Page 9
Story: Red Lace Manor
Lux
T here was absolutely no reason for the creek behind the church to be warm.
I’d spent half this night shivering, and the other part running for my life…
or being fucked, but I wasn’t going to complain about that.
As much as I should hate everything going on, the dirty part of my brain was living for this level of attention.
And while the fear was definitely there, if it wasn’t for the whole threat of being murdered, I could get used to this.
The water of the creek rivaled most baths I’d taken, leaving me to relax in a way that wasn’t safe, not right now. I was beyond tired, and just as sore. I sank to my knees, letting the water rise to my shoulders as I closed my eyes for just a moment, trying to think of what to do next.
The crying man was… odd , to say the least. But, he wasn’t a threat. That was a bonus, but I wasn’t sure how much protection he’d offer if Ronan charged at me.
There had to be somewhere for me to hide.
The water shifted as the crying man waded in behind me, as he promised he would. I didn’t look back at him, I couldn’t. Right now, he was the least of my worries.
“I’ve never seen a bride get this dirty so quickly,” he scolded, running a hand down the curve of my spine.
Even from the slight gesture, I could tell he was unnaturally tense.
I cast him a look over my shoulder. “I’ve heard bride a couple of times today. Why?”
He cupped his hands together and scooped up more water before dumping it on my head. My skin prickled.
“Because, the goal of this ritual isn’t unnecessary bloodshed. It’s to find a wife who can take all of us at our worst and lead us back to the light .” He combed his fingers through my hair, and I shivered at his touch.
“Mmm, sounds like a lot of responsibility to take on for four men who kidnapped me.” I folded my arms, resting them on a grassy part of the bank before resting my head.
The crying man moved down my back, softly kneading my shoulders, and I almost moaned. Then, a thought dawned.
“Hey–That’s not like, some weird stipulation for me to get my money, right?” Realistically, I probably should have checked, or at least asked to see the ten million to verify this wasn’t for nothing.
“Not at all. Past victors have taken the money and went on to enjoy the rest of their lives. But, I’d prefer it if you were different.”
He said the last part so softly I nearly missed it. Once again, my eyes snapped open. This time, I tilted my head back, looking at the fractured sky poking through the tree branches. It seemed darker than it’d been all night, and in my mind, that meant it was at least midnight.
I knew from my fair share of staying up too late that the sun started to rise around six. So, at worst I had to make it six more hours, and best maybe a few less.
“What do you mean?” I murmured, keeping my gaze anchored on the stars, silently counting them as a way to ignore my nerves.
The crying man didn’t answer right away. He scooped more water over my head before slipping his hands down my arms. He was shaking now, but I had no idea why .
“I would like to be loved as if I were a man and not a monster. Seth is the same… The other two will come around,” he finally said.
My nose wrinkled, both because I believed him, and because that was a whole lot of not my problem.
“My name is Solomon, by the way,” he added.
Solomon. Ronan. Seth. All I had left was the clown.
“We don’t often tell the brides our names.” He positioned himself over me, obstructing my view of the sky and looking down at me.
Silver hair fell around us like a waterfall, and the near perfect black of his eyes caused my stomach to twist. They weren’t human, not entirely, which made Solomon feel somewhat uncanny.
“Then why did you tell me?” I whispered.
“I told you, Little Light, I want you to be different .” He smiled as though the idea of that hurt him.
Or, maybe, that’s not what caused him agony at all.
Perhaps it was the knowledge that, deep down, he knew I wouldn’t be different.
I had no reason to be. Still, seeing Solomon’s softer side did dull the hatred I harbored for these men.
Maybe, they weren’t always like this. But, now they were, and that’s all that mattered.
He leaned in slowly before pressing his lips to mine and planting his hands on my shoulders. As he deepened the kiss, his nails bit into my skin. I let out a small hiss and shifted.
“You’re hurting me,” I explained, not pulling away.
Solomon stilled, but he didn’t let go. And, something in my chest told me he wasn’t just deep in thought. Instincts caused me to pull away, but, just as I’d partially broken free, Solomon reclaimed me. Worse than that, he used all his strength to shove me under the water.
I screamed beneath the surface, kicking and screaming as I clawed at his wrist, trying to do anything in my power to free myself.
But it was no use, he didn’t budge. My thrashing kicked up silt, turning the already murky water down right muddy, making it impossible to see.
