Chapter Eleven

 

 

 

The low hum of an engine was the first sound to penetrate the fog muddling Dominic’s thoughts. He battled the confusion, trying to work out where he was and why he couldn’t see. It all came back in a rush. Being captured. The hood. He jerked but his body was restrained not just by a seatbelt but by something else. He guessed some kind of strap had been fastened around his chest and the seat, pinning his arms to his sides. It was effective. He could move his head and his legs but not much in between. He forced his rigid muscles to relax. It was pointless struggling when he wanted to be taken to wherever Evrain was being held.

“He’s awake.”

The voice came from behind him. There was someone in the back seat and Dominic knew who it was. He banged his head back against the seat rest in frustration. “You son of a bitch.”

“Keep your mouth shut.” This time it was Symeon’s oily tones he heard. “Then I won’t have to hurt you. For now.”

Dominic clenched his fingers into fists, wishing he could use them to inflict some damage.

“We will reach our destination shortly. You will behave…that is if you want to see your lover again.” Symeon said the word lover as if he had a nasty taste in his mouth. Dominic imagined he had absolutely no understanding of love unless it was of the narcissistic kind. Symeon probably masturbated to his reflection.

Gravity pressed Dominic against his seatbelt, telling him the vehicle was heading downhill. It was moving slowly so he guessed they were heading into an underground parking garage. The grating clank of metal shutter rolling up confirmed it. He didn’t know how long the drug he’d been given had kept him unconscious but several clues told him it hadn’t been long. He wasn’t hungry or thirsty and his bladder wasn’t screaming at him. The vehicle stopped. A metallic grinding signaled the rise of a door before it moved forward again. This time when it stopped, the engine was silenced. Rustling and the heavy clunk of car doors told Dominic that Symeon and his companion had left the vehicle. There was a blast of cool air when the door next to him opened. He tried not to cringe as his seatbelt was unfastened and the strap around his body released. He was manhandled from the car, held upright by someone as his knees buckled. It was hard to balance without his sight.

“Don’t try to run,” Symeon said. “A bullet in the leg tends to offend.”

Dominic didn’t doubt Symeon would use a gun and probably enjoy it. He stayed pliant, allowing himself to be tugged along. He listened, detecting the slide of elevator doors then the stab of a button being pressed. The elevator rose smoothly. It had to be a large building because the ascent took a while. When the doors opened again he was guided out and this time there was plush carpet beneath his feet rather than concrete. He counted thirty paces in a straight line before he was jerked to a halt. There was a click before he was pushed into another area. A kick buckled his knees and he dropped into a chair.

He found he was breathing fast and attempted to draw in air more slowly. The bag was yanked from his head. He blinked as his eyes burned in the bright light. He assessed his surroundings. He was seated in a leather office chair in front of a console desk upon which sat a state-of-the-art monitor, keyboard and hard drive. The room was small and there was no other furniture. Symeon stood next to him and he was alone. Dominic found it difficult to meet Symeon’s eyes. They glinted red and seemed to contain pure hatred.

“I want you to take a look at some footage I filmed earlier. I think you’ll enjoy it.” Symeon’s smile chilled Dominic’s blood. Facing the monitor was an improvement on having to look at him, but it displayed images that Dominic didn’t want to accept. Evrain hung helplessly in the center of a pure white room. His eyes flickered open and closed, his face deathly pale and drawn. Streaks of blood ran from beneath the bindings around his wrists. Cuts and grazes decorated his bare arms.

“Let him go, Symeon! You can’t do this.”

Symeon just gave him a malevolent glare before zooming the picture in. “He deserves every second of the pain he’s experiencing.”

Dominic half stood. Symeon shoved him back into the chair.

“Behave. Your time will come but I need something from Evrain first. Then you and I will be spending some quality time together.”

Bile rose in Dominic’s throat. “He’s not going to give you anything. Symeon, you’re deranged.” Dominic whispered the words almost to himself.

