Sold For Protection by F.A. Lantern & J.C. Bugg

Author:F.A. Lantern & J.C. Bugg [Lantern, F.A. & Bugg, J.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-16T00:00:00+00:00

Nine

Cass spits blood from his mouth and looks up, blinking through his tears and searching for Colm’s familiar, comforting figure. Colm looks back at him steadily, his flickering black swords drawn and held casually between his fists.

“Let him go, Aryana Byrne,” Colm says softly, flicking his eyes from Cass’ shuddering form to Aryana’s rapidly paling face and fluttering fingers. “Or I will make this far more painful for you than it has to be.”

“This does not have to concern you, demon. Our Coven is happy to settle any remaining debt incurred by my brother for his protection,” Aryana says, faint, red-tinged magic darting between her fingers, ready but not yet a threat.

Cass heaves for breath, struggling to keep his breath silent and still. Aryana isn’t hurting him anymore, unwilling to spend the blood magic on torturing Cass when she is facing a far greater threat.

Colm laughs, the sound chilling, even to Cass, and takes another step towards Aryana. The door behind them opens, a few Coven members stepping into the room, followed immediately by Cass’ grandmother.

“Do you think that I accept money for my services?” Colm chuckles, coming to stand between Cass and his sister. “Do you think I am so easily bought?”

Aryana smiles coyly, pulling her shawl tighter around her thin shoulders. She looks over Cass’ shoulder meaningfully and jerks her chin. In response, the woman who bound Cass and brought him here shepherds three young, trembling coven members to stand in front of her.

“Thank you, Lucy,” Aryana says. Her lips are scarlet and curling, but her eyes are wide, her breath coming just a little bit too fast to be as relaxed as she pretends to be.

There are two girls and a boy, younger than Cass, but in their late teens at the youngest. They are dressed in thin, white clothes, their hair perfectly coiffed and makeup perfect. Cass wants to vomit, and he looks back to his sister in sickened horror.

“What are you doing, Aryana?” he asks brokenly. “You can’t whore out your own Coven.”

Aryana ignores him, keeping her eyes on Colm, who watches her with a strange tilt to his head, a faint furrow in his brow.

“Three for one,” Aryana says smoothly. “And your protection for my land, my people, my interests. What say you, demon, shall we make a deal?”

Colm’s lips curl in disgust, so potent that Aryana blinks and the small crowd of coven members murmur and shift in discomfort.

“Were I to make a deal with you, your body would be forfeit, not those of young ones supposedly under your protection.” Colm’s voice is scathing and dark, and Cass remembers just how scared of Colm he had been the moment he appeared, how undeniable he had seemed, more of a force of nature than a man to be reasoned with.

Aryana licks her lips, eyes flicking up and down Colm’s form.

“I—” she says, her voice quavering for the first time. “I do not prefer the company of men.”

Colm’s face turns cruel. “That does not signify,” he tells her.

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