Page 10 of Wicked Dove (Institute Thirteen #1)

SEVEN

ELODIE

The door slams shut behind us as I blink up at Kael. He turns away from me without a backward glance, as dismissive as ever, forcing me to look around the tiny room we’re in. Dark mahogany walls greet me in every direction, and even as I turn back around, I realize the door blends in too.

I feel like I’m suffocating. There are no windows, no natural light, nothing.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” I blurt, leaning forward to brace my hands on my knees as my pulse thunders in my ears.

“You’re being dramatic, and we haven’t even arrived yet,” Kael grunts with a sigh, but the witty retort I want to lash him with falls short as my breathing grows faster and my vision turns spotty.

Dammit.

Do not pass out again, Elodie.

My legs buckle, my knees hitting the floor with a thud as I struggle to take in a deep breath. Unshed tears burn the back of my eyelids as the idea of lying down grows more desirable, but the moment I start to lower my chest, hands sweep beneath me, lifting me into the air.

Kael’s spicy scent tingles in my nose, confirming it’s him manhandling me. I can’t fight it, nor can I appreciate it. Not that there’s time to because a second later, my back hits the wall behind me with a little more force than necessary.

I gape in surprise at his proximity as he pins me, feet an inch off the floor, before slamming his palm into my chest. Anger burns through my veins, but it quickly simmers down when I finally take in a deep breath.

“What the fuck was that?” I snap as he releases his hold on me. I barely manage to keep my balance as I press my hand against my chest, glaring at him. All of which earns me another pointed look.

“Your lungs were spasming, I helped them out.”

That… asshole.

I don’t relax my glare as his nostrils flare in irritation, but before I can decide on how mad I am, I’m jolted, the floor shuddering beneath my feet.

“Where the hell are we moving to now?” I whisper, heart racing in my chest as I splay my fingers against the wall behind me.

Kael sighs, running his fingers through his blond hair as he moves to the other corner of the small space. “Were you not listening? We’re going to The Vale. Institute Thirteen, to be precise,” he explains, and my eyebrows pinch in disapproval.

“But I don’t want to go there.”

His facial expression remains impassive. “So you want to die?”

He’s insane.

“No, of course not. I want to go home.”

He purses his lips and I hate it. “What did you have going for you there?”

My heart stutters. “My family,” I insist, hating the way his eyebrow arches in question.

“You grimaced at your parents’ names being called out,” he states, catching me off guard. I didn’t realize he was watching.

“They’re not my family,” I reply, hating the fact that I’m telling him anything at all, but it seems I can’t help myself.

To my surprise, he nods as though he understands what I mean.

“Two days ago, I was living my life. Two days ago, I wasn’t a scythe, a danger to some messed-up society, or under the order of the goddamn Sanctum.

None of this makes any sense. On top of all that, I’m being punished for being something I don’t even understand.

I don’t even know what a fucking scythe is,” I splutter, my hands moving animatedly around me as I get the weight of this new reality off my chest.

He looks at me with hooded eyes as he assesses me in a way I wish he wouldn’t. “But you know what it’s like to kill someone.”

My chest aches, my vulnerability quickly shielded by my defenses as I glare at him.

“You’re one to talk. I was protecting my friend.

I charged at a madman with a gun, and when it went off, it was aimed at him.

That’s the error I’ve made. How about we talk about you killing an eighteen-year-old girl?

” I snap back. As the words leave my lips, I quickly realize antagonizing him probably isn’t my best bet.

Not when we’re alone. I’m not sure if it’s a shock or not that he ignores me.

“That’s what I thought,” I grind out, completely contradicting myself.

I’m going to end up dead because of him at this rate.

“You don’t know shit,” he retorts, hands balled at his sides as he scowls at me.

“I know you don’t have control over me. I don’t care what they said in there; none of it matters,” I jibe back, clearly uncaring of the danger I’m in. My stubbornness will assuredly be my downfall.

“You’ll do as I say, so we both stay alive,” he growls, taking a step toward me with his finger aimed in my direction.

“I thought you were hoping death would come for you?” My words hang in the air as he comes to a stop in front of me. Our breaths echo around the small space as he shakes his head.

“It seems the grim reaper has other plans for me.”

Why is he so goddamn accepting of all of this? It’s frustrating as hell. Wiping my hand down my face, I huff a sigh. “I need someone to stop this thing so I can go back in there and explain that I want to go home.”

