Secret Worlds (415 page)

“He’s had
me
since I was a child,” he corrected again.

“What do you mean?”

Boaz leaned forward. The movement was too quick, too smooth, reminding me again how inhuman he really was. Instinctively, I stepped back.

“My mother was a vicious woman. The kind of woman who should never have had a child, but apparently Fate thought it amusing, and she bore me. Though in the end, I’m not sure who the joke was really on.” He smiled to himself. “My mother used to carry a big stick everywhere she went. She called it
Thorne
, and every time she said its name, she would laugh atrociously, as though it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. Her saying
Thorne
meant only one thing—that I was to receive a severe beating for failing to fulfill one of her absurd expectations. It was in the middle of one of these beatings that Hunwald found us in the woods. He tore my mother to shreds right in front of me.” He turned to Hunwald and ruffled the fur on his face between his hands. “Didn’t you? You good boy!”

“That’s terrible,” I said.

Boaz’s head snapped up. “Don’t tell me you haven’t ever wished your parents dead.”

“I couldn’t, wouldn’t—”

“Give it time.”

I stepped toward the ballroom. “I should go inside—”

Boaz appeared in front of me, blocking the door. Air caught in my chest. He took hold of my wrist and, with his thumb, rubbed the flesh beneath my palm, exactly where my pulse beat.

“Stay for just a moment longer,” he said, his tone commanding.

My head spun. The circular motion of his thumb on the sensitive part of my wrist made me lightheaded as if I’d had too much to drink.

“I want to wish you a happy birthday,” he purred.

It took me a moment to process his words. “How did you know?”

“How could I forget?”

I tried to communicate that I didn’t understand, but I couldn’t clear the growing fog from my mind.

While continuing to stroke the underside of my wrist, he said, “Your dress is extraordinary.”

He lifted my hand to his slightly parted mouth and pressed his lips to my flesh. I felt the gentle pressure of his tongue wet my skin. I slowly shook my head.

Finally I broke free of his spell and stepped away, my arms falling limp at my side. I looked down at my dress, suddenly realizing why Sable had chosen it. “This dress was meant for you.”

He laughs. “I hope not. I don’t think it would fit.”

“Sable,” I stutter, hating that he’s flustering me. “She chose it because she knew you would like it.”

“Mmm. She does have impeccable taste.”

“You can have it if you like.”

“Only if I can have what’s inside, as well.”

In response to my growing anger, the power within me stirred to life for the second time that night, but I resisted its pull.

“Let me make this perfectly clear,” I said, pointing my finger at his chest. “You will never have any part of me.”

“But, my love, I already have,” he said, licking his lips.

My bravery exhausted, I darted around him and returned to the ballroom, leaving him and the wolf to the darkness where they belonged.

I returned to my bedroom for the remainder of the party. I knew it would upset my parents, but by their earlier expressions, they couldn’t get much angrier. Alone, I waited for my punishment, my heartbeat growing louder by the minute.

Several hours later, the party died down, until all I heard were the servants cleaning up after the guests. I didn’t get ready for bed. My night was not over. Not yet.

It wasn’t long before Erik and Sable’s heavy footsteps slapped against the marbled floor. The steps reminded me of a hammer and a pickax. I slowly stood from my bed, swaying slightly, prepared for what was to come.

Erik pushed open my door. He was still dressed in a black tux that looked too tight for his solid frame. Behind a row of perfectly shaped teeth, his tongue clicked repeatedly. Next to him, Sable, who must’ve sensed his impatience, said, “Eve, dear, if you would just use your abilities, we could stop these
training
exercises.”

I pulled on my slippers, knowing I would be leaving soon. “I’ve told you both a thousand times: I can’t use magic.”

Erik clicked his tongue again. “Nonsense! You’re pretending, but don’t worry, we will break you. I’m trying something new tonight.”

I wrapped a thick robe around my nightgown. It was cold where I was going. “Whatever you say, Erik.”

Sable moved to my red dress, hanging from the top of the bedpost, and inspected it. “Did you get anything on it?”

“No.”

She glanced back at me. “Are you sure? You’re not very graceful when you eat.”

