Chapter 5 GUILD OATH

CHAPTER FIVE

Surprisingly, he seemed unaffected after a moment. I, on the other hand, had blood oozing down from my smashed nose. He stepped back, reaching slowly down to the bottom of the shirt he wore before pulling it up and over his head slowly.

I flinched. He was ripped and looked like he had stepped from the cover of a male fitness catalogue. A solid six-pack flowed down his abs, disappearing under the rough jeans he wore. A thin trail of dark hair started below his navel, flowing in a seducing trail into the waistline of his jeans that clung loosely to his tapered hips. He was covered in Celtic brands that looked similar to tattoos, but moved.

The door opened as another Fae walked in. As he got closer, I saw he wasn't Fae exactly-he was a Demon. His skin was covered with brands similar to mine and Adam's, which were usually invisible to the eye, and if I invoked my own, they would glow and match his Celtic patterns. The Dark Prince didn't have a Witch. No, he had a fucking Demon.

The Demon was taller than the Prince. His silver eyes swirled with black patterns that were common for his kind. His hair was long and straight and looked as soft as silk and was the color of freshly poured ink. His forearms were covered in thick brands that I could tell flowed up and covered his neck stopping just below his face.

"Who do you work for?" The Prince continued to question me, his sharp eyes watching, searching for a weakness.

"Your mother. She wants you to clean your bedroom," I quipped sarcastically. A silent shiver raced down my spine as I remembered his bedroom. I flinched as he held his hand up until it touched my face. An earthly scent whirled through the room as cool waves touched my face. The bleeding stopped as he lowered his hand from my face.

He ignored my taunts and nodded to the tall, exotic Demon of his. A few minutes of awkward silence descended on the large sterile room. I watched him from beneath my lashes-his glyphs were beautiful. Thick black Celtic markings covered a single shoulder, flowing gently onto his chest and down his side, further onto his back, out of sight.

"I found something that might make you talk," he said, interrupting my thoughts.

I was still trying to figure out what his brands meant when a familiar cry ripped from the hallway. My heart accelerated, my mouth going dry again, but this time with fear. Chandra and Adam were led inside the room, both bloodied from fighting for their lives.

I felt angry tears push against my eyes as I met Adam's vibrant emerald stare. They were told to leave, to run, so why hadn't they? I pulled all emotion back from my features, sucking in air until I wanted to choke on it. Chandra's lip was swollen and bloodied as if she'd been assaulted.

They were pushed in together, and Adam was shoved to his knees in front of me. His shoulder-length black hair clung to his bronze face, his eyes begging me to forgive him. I wanted to scream at him. He should have been clear. If he'd done as I'd said he would've been. I'd tried to buy them time with myself as a hostage. If I'd known he hadn't listened, I would have fought them.

I lifted my gaze from Adam to Ryan who was watching me closely and judging my reaction. He materialized a Rugger 9mm from thin air and cocked it before holding it to Adam's temple.

"Talk, or he dies."

A gun-seriously, even I knew these guys didn't need guns to kill, so he had to be doing this so I could see the threat. I couldn't talk. It was part of my training. If Adam spoke of the Guild or gave anything away-I myself would be killing him. It was part of the blood oath they made us take when we graduated. Our eyes met and held, his saying that it was okay, mine showing everything I felt. Frustration at not being able to help. Anger for what was happening and pain for what I was losing-my closest friend.

"Use the girl," his Demon said, when I refused to answer.

Relief washed over me as Adam was spared from death and chained beside me in the other set of hanging manacles. Chandra was pushed in front of me, and shoved to her knees the same way Adam had been. She was fairly new to the Guild, and I didn't know her as well as I did Adam.

I met and held Chandra's eyes, telling her I was sorry, but her eyes didn't hold remorse, or regret-deep malice sat smoldering in her hazel eyes. I almost choked on my tongue-I knew that look. Shit-she would talk.

"My name is Chandra-" She smiled coldly at me.