“Oh, I’m sure that now you have joined us Evrain will be a little more compliant. He’ll give me what I want, thinking he can save you. He can’t, of course. I can’t wait to tie you down and fuck you until you scream.”

“What happened to make you so evil, Symeon?”

Symeon brushed a hand through his long white hair, blinked once then hit Dominic hard across the face. “When I start torturing you in front of him I’m sure Evrain will be only too willing to give me anything I ask for.”

“That is not going to happen, Symeon. We are not animals, unlike you, it seems.”

Dominic hadn’t heard the door open. He twisted around to see who had spoken. The woman who stood in the doorway was so nondescript in appearance that she could have faded into any crowd, but she radiated authority and power. At her shoulder, two other women hovered attentively.

“Dominic Castine, I presume? My name is Imelda Krenick. Mr. Malus works for me. A situation that will continue no longer. I must apologize as he seems to have, yet again, overstepped his bounds.” She moved forward and stared at the monitor. “What you’re seeing happened a while ago. I put a stop to it. Mr. Malus was told to contain Mr. Brookes, not torture him. This is the live feed.” She pressed a couple of keys and the image in front of Dominic changed.

“He’s too dangerous to pamper, Imelda,” Symeon whined.

“You are dismissed, Symeon. I don’t want to see you again. Do you understand me?”

“We have an agreement.” Symeon seemed to shrink in stature beneath Imelda’s withering glare.

“One I have more than fulfilled. You, however, have flouted my orders and abused my trust. Our relationship is over.”

If Symeon had possessed a tail, it would have been tucked between his legs as he slunk out of the room, casting one last threatening look in Dominic’s direction. Dominic ignored him, turning back to stare at the screen, which now showed Evrain lying on a low cot in his white cell. His hands were cuffed but he appeared to be sleeping.

“Now. Perhaps you and I can have a sensible conversation, Dominic. I may call you Dominic?”

Dominic swiveled his chair around to face her. He gave a brief nod. It was a concession he could afford.

“I know you want to go to him, but we need to have a little chat first.”

She turned to her colleagues. “The two of you may leave. I’m not in any danger from Mr. Castine.”

Dominic didn’t know whether to feel insulted or threatened. Imelda leaned against the frame of the still open door. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes and Dominic knew he was facing someone just as ruthless as Symeon, albeit rather more civilized.

“I’ll get straight to the point, Dominic. My requirements are very simple. All I want is a vial or two of Evrain’s blood, given while he channels. Once I have my supply then you will both be free to go.” She pursed her red-glossed lips. “I know he has some old-fashioned values when it comes to use of his power and that is why you are here. I’m going to give you one hour to convince him to cooperate with me. I’m sure you can be very persuasive. I hope you can be, because if you don’t succeed then I will be forced to bring Symeon back to do things his way and I can assure you that his methods are far less pleasant than mine.”

The quiet certainty in Imelda’s voice was terrifying and Dominic had no doubt that she meant every word. “I have no power to force Evrain to do anything he doesn’t want to,” Dominic said.

“I think you do. Just make it clear to him how much you will be made to suffer if he does not comply.”

Dominic bowed his head. He didn’t want to give in to Imelda too easily in case she suspected his motives. “You can’t keep us here forever, Imelda. People will come for us.”

“No doubt. But do you want to live the rest of your life in fear, suspicious of everyone? Be assured I will keep coming after you until I get what I want.”

“And what’s to stop you doing this again when you run out of blood?”

“A good question.” She pursed her lips. “A single drop of warlock’s blood is enough to boost several potions. It is not compatible with all of them. A few vials will last decades, by which time Evrain will have aged past his usefulness. Assuming he survives at all, that is.”

“Why should I trust what you’re saying?”

“Because you have little choice.” Imelda smiled.

Sighing, Dominic paused before he spoke. “I want some time alone with him.”

Imelda frowned.

“Imelda, much as I hate this, you have a point. If you’re not after Evrain then it will be someone else. I want a semblance of peace in our lives but Evrain is going to take some convincing. It’s time you put a bit of trust in me, don’t you think?”