“I didn’t eat.”

“Good.” Sable removed the dress and draped it over her arm.

“Let’s get this over with,” Erik snapped.

Sable’s long fingers caressed the satin material. “You go ahead. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Erik scowled but didn’t argue. “Don’t take long,” he said and walked out of the room with me in his shadow.

I knew exactly where we were going. I could’ve made the trip with my eyes closed. Our footsteps echoed as we made our way down a narrow, circular stairway to the very bottom level, hidden far below the mansion. The only way to get there was through a secret door in Erik’s office. The smell of alcohol drifted behind Erik, turning my stomach inside out. I quickly covered my mouth to stop from gagging. The smell was always a precursor to pain.

Erik removed a key from his pocket and pushed it into the keyhole of a thick metal door. The creaking and groaning of the hinges furthered my nausea. I remained where I was, my heart pounding.

“Get in here,” Erik said from within the room. I heard him open a drawer.

Knees weak and shaking, I stepped into my father’s “training” room. The smell of jasmine hit me, forcing me to stumble back into a wall. The plants hung everywhere; some draped from the ceiling while others had been arranged in specific patterns in the corners of the room. I had a sudden urge to smash them all, but my body wouldn’t move.

Long white counters lined the walls; inside their drawers held all the tools Erik thought necessary to force my compliance. On the surface of the counters, cages contained different animals, from spiders to rats—Erik kept them as pets and treated them each with great care. And finally, in the center of the room, rested a single, immoveable metal chair with black straps bolted to its underside.

After Erik had carefully inspected each cage for proper food and water, he said, “In the chair.”

My nails dug into the wall behind me. “Please, father—”

“Do it.”

By the time I reached the cold chair, my legs were shaking so badly that I had no choice but to collapse into it, sweat breaking on my brow.
Stay calm.

Erik ran his fingers across the different animal cages on top of the counter. “I don’t understand why you make this so difficult. This would all end if you’d only accept your birthright.”

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. “I told you. I’m not like you. I have no magical abilities.” I’d said this so many times I almost believed it.

“I’ve heard that before,” he muttered. He lifted a basket-like cage and peered in between the tight weave. I couldn’t see what was inside. “It is utterly impossible for a child born to the Segurs and Whitmores not to have powers. You are deliberately holding back.”

“Why would I do that?”

Erik’s head snapped up as if he’d been shocked. “Quit wasting my time!” His slicked-back hair left its place and fell to his forehead. “I am not a fool. You have power—I can feel it.”

“No I don’t,” I whispered, wishing desperately it was true. But even now, with fear about to crack through my feigned calm, I felt magic’s ancient power as strong as the overpowering smell of jasmine. Only my vow kept me from using it.

“Have I missed anything?” Sable’s voice asked behind me. She crossed the room to her usual place in the corner and sat on a stool surrounded by jasmine. She’d changed into a silky green, short-sleeved housecoat. Tucked beneath her arm was a watering can.

“We were just beginning,” Erik said, smoothing back his hair. He walked over to me and set the cage down before proceeding to fasten the straps around my chest and legs. In my ear, he whispered, “For your protection.”

Sable poured water into the nearby plants and touched their leaves tenderly. “I trust this won’t take long? I have a meeting in the morning.”

Erik glared. “It will take as long as it needs to.”

“Very well.” She sighed as she plucked off wilted leaves from a plant hanging above her. “Just make sure Eve is punished for her behavior tonight.”

Erik knelt in front of me and removed my slippers. “Don’t worry, darling. I was going to do that first.”

I tried not to let my mind wander with what new torture he may have devised. He lifted the cage and peered inside its tight slits again, the corner of his mouth rising. I shivered.

“You embarrassed us, Eve,” he said as he opened the top of the cage. Whatever was inside bumped the whicker walls, almost knocking it from Erik’s hands.

“What are you going to do?” I didn’t mean to whimper.

“Teach you to respect us once and for all.”

Water poured from Sable’s can.

I closed my eyes and prepared for the inevitable. As if sensing my thoughts, Erik took hold of my foot and guided it into the trap. Something bit me hard, and I yelped.