"Shut up, Chandra," I growled in warning, making my voice sharp.

"Fuck you. I'm not dying here!" she cried.

The Prince was watching us closely. His eyes moved from my red face to hers, which showed not an ounce of remorse. I wasn't as attached to Chandra like I was to the others in my small coven. If she spoke, I'd take her out, and, while I hated doing it, she knew the rules. She'd taken the same oath I had; the one to protect our coven by every means.

"Who does she work for?" Ryan gently asked Chandra, who looked only too willing to give up who I was, and why I had come.

"She's the-"

I closed my eyes, feeling a slight twinge of regret as I did the only thing I could to prevent her from pointing blame at the Guild.

She coughed violently as I sent my dark magic inside her with a whisper, seeking her lungs with thousands of needles that would stop air from entering them. It wouldn't be completely painless, but I was trying to make it a clean death so she wouldn't suffer more than she had to. She cried out as blood exploded from her lungs, flowing freely from her lips, seconds before she suffocated and collapsed to the floor with a soft thud.

The Dark Prince watched with mock amusement on his hard beautiful face, his golden eyes rising from her crumpled form to my face. I couldn't look away from Chandra. She had panicked and given me no other choice but to take her life. She was dying slowly, drowning on blood that filled her lungs-because of me.

"You killed her?" he asked, surprised, but I ignored him.

For what seemed like minutes after Chandra had slumped onto the floor, cold and lifeless, I continued to push dark magic inside of her until Adam spoke low and leveled, calling me by code to keep our names secret. "Mags, stop; she's dead."

Her dark brown hair was now taking on an angry red tint from the blood that still flowed from her lips to create a pool around her face. I'd done what I was taught. I had no choice. I kept telling myself this over and over inside my head as my heart rate increased at what I had just done-I'd killed her.

Guilt crept up my spine. I hated killing, even if I was good at it. To talk of the Guild, or to tell a mark who sent us, was treason. If you got caught, you went silently to your death as I would surely do now at the hands of this deadly Fae.

"Mags, look at me," Adam said, gently but firmly.

I raised my eyes, meeting his gentle green eyes. His hair was covered in perspiration and clung wildly to his face. His face showed no fear, no anger for the kill; only acceptance. "Blood oath, Mags. You had no choice."

"It was a good kill-painless." I choked on bile with each word. "Hecate, keep her safe." I felt hot angry tears push against my eyes again. "Exussum, Chandra," I said the word, focusing as I pushed enough power into the words, drawing from the limited reserve I now had after pulling from dark magic.

Smoke billowed from the body inches from my feet. Flames erupted from her body, and the ferociously awful smell of putrid flesh misted the air. I raised my eyes from Adam's comforting face to the Dark Prince's, and found him still watching me.

Intense eyes met and held mine. A look of respect and awe entered them fleetingly before he turned to look at Adam. He waved the gun away with a magician's flourish, placed his large hands on his hips and shook his head as if he was trying to piece together why I'd killed her.

I coughed and choked on the smoke billowing up from her body. Flesh burning is something you never get used to, no matter how many times you've smelled it before. The smoke burned my eyes, causing water to rush from them.

"That was-interesting," Ryan said, stepping up to face Adam who also hadn't taken his eyes from me.

"Mags-" he whispered, placing all his love into his voice.

"Who is it you work for?" Ryan asked Adam.

"Go to hell, Fairy," he growled, still watching me.

Ryan brought his fingers up to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration. Shaking his head, he turned and looked directly at me. His eyes took in everything about me, so slowly I couldn't miss his intentions. "Bring her down, Ristan; place her on the bed."

I fought down the surge of panic that threatened to seize control of my brain with his words. He was Fae. He could seduce and feed on me until I told him everything. He could take away my mind and will with his skillful fingers, leaving a shell of who I had once been.

The Demon moved closer, his oily magic slithering over my skin, leaving me helpless against its deadly touch. The chains they had used must have been spelled with magic to keep me from escaping.