“Very well. I will give you the time with him. You have my word that you will not be observed.” Saying this, she turned off the monitor. “In the drawer next to you you’ll find some overalls. I’m afraid I must insist you leave all your clothes here. The collar he wears blocks his power, but I have still been very careful to ensure Evrain has little access to the elements and even natural fibers are of the earth.”

With a mental sigh of relief, Dominic slid the drawer open. He removed a roll of white nylon fabric. He shook it out. The one-piece garment seemed to be identical to the one Evrain wore.

He stood. Imelda didn’t budge. It was clear she had no intention of leaving while he changed. He hoped that Gregory’s assurance that only a select few people could see the patterns on Dominic’s skin held true. He stripped off his shirt first then toed off his shoes. Socks and pants came next. He hesitated, standing in his underwear while Imelda stared at him, unblinking. He sighed, then rolled down his shorts. Dignity seemed to be a thing of the past for him. He stepped into the overalls, pulling them up with a jerk. He wriggled into the arm holes then closed the zipper with some relief.

“Thank you.” A brief smile crossed Imelda’s lips, making Dominic wonder exactly what she was thanking him for. “Do what you must to convince him, Dominic. I really don’t want Symeon to hurt you.”

“His hands…”

“Stay bound. Symeon is right to say that Evrain is dangerous. I’m giving you some latitude but I cannot free him completely.”

Barefoot, Dominic trailed Imelda from the small office to the elevator where she pressed the button for the sub-basement level. Their destination had to be on the same floor as the parking garage. From the elevator it was just a short walk down a dim corridor to a single door, which opened into a vestibule of sorts.

“The door to the passage will be locked behind you,” Imelda said. She gestured to the door in front of them. “This leads to Evrain’s cell. The other to a small bathroom. Feel free to use the facilities if you need to. I will leave the cell door unlocked.” She typed a code into the key pad next to the door. It slid open with barely a hiss then Dominic stepped inside.

The room in which Evrain was held was so white it was painful to look at. There was no relief for the eyes and, when the door closed behind Dominic, it became quite disorienting. He imagined it was akin to snow-blindness, not that he’d ever been skiing. He walked across to the cot, knelt beside Evrain’s prone form then touched his bare arm.

“Evrain, it’s me. Please wake up.”

He was rewarded with a snarl. “I’m not asleep, just pretending in case you were Symeon.” He rolled on to his back and sighed. “What in the fires of hell are you doing here, Dominic? You should be safe at home behind layers of protective wards.”

“I’ll explain everything, but what about you, did they hurt you very much?”

Evrain sat up awkwardly. He patted the cot. “Come sit here with me.”

Dominic took a spot next to him, pressing close, thigh to thigh.

“I think my arms are a couple of inches longer, but other than that not really. Symeon roughed me up a little. The worst thing was having to listen to him gloat—that was painful on the ears.”

“He showed me pictures of you hanging from the ceiling.”

“Great. He’ll probably have full-sized prints made for his bedroom wall.”

“There’s a camera in this room somewhere.” Dominic examined the blank walls. “I can’t see it though. Imelda promised me she wouldn’t watch us.”

“She will.” Evrain rested his cuffed hands on his knees.

“Why are your wrists bandaged?” Dominic asked, touching Evrain’s hand.

“Symeon used cable ties when he hung me up. They cut into my skin. Imelda didn’t appreciate what he’d done. I don’t think she sanctioned Symeon’s violence.”

“I got the same impression. She reamed him good after he threatened me. They aren’t the best of buddies.”

“I can’t believe I walked into such an obvious trap,” Evrain said. “I feel like a complete idiot.”

“You were an idiot because you think more about my safety than your own.” Dominic ran a comforting hand through Evrain’s hair. He stared into his green-gold eyes. “It was only a matter of time, Evrain—the Coven would never have given up. That’s why I’m here.” He rested his head on Evrain’s shoulder. With his mouth close to Evrain’s ear, Dominic whispered the details of Gregory’s plan. Then he unzipped his overalls, exposing the strange designs across his chest.

