Page 2 of Cursed (Wicked Heirs #2)

The library’s heavy wooden door creaked as I pushed it open, but the sound was swallowed by the thick silence within.

My footsteps echoed softly against the polished floor— If she was in here, I wanted her to hear me coming.

The air was thick with the scent of old parchment and burning incense, a heady mix that clung to my skin like an unwanted memory. Lanterns flickered dimly from the stone walls, but the chandelier in the center of the room was dark.

I knew she was here—I could smell her.

My father had given her permission to leave the safety of her chambers.

A foolish oversight on someone’s part, but one I intended to exploit. My eyes swept through the aisles, searching for any sign of her, and the anticipation curled in my stomach like a serpent coiled and ready to strike.

The library, a labyrinth of tall bookshelves, held ancient volumes that Lucian had collected with an almost obsessive fervor. My eyes darted from one shadowy corner to another, my ears attuned to the smallest sounds.

The faint rustle of fabric reached me. I paused, my body rigid, and every muscle tensed as I detected her presence.

There she was, hidden between two towering shelves. Her pale hazel eyes were wide and filled with apprehension as they locked onto mine.

Her fear was what I craved. It enveloped me like a fragrant perfume, and each note was more thrilling than the last.

The sight of her stoked a predatory instinct within me.

She was mine to toy with, mine to frighten, and ultimately… mine to claim.

As I moved towards her, she darted back deeper into the labyrinth of books. Her flight only fueled my excitement further, but I didn’t rush after her; instead, I followed slowly and relished every whimper that escaped her plump lips.

When I finally cornered her once again, her hands curled into fists at her sides as she glared back at me. She was so tiny—the top of her head barely came up to my chest—but anger burned in her eyes along with the fear I found so delectable. Her defiance only made her more enticing.

The thought of breaking her continuing resistance was an exhilarating prospect.

“You have nowhere left to run,” I warned her softly.

Her anger flashed across her beautiful features then.

“I’m allowed to be here,” she hissed. “Lucian—”

“Oh, I’m aware,” I shot back.

I stepped closer and my shadow swallowed her whole as the dim light danced mockingly around us. A dusty tome slipped from the shelf and landed with a thud that echoed flatly in the library's silence. She flinched at the sound and I couldn’t help the lust that rose inside me. Would she still bend for me if I demanded it?

Her eyes were wide and shimmered with a cocktail of emotions—fear, anger, perhaps even a flicker of something deeper. It was thrilling to witness.

“Why are you here?” she spat. I relished in the way her body tightened, and that small act of rebellion only added to my amusement.

“Why, Avril,” I drawled, a smirk curving my lips, “have you forgotten that you’re only a guest here? My father might have given you permission to visit this library—but you’re not welcome here.” She shrank back.

“I—”

“Did you really think that you’d be safe behind those bookshelves?”

She didn’t answer, but I could feel the soft pulse of her magic as she gathered her strength to defend herself.

It wouldn’t work, but I found it amusing that she hoped it might deter me.

“You should be careful with these dusty books,” I continued. “They might reveal secrets you’d rather not uncover.” My voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper, taunting her as I leaned closer, letting her feel the chill radiating from me. “You’re playing with forces far beyond your understanding, little bird.”

Her breath hitched, and for a moment, I could see the flicker of uncertainty cross her face—her resolve teetering on the edge. It was exhilarating, knowing I held that power over her, knowing that as much as my brothers and I had ruined her—there was still some innocence hidden inside her.

Innocence like that could be shattered so easily.

“Perhaps it’s time you learned that ignorance isn’t bliss—but a curse,” I finished, my smirk widening as I admired the flush creeping up her neck. A twisted thrill curled through me. She was still mine to toy with, and now she was trapped in a web of her own making, and I couldn’t wait to see how she would struggle against it.

“I’m not ignorant,” she snapped. “I— I was at the Academy.”

I laughed. “Oh, yes. Messana’s elite institution. What the Sages taught you in those hallowed halls is nothing compared to the truth of the world. My power surged forward and Avril shrank back against the bookshelves as the pale green of my magic curled around my fingers. “Did you think you could learn anything about power from those dusty old men? Did you really believe they were teaching you anything useful there?”

“I— You have to let me go,” she choked out. “Lucian—”

“What about him?”

She hesitated, and then her eyes narrowed as she drew herself up a little straighter. “I— You— You need to explain yourself.”

“For what?” I snorted.