“This rat hasn’t eaten for days. Hope your foot has enough flesh on it—”

My screams drowned out the rest of his words. The hungry rat was tearing into my skin with teeth and claws. I tried to kick at it, but that only made it madder, and it clamped onto my pinky toe with sharp teeth.

To escape the pain, I did what I’ve always done: left reality and traveled to Eden—a secret haven I’d created when I was just a child. It was a refuge hidden deep within my subconscious that I used to protect myself from Erik and Sable’s constant abuse.

I’d first heard of Eden when I was only six from an elderly woman who’d marveled when I revealed my name.

I was standing outside a jewelry shop in Manhattan waiting for my father, when a woman with thick eyelashes and a gentle smile approached me. “What’s your name, little one?”

I’d been taught not to speak to others, but the woman’s eyes felt like a canopy, sheltering me from the world. In a small voice, I answered, “Eve.”

“What a beautiful name,” the old woman said, her gnarled hands gripping a cane. “You must be really special.”

“Why?”

“Because Eve was the mother of all living. She was beautiful, kind, and full of love. It’s a great honor to be named after her.”

“Where is Eve?” I asked, hoping I could visit her.

“She lived in a wonderful place called Eden where there was no pain or sorrow. But that was a long time ago. Eden is gone, along with Eve. But I can see in those rare emerald eyes of yours, that you will be just as great as our Mother Eve.”

It was at this moment when Erik, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, shoved the old woman backward. She stumbled and tripped over the curb and fell into the street.

“Keep your idiotic stories to yourself,” Erik said.

He pulled me away from the crumpled woman lying in the street. Before she disappeared from my view, I glanced over my shoulder one last time. She was struggling to stand, but our eyes met, and she smiled.

Out of nowhere, a bus rounded the corner, going faster than it should. I screamed a warning, but it was too late. The bus ran over her as if she wasn’t there. I turned to bury my head into my father, but stopped when I noticed he was chanting under his breath, a deadly spell.

That was the first time I created Eden, and I had returned many times since. As long as I had Eden, I was out of their reach.

I arrived there now, just as the full moon reached its peak in the night sky. Its silver light brought the dark world to life, illuminating trees and flowers that blanketed the ground. The air smelled of salt and pine, and in the distance, waves hushed against the shore. I moved into a groove of trees, anxious to see the ocean.

I didn’t get very far. Somewhere inside my subconscious, a man was yelling. Something crashed, metal against metal. I didn’t listen too closely for fear that returning to the real world would bring excruciating pain again. I reached the edge of the woods, but the man’s angered voice persisted until my curiosity overrode the fear of torture.

I closed my eyes and willed myself back to reality, but as soon as my mind connected with my body, the pain was greater than I’d anticipated. I cried out and fought against the straps around my chest.

“What have you done?” the same male voice said.

I forced my eyes open. In front of me kneeled Boaz.

Boaz gazed at my bloodied feet, his eyebrows pressed together. Erik stood against the wall, the cage in his hand. Sable was gone.

Breathing shallowly, I glanced down at my right foot. It would’ve been unrecognizable if it hadn’t been for my first and second toes, which were mostly intact. The rest of my flesh had been shredded, exposing bone in some places. I gripped the sides of the chair and threw my head back, stifling another scream. Boaz released the straps around my legs and chest. He seemed to be at a loss for words as he stared deeply into my eyes, his cool hand smoothing back my sweat-drenched hair.

He turned to Erik. “You tell Sable to fix this tonight!”

“But Boaz, you must understand—we were only trying to teach her a lesson.”

“Can you stand?” he asked me.

Though the pain was severe, I ignored it. The last thing I wanted was help from a vampire. I pushed against the armrests, lifting my body to a standing position.

“Breathe,” he whispered in my ear while he steadied me with his hands.

I exhaled the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.

“Can you walk?” he asked.

His hands remained on my hips. The coolness of his fingertips ignited the skin beneath my nightgown’s thin material. Nodding, I continued upwards—each step felt as though I was stepping on nails. Boaz stayed by my side, guiding me out the door and up the steps.