Evrain stared, his eyes wide. He raised his hands but didn’t quite touch. “How do they look to you?” he asked.

“Like silvery green tattoos just beneath my skin,” Dominic replied. “Gregory told me that apart from him and Nathaniel, only you and I would be able to see them. Imelda didn’t notice anything and she watched while I changed into this stupid suit.”

“She saw you naked?” Evrain’s eyes narrowed.

Dominic shook his head. “I think we have bigger issues to worry about, don’t you?”

“I suppose so. The designs seem like holograms to me. They sort of hover over your skin. When Gregory put these on you, did it hurt?”

“That doesn’t matter.” Dominic brushed off the question. “What’s important is that we get the agrimony transferred to you. We only have an hour together before Imelda comes back.”

“I’m so fucking angry that Gregory did this to you, but it just might work.” Evrain scrubbed a hand through his hair, making it stand up. “Let’s hope that Imelda was telling the truth when she promised not to watch. I don’t get off on exhibitionism.” He pulled the thin mattress from the cot then laid it on the floor. “Not much, but it will have to do.”

Pulling the mattress toward the other wall, Dominic grinned. “The footage I saw had the camera pointing directly at the cot. If we put this over here we might get a bit more privacy.”

Evrain sat on the mattress, his back against the wall. He crooked a finger and beckoned Dominic, a salacious look in his eyes. Dominic shrugged the overalls from his shoulders, unzipping them to the waist. He knelt across Evrain’s legs and Evrain looped his arms over Dominic’s head to rest on his shoulders. For a moment they just gazed into each other’s eyes. Against all the odds Dominic began to get aroused. Evrain licked his lips.

“I missed you, you know. Thinking about you kept me going.”

“Kiss me?” Dominic tilted his head to the side, silently encouraging Evrain to kiss his neck. Evrain obliged, running his tongue across the green patterns. A faint mist rose from Dominic’s skin and slipped into Evrain’s mouth. As he kissed and licked Dominic sensed the patterns dissipating, leaving pristine skin behind. There was just a faint tingle when the marks disappeared, but as Evrain worked his way toward his aching nipples, the sensation spread all over his body.

“How far down do the markings go?” Evrain whispered.

“Thighs. Back and front.”

“Lose the suit.”

“Back to your usual demanding self,” Dominic muttered. He ducked from the circle of Evrain’s arms in order to stand. He lowered the suit’s zip further before wiggling until it dropped to his ankles.

“Good.” Evrain unzipped his shapeless garment. “I can’t get this thing off because of the cuffs. Unzipped will have to be enough. Come here.”

Dominic hugged him. Skin met skin from chest to groin—as far down as Evrain’s zipper went.

“You’re so warm.” Evrain pushed him back a little. He sucked on one nipple then the other. Dominic moaned, throwing back his head. Green mist seemed to envelop Evrain’s body.

“It’s working.”

“I know. I can feel it. There’s a lot of power in Gregory’s work.” Evrain ran his hands down Dominic’s body until he could cup his balls. “Lean against the wall.”

They changed positions. Evrain dropped to his knees. “I can’t believe Gregory decorated your cock. He and I are going to have words.”

“That’s not all he did, love.” Dominic gasped as the moist warmth of Evrain’s mouth surrounded him. His knees began to buckle as Evrain sucked his balls and cock in turn, teasing with soft skims of his tongue. Dominic’s thoughts scattered. He could have been surrounded by the whole coven and he wouldn’t have cared. He didn’t want Evrain to stop for anything. When Evrain nipped a little harder, Dominic had to fight back a scream. It was impossible to stay completely silent while Evrain drove him to the edge of release over and over again. His back arched and he moaned, all worries about their predicament swept away by the intensity of the moment. He came without warning, spurting his release deep into Evrain’s throat, shuddering with reaction. Every muscle quivered and his ass ached to be filled.

“I’ve got you, sweetheart.” Evrain licked him clean before pulling away. He was breathing heavily, a sheen of perspiration coating his skin. “You okay?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Dominic asked. “Does it hurt you—absorbing the magic?”

