.

He shoved me against the wall hard. His face was bleeding.

I couldn’t help flinching.

He slammed me into the wall again. “Please, don’t do that again. There’s no reason to be violent.”

My head hit. Pain burst through my skull. I bit down on my lip. “You bastard.”

Harper threw me onto the bed in the room. He stalked out, slamming the door after himself.

I scrambled to my feet, but by the time I got to the door, it was shut and locked in my face. I pounded on it for a few minutes, but I knew that no one would let me out.

I was trapped underground by Scales and Fangs. And I didn’t know how I was going to get free.

* * *

He didn’t come back for two days. I thought it was that long, anyway. I had to judge by the programming on the TV, because there wasn’t any way to see outside. I had a bathroom with running water, so I was able to get something to drink, but I didn’t get any food.

I was starving. My stomach had started to ache because of it. It was past growling. Now, I thought it was gnawing on itself.

Harper brought food. A big burger and fries. I ripped into it, shoving food into my mouth.

He watched me with a strange smile on his face. “Happy to see me this time?”

I didn’t answer. I was too busy chewing and swallowing.

“They wanted to feed you before this, but I kept the food from you.”

I set down my burger, too shocked to eat. “You did
what
?”

“I want you to appreciate just how much you owe me, Teagan. Just how much power I have over you.”

I took another bite and stared at him. Had he always been this fucked up? How had I not noticed?

“I wanted you to be grateful.” He touched my face.

I yanked away from his touch. “Don’t.”

He shook his head. “That’s not the way I want you to be, Teagan. I can keep food from you for longer, you know.”

Oh God.

“You need to cooperate with me. I want to fuck you, and I want you to like it.” He smiled. “You can make me believe you like it, can’t you? You got lots of method acting lessons from Carter. Don’t act.
Be
.”

I felt like my stomach had closed up. I set down the food. So he was threatening not to feed me unless I had sex with him?

Could I handle not eating for another two days?

I shut my eyes. I could handle it. After all, he couldn’t kill me. Scales and Fangs needed me for the ritual. But I wasn’t going to let Harper rape me before Carter raped me.

Oh. Oh, God. Carter. How had he let this happen to me?

But I couldn’t think about him, or I would fall apart.

I glared at Harper defiantly. “I’d rather die than let you touch me.” I spit in his face.

His face twisted. “You bitch.”

I picked my burger back up. I was going to need to eat while I could.

He snatched it away from me. “I don’t think so. See how you like not eating for a week, Teagan. See if you’re a little more agreeable then.”

* * *

Carter

“What are you doing back here?” Adelaide asked me. She was in the library of the inner sanctum. I’d heard her approach—her heels clicking against the stone floor. “I figured you’d be in New York with Fletcher for at least a week.”

“I wasn’t feeling New York,” I said. Luckily, I’d had time to hide the book I’d been reading before she came closer. I didn’t know how I would have explained to her the fact that I was reading up on ways to remove wards. I needed to get the wards off of Teagan, or I’d never be able to get her away from Thornfield. And that drunk girl in Fletch’s apartment had been right. I needed to make a decision. I either cared about Teagan, or I didn’t. Being away from her like that had made me realize that I was in love with her. I’d do anything to save her. Screw Scales and Fangs. Screw the power. Screw Adelaide. I glared at her.

She raised her eyebrows. “Are you here looking for Teagan?”

I furrowed my brow. “What? Looking for her down here? Why would she be down here?”

She swore under her breath. “You didn’t know.”

“She’s down here?” I said.

Adelaide sighed. “She was becoming a liability out in the world. Talking to people, saying things about the society. We figured it was safer to—”

“Lock her up?” I couldn’t believe this. “So, her last weeks of life as she knows it are going to be spent in a prison.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be melodramatic. She’s got cable and a whole closet full of clothes. We’re feeding her well.”

“Oh, well, that makes everything okay.”

“Harper Cannon is a bit put out over his play,” she said. “I promised him you’d let him direct one of the shows in the spring.”

“What?” I said. “You can’t do that. You don’t have anything to do with the theater department.” Not that it was the most important thing right now. Teagan was important. Her safety. Her wellbeing. And right now, she could be hurting. “She’s warded against me, isn’t she? Am I close enough to her right now that she’s in pain?”

“Oh, I don’t know, Carter. I really wish you’d get over your puppy dog love for this girl. It’s disturbing.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “And we have to do something for Harper. He helped us get her down here. He’s gone above and beyond, and he’s only been a member for a year. He deserves a reward.”

“He got her down here?” I said. “So, he knows where she is. Does he have a key to her room?”

She glared at me. “Does it matter?”

I thought it did. I didn’t like the idea of Harper having access to her when I didn’t. Besides, this was only going to make things more difficult with her being locked up down here. I thought I was going to be able to remove the wards that had been placed on her, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to get her out of here. It would have been much easier if she were in her dorm. Damn it.

As if to add insult to injury, I looked up to see Harper striding through the hallway in front of the doorway to the library. “Never mind, Adelaide, I’ll ask him myself.” I started towards the doorway.

“You need to stand down, Carter. It would be better if you kept out of the inner sanctum until the ritual,” she called after me.

I ignored her.

I caught up to Harper as quickly as I could. I put my hand on his shoulder. “Mr. Cannon.”

He turned to face me. “Professor Alexander. You’re back in town. Can I just say how saddened I was when I found out that you wouldn’t be overseeing my play anymore?”

“I’m sure you were,” I said dryly.

“Of course, then my play got ruined completely, because we had to lock my lead up down here. But you’d know all about that, wouldn’t you, considering you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants.”

I glared at him. “I’m still your professor, Mr. Cannon. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t speak to me that way.”