Page 5 of Wicked Chains (Serpentine Academy #2)

Three

Lucien

As I walk to the quarters of Serpentine Academy’s new overseer, I see that the Crescent Moon’s banners are gone, stripped down overnight, and any portraits of its members have been removed. Now, the red moon sigil stares from every surface.

The two men in black at the double doors are new. I know neither, and hey do not bow as I approach, only open the doors dutifully, each man standing ramrod straight and expressionless.

Inside, Ash is waiting behind a desk that is not his. Though I suppose it is now.

“Lucien,” he says. “Do come in.”

I have never bowed for anyone. Not for the witches, not for my own father. And I do not bow for this man.

He gestures to the chair opposite his, and I remain standing. He notes it, of course.

“You have a talent for survival,” he says as his eyes scan my face, searching for weakness.

“Loyalty,” I say, “is overrated.”

He smiles, showing his teeth. “So you are not loyal.”

“To a dead regime?” I tip my head. “No more than you are, I suspect.”

“Good. I admire candor, even in lapdogs.” His gaze sharpens. “Let’s not waste time, Lucien. You are here because you are useful. Your skills, your knowledge, your connections. I would be a fool to kill you when I can use you instead.”

“Some would say you’re still a fool for trusting me,” I say.

“I don’t trust you. I trust what is ingrained in you.

You are a creature of service. If I give you orders, you will follow them, so long as they align with your personal interests.

So let’s be clear. I know that your personal interest is Rose Smith.

Everything else—power, status, even self-preservation—is secondary. ”

I do not deny it. He is too intelligent for that.

“I need her alive and intact,” Ash continues. “You will be my liaison to her. You will keep her compliant, and you will ensure she does not destroy herself out of spite. If you fail, I will kill you. If you betray me, I will kill you, and anyone you’ve ever laid eyes on.”

I let the silence answer for me.

“Let us understand one another, Lucien. I came to end three centuries of humiliation at the hands of the Crescent Moon, and now I have done it. The rest is housekeeping.”

I wait. He likes the sound of his own voice.

“If you were hoping for a grand speech, some declaration of intent, you will be disappointed. I want peace. I want the Blood Moon to take its place at the table. I want my people to live without being hunted.” He studies me. “You, I imagine, want your girl to live free.”

He has it wrong, but not entirely. “I want her alive,” I say. “Freedom is negotiable.”

That gets a laugh. “Oh, Lucien. If only you were a little more selfish, you might have ruled this place. Report to me if Rose exhibits any new magical abilities. Do not attempt to shield her from me, or from the mark. You will have some freedom in handling her discipline, so long as she is presentable and obedient in public. I do not care what you do in private, provided she is not damaged.”

My mouth is dry. “Is there anything else?”

“Yes. You are to report directly to me, and only to me. I have little patience for the bureaucratic nonsense of the academy governance.” He leans forward, eyes cold.

“I understand.”

“Do you? I wonder.” He waves his hand in dismissal.

I turn, never taking my eyes off his until the door closes behind me.

The guards outside stare straight ahead. I pause for a moment in the hallway.

I do not want Rose to be free. I’ve lived long enough to understand that freedom is rarely an option for most of us. What I want is for Rose to survive. And if that means aligning myself with the Blood Moon Coven, so be it.

There is no honor in this choice. Only necessity.

And necessity is the mother of monsters.

The corridor outside my quarters is empty, or nearly so.

She is waiting. I could sense her before I saw her.

Rose leans against the wall beside my door, her arms folded tight across her chest. The blood mark is hidden, but I know she’s keenly aware of it, especially after the display of subservience that bastard Ash put her through during the assembly.

She regards me with a look that is half challenge, half accusation.

“Done kissing the ring?” she says, pushing off the wall.

“You survived the assembly, then.”

Rose shrugs. “I’m here.” She stares at me, unblinking. “Why are you doing this?”

I open the door. “Come in.”

She hesitates, but follows, shutting it behind her with more force than necessary.

“I want an answer,” she says.

“You already know it.” I remove my coat, folding it neatly before draping it on the chair.

She steps closer, eyes narrowed. “Are you really aligning with them?”

“Yes.” What else can I say?

She laughs, incredulous. “Wow. Just switched sides because someone with more power showed up?”

I let her say it. I deserve it.

“You don’t understand the game, Rose.”

She circles me, and it reminds me of the first night we met.

Will we always be circling each other, she and I?

“No, Lucien, I think I understand perfectly. It’s always about power. Whoever holds the power gets your loyalty.”

I pivot to keep her in view. “Power keeps you alive.” I mean it differently than how she will take it.

“Is that what you tell yourself?” She jabs a finger into my chest.

I catch her hand, gentle but unyielding, and move between her and the door before I realize I’ve done it, blocking her path with my body. “If I could buy your freedom with my own, I would.”

“I don’t want your martyr act. I want you to fight for something besides your own survival.”

I reach for her, but she steps back. Not out of fear, not Rose. Out of stubbornness, and a need not to be touched by hands that serve two masters.

“You want a confession?” I say, lowering my voice. “Fine. I betrayed the Crescent Moon Coven. I sold out. Betrayed them. And I would do it again, a thousand times. I am a monster, you know.”

“I hate you.”

“You do.” I touch her cheek, and she lets me, but only for a heartbeat. “But you hate him more.”

“I don’t trust you,” she says.

“It would be stupid if you did.” I step back, giving her space. “Distrust is safer than hope.”

She walks to the window, arms folded again.

“Why didn’t you just run?” she says, not looking at me. “Flee with the rest of the Crescent Moon Coven?”

“Because the moment I leave, Ash will send someone less gentle to watch you.”

She snorts. “Gentle. That’s a new one.”

I look down at my hands. “I will make sure the leash is as long as I can make it.”

She turns, silhouetted in the light from the dimming day. “I’ll break it, you know. Sooner or later.”

I smile, just a little. “I’m counting on it.”

She shakes her head. “You’re a bastard, Lucien.” She heads for the door, then pauses with her hand on the knob. “Don’t pretend this is for me. You’re just as much his lapdog as you were Victoria’s.”

Then Rose leaves without looking back, closing the door silently behind her.

I stand alone in my room, listening to her footsteps as they fade down the hall.

I know the word for what I have become. I know what it means, and I accept it.

Because in the end, monsters don’t get happy endings.

But I can give her a fighting chance.