Wynn.
Twenty-five
Noc
I strained furiously against the weight of the beast’s gravity manipulation. But with one creature dedicated solely to me, I could barely lift my chin to see the scene unfold before my eyes.
The robed man stretched his arms wide. “Leena. It’s been a long time.”
She stood impossibly still. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”
The man chuckled. I recognized the deep timbre of his voice. This was the lackey who I’d met in Midnight Jester and Devil’s Hollow. Agony splintered my lungs, and I roared with every ounce of strength I had, but only a suppressed moan escaped my lips. Where were my brothers? I desperately tried to call forth my shadows, to send a message to bring them here, but they were weak in the presence of the creature.
“Don’t bother.” The man’s gaze slanted to the faint wisps trailing about my frame. “If you’re trying to contact your friends, they’re stuck like you. Wouldn’t want reinforcements slinking in now, would we?”
Leena’s voice trembled. “Please, don’t hurt them, Wynn.”
The way she whispered his name wrecked me. This man had ruined her. He was the reason for her heartache and mistrust. The reason she no longer had a place to call home.
Pure, unadulterated fury spiked in me, and I managed to brace myself on my forearms.
Wynn turned to me, brows lifting to his hairline as he assessed my strength. With a nudge, he toed the side of my wrist to reveal the tattoo. “I see I wasn’t wrong in entrusting the job to you.”
Leena flexed her hand. “Leave him alone.” Her Charmer’s symbol started to glow.
Wynn ran his fingers over his clipped brown hair. “He was supposed to kill you.”
“But why? I haven’t told anyone. I swear.”
Crossing over to her, Wynn sighed. “Desperate times call for desperate measures. We’re on the cusp of something big, Leena. I never meant for you to get caught in the cross fire.” He grasped her arms and pulled her close. “You’re different. Stronger. How did you shatter the taming bond between me and my Scorpex? Not to mention taming a Myad and a Laharock.”
Her eyes went wide as the rosewood light sharpened. “How did you…?” I could see her quick mind turning. Processing. Calling forth a beast now would be futile. There were so many Charmers surrounding us, guaranteeing that her creature would suffer. Perhaps die.
Not to mention what they could do to her.
“Tsk, tsk.” Wynn shook his head and released her. “Leena, I taught you better than that. Beasts talk. But this does put us in a bit of a predicament.” The way he inspected her made my skin crawl. Her face paled, but she gripped her hands in fists and stood tall. Wynn didn’t seem to notice—or care. “With the Myad’s taming, you’re no longer fit for her needs. Which means if I don’t present her with another fallen Charmer, then I’m the one she’ll want. And that can’t happen. I wonder, what would become of your newly cleansed soul if I forced you to relinquish the Myad?”
Leena leaned away from him. “What are you talking about? You can’t force me to do anything.”
“We’ll see. Change is coming. Someone has to be the sacrifice. The catalyst.”
She bristled. “If you take me back home, I’ll tell everyone what you did. I’ll tell the Crown of the Council.”
He laughed. “Who would believe you? Trust me, my way is easier. You won’t feel a thing in the end.”
Leena spat at his feet, a glimmer of the fire I fell for shining bright, and my heart rammed against my rib cage. “I’d sooner die.”
The smirk dropped from Wynn’s face. “Yes, well, that’s the plan.” He signaled to the group of Charmers, and they tightened their ranks, edging toward Leena. “You don’t know what we’re up against. I’m doing what’s necessary to protect our home.”
She barked out a sharp laugh. “Sure, Wynn. You keep telling yourself that.”
“How are my actions any different than his?” He gestured toward me, and Leena pursed her lips.
“What do you mean?”
Wynn snapped his fingers. “Bring me the Gyss.” One of the Charmers stepped forward and handed Wynn a transparent box with golden trim. The air inside the cage shimmered, and Winnow banged her fists against invisible glass. Staring at me, she mouthed words I couldn’t hear.
Leena’s resolve cracked. “Winnow?” Winnow turned, a single tear trailing down her cheek, and rested one palm against the pane. Horror racked Leena’s frame, and her fingers trembled. “Let her go.”
