Chapter 34

"Ah, Alaya, so glad you could join me!"

I twist around, ready to inspect the person who the voice belonged to. Shanae, or course. She looks almost too happy to see me, as she comes to stand in front of me, grasping my wrists in a loose grip, trying to make it seem affectionate. I don't fall for it though. She has eyes of an aqua blue viper.

She looks awfully glamorous for a dinner that seems like it will only go on between us. She wears a ball dress, that slopes down her ribs and waist tightly, to smooth and flow out from her hips to her ankles. It's the same colour her eyes, that only adds to her intimidation factor.

She has the same hair as the man who walks in beside her. Instead, her's is a muted ginger, while his is a fiery red. I've never seen him in my life.

"This is Reilly, a friend of Cyprian's. And anyone who is a friend of him, is a friend of me. Reilly will be joining us for dinner," Shanae says lightly. Reilly only watches me silently, not bothering to do anything more to acknowledge me.

I hope the cold feeling inside me is mirrored on my face.

"I would like to apologise about the way you were taken, but I can assure you that you will be treated only nicely from now on," she explains, to which I narrow my eyes at.

"Bite me," I respond with a growl.

Her smile doesn't falter in reaction. Instead, she only motions for me to sit. Knowing there is no choice in this matter, I stiffly sit where she suggests, at the foot of the table. She sits directly to my left, so I could look her straight in the face. Reilly sat on the right, making me feel nothing but trapped.

"You're probably wondering why you're here," Shanae says, just as four people walking into the room, holding trays with glasses of orange liquid and plates of salad. Great, I hate salad.

I only stare blankly in response to her words.

"It's nothing to do with you personally," she tells me shrewdly. "It has to do with Sinful. I'm positive you will come to rescue you at some point, and when he does, we will be ready for him."

A flash of anger consumes my face in heat, making me clench my fists under the table. I'm outnumbered here, I have to be smart.

"You're not afraid of him?" I ask. It's a test.

She continues to smile. "Not quite."

The strangers who just entered the room place a plate each in front of us, along will the glass. I stare at both of them, oddly hungry, but not willing to tempt my fate. Shanae only seems amused by his.

"The salad is caesar and the drink is orange juice. Harmless," he stresses, using her fork to point to my plate. I swallow uneasily. Again, a choice of mine that's on a leash.

I take the juice first and sip it. Tastes legitimate.

"So what now?" I question. "You're just going to keep me here until Sinful shows up. I have a feeling you have too much faith in our relationship."

"Absolutely. I have a feeling you have some questions about Asher as well, that you want answered," she says, before popping a crouton in her mouth.

My jaw clenches.

"Oh come on," she tempts. "Don't you want to know why he's so distant from you, so cold? Because I've known him for awhile, and he's s charming and warm with others...but not with you."

How does she know just how to get to me? "Why would you want to give me any information."

"Because your memories will be gone by morning," she informs me flatly, before a sly smile graces her features. At that moment, I decided I've never hated someone so much, never wanted them dead so badly.

When my eyebrows furrow, she nods at my glass. Just like the party.

I knock it with the back of my hand, watching it spill across the pristine tablecloth, across her plate and straight onto her lap. She sits up quickly, pushing herself away as she gasps.

"You brat, I try be kind to you, and you treat me like this?" she seethes.

I'm on my feet too. Mainly because Reilly has grabbed ahold of me, as I snap, "you drugged me, bitch."

"For your own good," she replies. "Good luck waking up tomorrow and forgetting the fact that Asher is your mate."

The feeling of being knocked out by sleep is all too prevalent as I wake. In my my aching head. In my drowsy, lagging eyelids. Did I get hit by a truck?

Memories from last night juggle between reality and dreamland. As I force my body into sitting position, the silky sheets slipping down to my hips, I attempt to decipher the unfamiliar language that is what happened last night. Whenever I attempt to brush away at the cloud that shrouds it, I'm only consumed in it once again.

My available memories lead me to a point of being latched in the glacial eyes of Shanae. She had drugged me. The orange juice that has left a bitter taste on the back of my tongue is evidence to that.

Now it's an unfathomable time of the day, and I've missed who knows what.

Sliding my legs out of bed, I press my fingers against the side of my head to mitigate the pain. It does nothing. I hardly remember this feeling last time I was drugged in this house. This pain is unique. The sharp, incessant knocking on my temples is entwined with regret. I shouldn't have been so stupid to consume anything of hers.

The dress I wore from last night is rumpled around my thighs. There is little time to consider my current state when I have no idea what is going on.

Outside my door, there is an absence of the man I saw last night. Good. I don't need him.

I find Shanae in a way that seems all too coincidental. She happened to be standing around in the middle of the hallway, making my the fine hairs on the back of my neck rise up. She was waiting for me, I assume. Waiting like a predator to attack.

"Good morning," she says brightly. She looks a lot more casual today in tight, thick pants in an awful shade of off white, and a velvety smooth jacket. She looks as if she's about to go out riding or something, not here to terrorise me.

I don't reply with as much vigor. "Let me out."

She clearly drugged me last night, and after that, I'm ready to starve myself rather than fall for any of her tricks. From what I remember from last night, I'm here because of Sinful; that being the last memory I had before a layer of haze settles itself over my mind. It's the kind of frustrating that has me wanting to tear out my hair. Or her hair, even.

"I'm still waiting for Sinful to make his appearance," she replies, that wicked smile meant to do nothing but taunt me. "And until then, you are allowed to do whatever you please inside this estate."

"Like kill you?"

Something simmers in those glacial eyes, however, she doesn't reply. Instead, she turns on her heels and walks back down the corridor. I consider following her. No, she has more power here than I do.

I need to communicate with Asher. Who knows what him and Sinful are plotting right now. In fact, they might not even care much for my disappearance. One less thing for Asher to worry about, I suppose.

Turning around, I nearly run straight into a chest.

Sinful, this time with resplendent hazel eyes. That might be what has me most stunned. The colours remind me of emerald green grass creeping over rich soil. Yet another reminder of his abilities to crush people's souls. Yet here he is, standing in front of me in a gesture that I have no choice but to consider heroic.

"Isn't she so tedious," Sinful mutters flatly, referring to Shanae who has disappeared down the hallway.

"What are you doing here?" I question.

Perhaps I'm just surprised. That, or I'm worried about Shanae using me to lure Sinful here. Well it worked, I suppose, as he stands here, looking vulnerable to anything she throws at him. I know not to assume that about him, though.

"I'm here to take you home," he replies. "Am I not welcome?"

"Shanae is using me to get to get you here...you need to get out of here, before you trigger some kind of trap," I insist, glancing my shoulder as if he had already. Something doesn't feel right about his presence. He seems too casual and unfazed by all the words I am saying.

"Perhaps she should do a more research into my abilities," he mutters. "I've already disabled each spell she has put on this place with minimal effort."

My mouth almost falls open in surprise, however, I manage to pull myself together. Asher's entire plan has been to get back in here, which will benefit all the immortals who agreed to assist him in exchange for the take down of Sinful. At the sound of him unravelling everything as if it means nothing to him has a new set of weight settling on my shoulders.

Their plan better be good.

"So that's it?" I ask in disbelief. "It's that easy for you?"