Page 55 of Evermore

Iglared down at the bands around my wrists, at the thorns growing from the swirling black marks. Fucker. He’d done that on purpose to push me.

“I find it hard to believe it takes you more than four minutes to remove one article of clothing and replace it with another.”

“Well, Al, I find it hard to believe any woman with half a brain cell crawled into your bed and procreated, but here we are, living the dream.”

“Present yourself. Now.”

The command in his ancient voice ripped through my veins, forcing the barbs on the bands to dig into my arms as my feet moved of their own volition. Well, his.

I circled the accordion partition in my gifted bedroom and glared at him. “A simple ‘please’ would have sufficed. Asshole.”

“I’m not above taking your free speech away.”

I ran my fingers over the smooth silk hugging my body. “Don’t worry, Al. I don’t think there are many things in existence you’re above.”

He scratched his chin, patience wearing thin. “I’ve asked you not to call me that.”

“Well, damn, Al. You also told me I couldn’t call you Grand Pappy. You took Ball Sac off the table. You hated Shadow Fucker. What do you want from me?” I moved to study the plunge of the gown’s neckline, my Remnants silently following like a train on the gown. “Honestly. Al is tame.”

“For the love of the Fates, stop fidgeting with that dress. It’s meant to be alluring, not manhandled. Now stand in the center of your room.”

Again, my feet shuffled forward. In the four days since he’d taken me, I’d learned to only push to the brink, never over the edge with him. His anger fed into his Remnants, which caused mine to lash out. And though his were far more powerful, mine were erratic, and not at all bound to my command.

“Call them forward,” he commanded.

“You know I can’t,” I answered. Because, in this one thing, he had no control over me. As long as I didn’t know how to control the Remnants of my power, he couldn’t make me do it. The mind was a precious thing, it seemed.

“Correct. That’s why we practice. Focus on the emotion.”

Without thinking, Thorne’s little golden book popped into my mind. I’d hidden it after I’d left that empty stone room on the first day. I was given a comfortable room and access to basic necessities. Things would change though. We both knew it. As soon as he decided what he wanted to do with me, I’d lose all sense of self, and become only his. A future I didn’t want.

“You don’t have to make that face to use your power. It should come as natural as breathing.”

“When was the last time you were a mortal?” I asked.

He paused, narrowing his eyes. He saw the trap for what it was, but still he stepped into it. “I’ve never been a mortal.”

“Then it stands to reason, you have no fucking clue what you’re talking about.”

His Remnants were as quick as serpents, pouring from his tattooed arms, spilling onto the floor in a fluid motion as they raced for me. I planted my feet, bracing for the inevitable impact. But rather than coiling up my arms, as they typically did when big Al was throwing a tantrum, they circled me, lashing out at my legs, taking me to my knees in pain.

“So much for your dress,” I said through gritted teeth.

“I’ll find you another before our meeting.”

Meeting?

“Focus,” he growled, his Remnants tightening their grip. “Hunt your own power. The thing you keep trying to cage. Let it surface.”

“Sorry to disappoint, but my inner demon seems shy. Or he’s napping. Probably that.” The words came out strained as his power pressed against my mind, seeking the monster I’d been struggling to contain since shattering the veil. The thing that whispered about vengeance and destruction.

His Remnants pushed harder, like fingers probing an open wound. I bit back a scream as they searched for something to latch onto, something to control. But my shadows remained stubbornly dormant, refusing his call as much as mine.

Sweat dripped down my spine, soaking into the silk of the dress as I fought against the invasion. The monster stirred, stretching beneath my skin. But it wouldn’t answer him. It was mine. The only thing left that was truly mine.

Alastor checked his pocket watch with an irritated sigh. “Stand.”

My body obeyed instantly.