“For betraying me!” Avril cried. She stabbed a finger into my chest, and I took a step back in surprise. “How could you do it— You promised me—”

Her words cut through the silence, but I merely chuckled, enjoying the way her bravado wavered beneath my gaze. Beneath that fierce exterior lay a vulnerability begging to be exposed, and the thought sent a thrill racing through me. I grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her close. Her breath caught, and she swallowed hard as I loomed over her and my fingers tightened around her slender wrist .

Oh, yes. If I wanted her, I could have her.

I could taste her fear, and felt it vibrate through the delicate bones of her wrist. Whether I wanted it or not—she set my senses on fire. Every whisper of her terror was a seductive invitation that called to the darkness within me and fed the beast that yearned for her submission.

“A promise? Did you genuinely think I owed you anything?” I crooned. “We did it— Because we could.”

She flinched at my words as she strained against my grip.

“You needed to know how easily you could be owned and manipulated—” I continued. “There’s so much you don’t know, Avril.” I pulled her against my chest and she let out a soft cry as I grabbed her hip and held her tight.

“Your mother—” I leaned in and murmured into her ear. “She had secrets. Dark ones.” I savored the way her body stiffened against me, and the pulse at her throat throbbed like a frightened rabbit’s. “Haven’t you wondered how she really died? Or what part she played in your father’s downfall?”

“Stop!” she gasped, and tried to step back as if my words had struck her. “Stop this—”

My magic curled around her waist. Tendrils of green smoke that squeezed and tormented her and her breath hissed between her teeth.

“Your mother was part of this world, Avril.” A pause, just enough to let the tension coil between us and enough for her to gasp as she felt the hardness of my cock press against her. “And this world... it demands sacrifices.” I stared into her eyes, daring her to look away. “Perhaps you should ask yourself what price your mother paid—and what you might owe in return.”

For a heartbeat, we stood there and the dim light cast dancing shadows across her delicate features. I could see it now—the glimmer of fear buried deep within her eyes, a fragile thing threatening to shatter at any moment. And yet, even as I toyed with her, I felt that familiar tug of desire—a dangerous craving that I hadn’t been able to push away.

My obsession with her should have faded— But I only craved her more.

I spun around and released my hold on her, freeing her from the trap I’d driven her into. She stumbled and then caught herself on a nearby bookshelf. A few books tumbled from their dusty resting places and crashed to the floor. She let out a strangled yelp as they fell and danced away from the stained parchment.

“Run away if you wish,” I taunted. “But remember, little bird, you can’t fly away from this darkness… it will always find its way back to you.”

She looked at me, her eyes wide and glowing in the dim light of the library.

All it would take was one command from my lips and she would be on her knees—

“This darkness,” I continued as I prowled closer to her trembling form, “isn’t something you can escape from. You learn to hunt— or you become prey.”

I leaned down to pick up one of the fallen books, and my fingers skimmed the weathered leather cover before I slid it back onto the shelf. Avril watched me with cautious eyes. Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths that made her soft curves all the more enticing.

Her gaze darted to the exit, and for a moment, I thought she might actually run for it. But she was smarter than that; she wouldn’t risk turning her back on me.

“You...” Her voice trembled as she pointed a quivering finger my way.

Soft purple magic glowed at the tip of her finger.

She was trying.

It was almost endearing.

“You’re nothing but a monster,” she hissed.

A chuckle escaped my lips as I dropped my gaze to her quaking hand. “Exactly,” I replied and relished how her accusation felt like a compliment. “I learned to hunt— I had no choice. And now? Now I crave the chase.” My smirk returned as her pale magic suddenly flickered out. Nervously licking her lips, she took a step back, but I walked past her and fell into a large armchair, completely at ease. “You should do the same. You won’t last long as Lucian’s bride if you can’t… hunt.”

Her bottom lip trembled and her eyes flicked towards the door again. She had to know… she couldn’t run. Not from me.

“But... why?” Her voice was hushed, a fragile plea echoing in the cavernous library. “Is it solely for amusement? For power?”

I shrugged. “Does it matter? The reasons are of no consequence.”

She swallowed hard; her pale skin drawn tight over delicate bones. She seemed so small, so frail in the face of all that was laid out before her.

“But... you can’t— He can’t expect me to—”

“Oh, but he does.” My grin broadened at her words. “You should be eager for it. Isn’t that what you’ve been doing all this time? Accepting the will of others? No arguments— No complaints?” I asked. My words were barbed with unnecessary venom, but she needed to hear them. If my father truly intended to have her as his bride, he would get a shell of the woman she could have been. My brothers and I would see to that.

Avril recoiled as if she’d physically been slapped.