“When are you going to get it into your head that there is no going home from here?” he pushes back, and I shake my head as I stand tall, refusing to show any weakness.

“Walker will come looking for me.” It’s a warning and a threat, I don’t care how he takes it.

“Is that your boyfriend?” he asks, tilting his head at me, and I scoff.

“That’s none of your business.”

“My dick was inside of you hours ago, I think it is my business,” he insists, and I snicker.

“I’m highly regretting that right now.”

He leans closer so we’re chest to chest. “You and me both,” he snaps as our shoulders rise and fall in sync with one another.

I can’t breathe again, only this time it’s because of his proximity. His spicy scent is intoxicating. I’m ready to shove him back a step when he does it for me, putting a few feet between us as he pinches the bridge of his nose.

When his eyes find mine again, my chest tightens. “Give up on whatever fairytale you think is coming. The mortal world and the existence of supernaturals don’t co-exist. There’s a reason you don’t know a thing about us. He’s never going to know where to look for you.”

As if on cue, a ping rings through the air and the door, now to my left, opens. He doesn’t hang around; he passes through the opening immediately, leaving me no choice but to follow him.

The second I step outside into the crisp air, I instantly regret it. Spinning on the spot, I turn back toward the door, only to find it gone.

Just… gone.

Wrapping my arms around my middle, I try to take a steadying breath, but it’s pointless because the moment I dare to turn around again, I feel the same rush of panic.

Kael hasn’t taken a single step, he’s staring at the looming gothic building ahead of me.

It’s almost contentment that flashes in his eyes. How?

The jagged silhouette of the black and gray building ahead cuts through the bleak sky with an overwhelming sense of pain and despair.

The soot-darkened stones are streaked with age and invisible scars that I can feel in the air.

Pointed arches, disfigured statues, and wrought-iron balconies scatter the masterpiece that screams of torture and shattered souls.

It’s cold, sharp, and breathless.

There’s not a drop of greenery surrounding it. The cobbled stone walkways that run around it are as aged as the turrets and peaks.

“This is The Vale,” I breathe, my fingers curling into my flimsy t-shirt as I try to hold back the chatter of my teeth.

“No, this is the Institute, The Vale is on the other side,” Kael explains, pushing his hair back off his forehead as he tilts his face at the sky.

“I don’t like it,” I mutter, and he shrugs.

“It doesn’t matter if you do or don’t,” he states, taking off down the winding pathway. “Let’s go,” he commands, and I shake my head even though he’s not looking in my direction.

Adrenaline flitters through my veins as I glance around the dreary open space, spying the path running in the opposite direction Kael has taken. If he’s heading toward danger, maybe that route will take me away from it, away from here, away from him.

I don’t have time to consider my options, I just run. The cobblestones are harsh beneath my bare feet as I hurry as fast as I can. I frantically search for an opening, an escape, but all I’m greeted with are more pathways. Until it’s Kael himself standing in my way.

I screech to a halt, gaping at him as I notice the shift to his eyes and teeth that will forever be burned into my memory, reminding me exactly what he is. Instead of cowering away like I should, I channel every drop of rage I feel and shove at his chest.

“Back. Off.” The snarl burns my throat, but is quickly outweighed by a deep groan from his lips. My hands remain plastered to his chest as he drops to his knees before me, the color slowly draining from his face as his cheeks hollow out.

“Kael!” I scream, a whole other kind of fear prickling my skin as I yank my hands back.

The second I do, he sags forward, but manages to catch himself on the cobbles before his face hits them first. His whole body ripples with every breath he takes before he glances up at me.

“What the hell was that?” I snap, eyes wide as I gape at him.

He stands, slowly wiping at his mouth as he looks at me with a snarl on his lips. “It seems you’re not as latent as they think you are,” he grunts, and I huff.

“I didn’t do anything. That wasn’t me,” I insist as he towers over me. He grabs my chin, but I keep my hands to myself. Not knowing whether that was actually me or not leaves me worried.

“And that’s the way it’s going to stay,” he mutters, looking deep into my eyes. His grasp on my chin grows tighter. “I’ll keep your little secret, and you’ll obey my every command. Understood?”

Panic floods my veins as his eyes shift, reminding me what I’m up against, and I nod, swallowing down my pride as I exhale.

“Understood.”