Page 74

Chapter 21

Addie

On closer inspection, I saw that it wasn’t Fallon, but a man who looked like him. An older man with gray and white peppered throughout his hair. His tawny skin held an array of wrinkles - around his eyes, the corners of his lips, and drooping down his cheeks. He was how I imagined Fallon to be twenty years from now.

This man must’ve been a relative.

He smiled when he caught sight of me, muscular arms extending as if he intended to pull me into a hug. Instinctively, I shivered, backing up a step.

He may have looked like Fallon, or at the very least, an older version of him, but he wasn’t. I couldn’t afford to have my guard drop for even a second.

I didn’t know who he was or what he wanted, but he obviously worked for my parents. That in itself was bad fucking news.

“Addie!” he said jovially, smile severing his face in two.

My teeth gnashed together, and my hands curled into fists.

Who was he, and what did he want?

He tried to wear a mask of benevolence, but I could see something lurking just beneath the surface. A coldness. A flash of malice in his eyes. A curl of cherry red lips. Everything about him did the exact opposite of his intended reaction. Instead of ease, I felt fear slither up my spine like a striking snake.

“Who are you?” I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest. I tried to look badass, nonchalant, as if I wasn’t dying and hadn’t been kidnapped by cruel army men. Fake it til you make it.

“Please, have a seat,” Not Fallon said, ignoring my question and gesturing towards a leather seat in front of his desk.

When I hesitated, Deth pushed my shoulder and sent me toppling forward. I glared at him. Asshole.

My body was tired, and my head was still reeling from all I had witnessed. With heavy reluctance, I perched myself on the leather chair. The seat was cold against my bare arms, scratchy as well.

The least he could do was invest in a comfortable fucking chair.

“I’ve been hearing a lot about you,” he said, steepling his hands on top of his chest. His own chair swayed side to side as he stared at me, eyes intent and penetrating.

“All good things, I hope,” I drawled out, the cliché saying slipping from my mouth before I could stop it. I had a moment of panic, a blistering type of pain. Would he mistake my humor for flirting? Why did I live in a fucking world where I had to be cautious of each and every word that left my mouth?

He surprised me by throwing back his head and laughing. The sound sent goosebumps up my arms, and not the good kind. These were the type of goosebumps you received watching a horror movie and knowing the main protagonist was going to die. You still rooted for her, but you were mentally judging her stupidity of entering the dark, abandoned hall weaponless.

“Who are you, and what do you want?” I repeated. I half expected my father to creep into the room at any moment. He was a snake, a monster, and I had no doubt he had sharpened his fangs in preparation to strike. My prolonged separation from him should’ve made me less terrified, but it hadn’t.

I had gotten a taste of freedom, and I was determined to hold on to it. The prospect of being back under my father’s dauntingly heavy thumb was terrifying.

“Forgive my poor manners. My name is Lucian.” He extended a hand over the desk, and I eyed it warily for a long moment. With bated breath, I took it, half expecting my entire body to shrivel up and die from the contact.

But…nope. Nothing. Not even static electricity.

I didn’t bother giving him my name. The asshole already knew it and probably knew every little thing about me.

“I’m going to cut right to the chase, Addie. You're a very special girl.”

I snorted. This was already off to a great fucking start. My father called me special seconds before he hit me. My mother called me special when she sent slimey men up to my room. I hated that word and the connotations behind it.

Ignoring my interruption, he leaned forward, eyes eagerly tracing my features. “Let me explain. You’re special, Addie. Your blood is special.”

“I don’t understand what you mean,” I gritted out, but that unease in my chest was unfurling, growing, until I was practically choking on it like a large ass cock.

“Your blood has the cure. Your blood could save this entire world.”

Oh, fuck.