“I’m not—” she protested weakly, but stopped when she saw my dismissive gesture.

“Spare me,” I drawled lazily. I stretched my legs out and crossed them at the ankles. “Your feeble attempts to convince yourself of your strength are amusing at best.”

She took a step back, her petite form almost swallowed by the ominous shadows that loomed between the towering bookshelves.

“I’m stronger than you think,” she insisted. Her eyes bored into mine with a stubborn resolve, as though she was daring me to challenge her. To break her.

I let out a low chuckle and relished the tremor that passed through her at the sound. “We’ll see about that,” I murmured darkly.

The color drained from her face at my words and her eyes widened with terror. But the flicker of defiance was still there even as I slowly rose from my seat. As I towered over her, I relished in the way she shrank back against the packed shelves.

“You don’t scare me,” she said, although her voice quivered.

“Do I not?” I replied with an arched eyebrow. My magic seared through my hands like an electric jolt. It churned the surrounding air with a ferocious energy and her breath hitched in fear as green tendrils curled around her and dragged her toward me.

And then, with a flick of my wrist, I had her pinned to the rough-hewn stone wall of the library. Green wisps of my magic danced and writhed around her slight form. “You’re right,” I drawled, my voice dripping with feigned sweetness as I caged her against the ancient masonry. “I’m not trying to scare you,” I clarified. “I’m trying to remind you of your place in this house…”

Her breath hitched, and I could sense the wild beat of her heart against her ribs. Every flinch, every gasp, and every tremor that rippled through her was like music to my ears. She was full of fear and reluctant desire— and a barely hidden lust that rang through the hollow cathedral of the haunted library.

So much for the trembling virgin.

“Y-you can’t...” she stuttered, struggling against the ropes of magic that bound her.

“Oh?” I chuckled, enjoying how the sound echoed ominously through the room. “And who’s going to stop me? You?”

The spark in her eyes flickered for a moment before flaring brighter than before. “Yes,” she whispered defiantly.

This was not an answer I had expected, and it took me aback for a brief moment.

This woman... no... this little sparrow dared to defy me?

It intrigued me.

It excited me.

Had we pushed her too far?

Or not far enough…

“I like this defiance,” I purred, leaning in until our faces were mere inches apart. Her frantic breath ghosted over my lips and I fought the urge to bruise them with a kiss. “It has a certain... enchantment to it.”

Her eyes hardened at my words and a flicker of distaste flashed through her expressive gaze. But the growing panic was still there, stronger than before.

“I don’t care what you like,” she spat out. She was bolder than I’d given her credit for.

“You should, little bird,” I murmured as I ran a finger down the side of her face. Her skin was smooth and warm beneath my touch. “Because whether you like it or not,” I paused for just a moment, “you belong to us .”

If she had been stronger, the venom in her gaze could have seared the flesh from my bones. But she was weak—her magic was weak and so was her bravery.

A ripple of laughter escaped me as I watched her struggle against the forbidden magic that bound her.

“Let me go!” she shrieked. Avril kicked and twisted with all the force her little form could muster.

“Hm,” I hummed uncaringly, as I stepped back and made a sharp gesture with my hand; the magic echoed my motion and released its hold on her.

She let out a furious cry as she dropped to the floor and staggered back against the wall and leaned against it, gasping for breath.

“I hate you,” she hissed.

“Good,” I replied. I dismissed her with a wave of my hand. “Get out of my sight.”

Without another word, she stumbled blindly toward the exit, her breath coming out in ragged gasps. Her slim figure melded with the darkness before she disappeared completely, leaving only a haunting echo of her harsh words lingering in the hushed silence of the library.

Satisfied, I sauntered over to the armchair I had previously occupied and sank into its worn luxuriousness. A twisted sense of accomplishment spread through me as I replayed our encounter. She was still vulnerable, and I wondered just how fragile her resistance would be. Whether it was revulsion or fascination that sparked those fiery eyes of hers didn’t matter. What mattered was that I had incited emotions she had worked so hard to hide. Fear... anger... desire...

I was still in control.

My father might have announced his intentions toward her, but she was mine .

Ours.

But something else simmered at the core of all of this—why did Lucian want her ? There were countless women among the ranks of the Necromi who would do almost anything to gain Lucian’s favor…

A smile curved over my lips as I thought of his most recently deceased bride.

Perhaps one of them already had.

But Julia’s brief tenure as our new stepmother didn’t answer my questions.

What did Lucian want with the daughter of a traitor?

And what would I have to do to find out the truth?