“Not at all. Feels good, actually.”

“Want you in me. Don’t care if they’re watching.”

“You secretly an exhibitionist, love? Could be fun.” Evrain got to his feet. “There are a few clubs I know…”

“So not the conversation for right now,” Dominic complained. “My ass needs you. Now.”

“So demanding. I like it. Turn around.” Evrain’s voice was gruff, his words abrupt with need. He pressed the length of his body against Dominic’s back.

Dominic felt even teeth biting gently into his neck, then Evrain’s voice sounded in his ear. “I’ve absorbed the potion, we don’t have to do this.”

“Not all of it.” Dominic pushed back against him urgently. “I need you.”

“He put it inside you?”

“Yes!” Dominic spat out the word as a hard cock dug into his ass.

“Fuck! There’s no butter on hand this time, Dominic, it’s going to hurt.”

“I prepped earlier today. It will have to be enough. You have to do this, it will help you absorb the agrimony faster.”

To Dominic’s relief, Evrain didn’t waste time with further debate. He pushed forward hard and fast, his bound hands pressing into the small of Dominic’s back.

“I love you.”

“Love you too.” Dominic accepted the momentary burn of penetration. He clamped his lips together, not wanting to give Evrain any reason to stop. A thrill of renewed desire shot through his body as Evrain pistoned his hips back and forth.

“We can stop now…” Evrain slowed a little. “I must have absorbed everything by now.”

“Don’t you fucking dare, you bastard! I’m so close…” The magic had to be working on his libido, Dominic decided. There was no way he should be ready to orgasm again so soon.

“Oh…you like a little pain, do you?” Evrain punctuated his words with a thrust that shoved Dominic into the wall.

“You know I do.” Dominic tried to keep quiet but it was difficult to stay silent with Evrain thrusting into him so forcefully. Sensation was building throughout his body. He gritted his teeth and tried to contain the shout that wanted to escape his lips. He dug his nails into the palms of his hands and suppressed his cry as Evrain came with a hot gush inside him. Dominic grabbed his own cock with one hand and a couple of swift tugs brought him over the edge as well. Exhausted, he slid to the floor. Evrain collapsed next to him and they sat side by side against the wall, breathing heavily.

“Well, if anyone was watching, I think we just gave them a pretty good show.” Evrain laughed and leaned across to kiss Dominic’s lips.

“I’m supposed to be convincing you to give up your blood to Octis,” Dominic said. “They know how stubborn you are so when Imelda gets here you’re going to have to make it seem as if I haven’t made a good enough argument and resist a little longer.”

“If I do that,” answered Evrain, “they might hurt you and that’s not something I’m going to allow.”

“You still need to take it to the edge and make it convincing. As it is, I’m sure they’re going to suspect that something’s up. Imelda doesn’t seem stupid and she knows that giving her anything without resisting would go against your nature.”

“Fine, I’ll put on a good show, but if it gets to the point where it looks as though you’re at risk, I stop straight away. Did Gregory say how long it would take for the potion to affect my blood?”

Dominic made a grab for his nylon suit. “If you absorbed everything that he put on my skin then the effect should have been instant and your blood is already useless to them. Perhaps now they’ll leave you alone?” Dominic pulled the suit up, lifting his ass so he could get it over his hips. “I really need to clean up. Imelda said she’d leave the doors unlocked so we could use the bathroom.” He stood, leaving his suit unzipped part way and hanging around his waist.

“I don’t know how to open the door. They’ve used some kind of concealing spell.”

Dominic wandered across to the wall where he knew the door to be. It slid open in front of him. “See, I can do magic too.” He grinned.

After a quick trip to the washroom they returned to Evrain’s cell. They sat on the mattress and Evrain pulled Dominic against him.

“Do you really think they’re just going to let us go once they know that they’ve been tricked? We need to find a way to get my hands free and this fucking collar off my neck. Then we have to get out of this part of the building so that I can use my power. In here there’s nothing elemental I can use.”

