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Yes, I thought, as the cup pressed up against my lips biting into my flesh there. I drank woodenly without tasting anything and I knew I was right about the shock.
The cup fell away and I sat unmoving, frozen, as hands reached around me and into the tub. Handfuls of blood were scooped up into cradled hands. Adrian brought his hands to his face and smeared our mixed blood all over himself.
He giggled hysterically, almost manically, and the sound was so undeniably gleeful that the hair on the back of my neck rose to attention in fear. He was covered in blood, and he acted like he'd gotten high off of it. In fact, they were all acting twitchy and wired.
I didn't feel anything but extreme cold. Everything else had completely shut down. Maybe I was high off it too and just didn't notice because I couldn't feel anything.
Adrian rolled around on the ground, still laughing his ass off, and his robe tangled up between his legs. His hips and groin area were once again fully exposed and on display.
I made an angry noise in the back of my throat as my eyes narrowed on his flaccid dick and saggy ball sack. I huffed angrily and hissed, "For fuck's sake, Adrian, put your junk away. I don't need to see anymore of it."
Not that there was actually much more to see.
Adrian just laughed harder, louder, like it was all a fun joke to him. And he wasn't the only one laughing.
I stood up in a rush. My body swayed from side to side as a bout of lightheadedness struck me.
Shit. Fuck.
Marcus grabbed hold of my elbow, steadying me. I cringed at the physical contact. Anybody but him.
Marcus guided me over the side of the tub and out. My wet feet slipped on the floor and his hold on my elbow tightened as he steadied me. On anyone else I might have appreciated the gesture and kindness. Now it just churned my stomach with sick unease. But I didn't pull away from him. I didn't trust myself to stand on my own without my knees giving out on me.
"She's done for the night," Marcus growled down at Adrian as we walked past him. "You've got more than enough of what you wanted from her. Now she needs a break to rest and clean herself up a bit before she's paraded around like your little pet in front of the others. What she's not going to do is sit around in here and watch you all get your dicks wet. It's beneath her, goddamn it."
I didn't want to even think about anyone's dick getting "wet" or how that would come about. And I definitely did not need Marcus Cole trying to be my white knight or protector. It was far too late for all of that.
"Yes. Yes." Adrian giggled while waving his hand blithely in the air above him. "Take the little princess out of here before the debauchery really begins. You're not fooling anyone with your actions. We all know you want to fuck her, you're not doing a very good job of hiding it."
I gasped and automatically jerked out of Marcus's hold. I didn't care if Adrian was a liar or not, standing so close to Marcus after hearing those vile words didn't sit right with me.
"Oh, and, Ariel," Adrian called out cheerfully. I paused to look back at him over my shoulder. "Welcome to the Council. What's ours is now yours. Enjoy it. Eat what you want. Drink what you want. Fuck whoever you want. No one will protest and we'll all give you everything you want. I'll see you at the party, lovely. Enjoy yourself."
I shivered in disgust as I paused at my small pile of clothing. Whoever had undressed me, Marcus I think, had taken the time to fold my clothes up neatly and stack them in a pile. I scooped the pile up into my arms and didn't even try to hide the fact I ran out of there and away from the other members of the Council.
Marcus walked out with me, but he refused to look me in the eyes. I couldn't bring myself to care about that. Not when I was finally free and could get down to business.
Romero was out there somewhere waiting for me and I had a promise to keep.
Everything else could wait until later. Much, much later. Or maybe even never, if I was lucky.
Ignoring Marcus entirely, I dressed in awkward silence and pretended he did not exist. When he opened his mouth to speak to me, I shot him a nasty look and shook my head viciously.
He didn't try to stop me when I walked away from him.
He once could have been a father to me.
Now he was a stranger I didn't want to know. A stranger I couldn't get away from fast enough.
Chapter Eighteen
And His Hair
You're only looking with your eyes,a voice whispered in the dark.Open up your mind and see what's really right in front of you. You're a witch, see with more than just your eyes.
Heart pounding out of control inside my chest, eyes stinging with unshed tears that wanted to be set free, I whipped around, searching for the owner of that voice. There was no one there.
I was all alone out here, lost in the dark woods I'd never been in before. And now I heard voices inside my head, a voice that had never been there before, but was oddly familiar to me. A comforting voice that eased something inside my soul.