Earth and water filled my open mouth, and my lungs burned .
My chest convulsed, constricting tight enough to crack my ribs, begging me to just take a breath.
And I wanted to, I really did. But there was no air down here, no matter how desperately I needed it.
Darkness crept into the corners of my vision like TV static blurring an old show.
My lips parted, allowing what remained of my air to leak out in small bubbles and my body jerked one final time before going still.
The type of stillness I couldn’t fight. The kind of stillness that was final .
And, just as my body started to go numb, he let go.
My fight-or-flight reaction kicked in, propelling me to the surface though I’d already considered myself dead.
Muddy water exited my lips in a vomit like stream as I clawed at the bank, caking mud under my nails as I successfully pulled myself out.
My knees were weak, and I found myself unable to stand, but I knew I needed to get the fuck away from here.
“Lux, I’m sorry,” Solomon’s voice was barely audible over the pounding of blood in my ears. “I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to–”
He put his hand on me.
Panic speared through me. Solomon was going to try to drown me again, and this time, he’d succeed.
I kicked his hand away and scrambled back, patting the ground until I found the strap of my bag. My fingers wound in the canvas material and I heaved it onto my shoulder before bracing myself to run despite the fact I had absolutely no fight left to give, and then I noticed it.
A large stone within reach. Without thinking, I hauled it out of the earth. Worms writhed in the mud, likely cursing me for unearthing them, but I didn’t care. I needed this more than they did.
“Lux, I need you to listen, I didn’t mean–”
Solomon’s pleas were silenced as the rock connected with his temple. I looked back just long enough to see him fall into the creek and silently prayed the watery grave would claim him just as it almost had me .
I didn’t stick around to see if he got back up, instead I forced myself up despite the protests of my naked body, and I ran .
My lungs were raw from drowning, and my muscles ached from everything else, but I had to keep going. Stray branches bit into my skin, causing slight scratches that stung every time the water from my dripping body slid into them.
All I wanted to do was stop , but I knew in my soul that would be a death sentence.
That feeling only worsened when the silence of night was broken by voices.
“Come back here, slut, I’m ready for round two.” Ronan cackled, heavy steps echoing just behind mine.
My heart slammed against my ribs, causing me to run faster.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Small sticks stabbed into my feet as the manor came into view. My stomach bottomed out, as that was the last place I wanted to be, but I didn’t have the time to change direction, not with Ronan hot on my tail.
“You can run, but you can’t hide! I can smell your scent for miles!” he promised.
Okay, so, run past the manor, maybe then I can see what’s on the other side? Maybe there will be a cave, or–
“Lux! I’m sorry!” Solomon joined the chase.
His voice wasn’t taunting like Ronan’s. It was desperate , and somehow that was worse. It felt like I was going insane, but right now, I didn’t have time to think about that. The manor loomed closer, and I stepped into the backyard. It felt safer than passing the porch.
Ronan’s laughter pierced through the air. “You’re not getting away from me!”
“Lux! Stop! I’ll protect you from him!” Solomon promised.
Like hell he would.
I just had to get past the manor, and then I could come up with another plan–but then I saw it .
A set of wooden double doors coming up from a concrete slab in the ground. I had no idea where they’d spit me out in the house, but, right now, it seemed as good an option as any.
My feet skidded against the wet ground, nearly causing me to fall as I changed course. With a few steps, I’d closed the distance and pulled open the door.
Just below sat a set of stairs and near perfect darkness. I stared at it for a beat, wondering if this was actually a good idea, or if it was the last bad decision I’d ever make. Then, a twig snapped behind me, and I decided it was my only choice.
I nearly jumped onto the steps, and scurried down just enough to close the door. I fumbled around for a moment, hoping there was a lock. My shoulders slumped in relief when I realized there was.
I blindly clicked it shut before sinking to the ground and grabbing my bag. I zipped it open and patted around. First, I found the gun. But, seeing as it had one bullet, it’d do me no good if they both broke in.
I felt around a moment longer before finding the knife. With the blade in hand, I zipped the bag shut once more and positioned myself on the ground, staring at the locked door and ready to fight like hell if someone got in.
The subtle shift of bells behind me caused me to jump. And, just as I tried to get up, to potentially see where the sound had come from, a hand clamped over my mouth.
“Boo!”