“What about the water in the washroom?”

“The taps only deliver measured amounts of water. Not enough to do any damage with. It’s useless anyway while I’m blocked.”

“Well, they’re going to need you to channel when they take your blood. They’ll have to remove the collar then. I can’t imagine they’ll want you channeling in here, so we will just have to take our chance that there will be an opportunity to escape when they move us. I was drugged during the car journey down here and there was a hood over my head but I’d guess we’re somewhere in downtown Portland.” He paused. “There’s something else. Symeon had help when he took me. There was someone else in the car on the way here. He only spoke once but I recognized the voice. I’m sure it was Damon.”

“What the fuck!” Evrain’s already pale skin turned a lighter shade. “That ungrateful, traitorous…he had me completely fooled.”

“Look, I’ve no idea how much time has passed since Imelda left me with you but it must be coming up for an hour. We can worry about Damon’s part in this later. We have more to fear from Symeon, especially if Imelda follows through with her threat to cut him off from the potions she’s been providing. That’s where the danger will come from. He’ll be seeking vengeance against us and the Octis Coven.”

“I think you’re right. Finish dressing. I don’t want anyone else to see you without your clothes on.”

Dominic wriggled into the top part of his overalls then zipped up. He examined Evrain’s wrists and winced at the fresh blood seeping from beneath the bandages under the cuffs. “I wish I had something to cut these off with.”

Evrain gave him a small smile. “Take advantage while you can, my love. This is the last time I will be the one in this position, I can assure you.”

Dominic rolled his eyes in exasperation and was about to make a sarcastic retort when the cell door slid open. He backed against the wall. Evrain stood in front of him, shielding him.

Symeon’s eyes were even redder than usual. They had a glow of madness. “I suppose you thought that the two of you would only have to deal with Imelda and her pathetic little coven,” Symeon said, his tone ice cold. “Well, I’m done with sucking up to that bitch. Her caution is just a sign of cowardice. She hasn’t the guts to do what needs to be done.”

“And you do?” Evrain challenged.

“You’ll soon see.” Symeon’s eyes sparked. His skin was flushed and sweaty. “You thought you could take everything away from me. My power. My influence. My lover.” Damon appeared at his shoulder. “As you can see, you were wrong on all counts. You’re finished, Evrain. You are both coming with me. We’ll soon see what some potent warlock blood can really do.” Sparks flew from Symeon’s hands, striking Evrain’s chest. He dropped to his knees. Damon slipped around him. He grabbed Dominic’s arm, holding a blade to his throat, then pushed him toward the door.

Symeon cackled. “Behave yourself, Evrain, and I will make sure that Damon’s hand stays steady. Try and escape me and I will not be responsible for the consequences. It would be a shame to mark Dominic’s beautiful skin, wouldn’t it?” He produced a jeweled dagger. “I can’t wait to use this on you.” Symeon bent over Evrain, wound a fist into his hair and dragged him upright. He used the dagger to slice the nylon suit from Evrain’s body, leaving him bared to the waist. He ran a hand across his chest, viciously pinching a nipple before running his tongue down the side of his face. “You and I are going to have such fun together.” He thrust a hand into the overalls and groped him. “I have nothing to lose and it’s time you learnt that resisting me is futile. You will regret ever thinking you could defeat me, boy.”

“Get your hands off him!” Dominic fought Damon’s hold. A burning line across his neck told him that the knife had broken skin.

“Don’t fight him, Dominic,” Evrain ordered.

“Good advice.” Symeon shoved Evrain toward the door. “Bring the puppy, Damon. If he bites, smack his nose.”

“Ever heard of karma, Damon? I hope it comes back to bite you in the ass,” Dominic whispered. Symeon and Evrain were a few meters ahead. Damon shoved him against the wall.

“Shut your mouth.” He winked, then grinned. “Not everything’s always as it seems.”

For the first time since he’d arrived at the Coven’s premises Dominic allowed himself to hope that he and Evrain might just escape with their lives.