CHAPTER 20
Rowena watched her daughter’s retreating back from her place on the throne. Her patience had long since worn thin. It was time to play the aggressor once again and force the imposter to come out of hiding. There were whispers that she was finally drawing near, but Rowena had been on high alert ever since the girl’s mate first came to stay in the castle. So while she skulked about in the forest, believing that she would be the one to start this war, what she didn’t realize was that Rowena was already ten steps ahead of her. It had been her intention, after all, to initiate this exact scenario. Now that the time for action drew near, however, Rowena found that she was no longer willing to wait for the other woman to make the next move.
Her fingers tapped restlessly on the wooden arm of her throne as she waited for her daughter to return with their prisoner. It was insulting that she should have to wait at all but Rowena forced herself to remain calm. No good would come from her losing her temper now, and these things take time.
Minutes ticked away and Rowena shifted restlessly in her chair wondering what was taking her daughter so long. That girl was getting more useless with each passing day. Soon the threat of her brother’s life would not be enough to ensure her willing compliance, but that was a problem she could easily deal with just as soon as she handled the imposter.
The silence around her grew as she waited, but Rowena didn’t mind silence. After spending years in the Palace surrounded by sycophants and the incessant chatter of voices she almost appreciated it. Once she was back on the throne, she would have her fill of company again. For now, the remoteness of her family’s home suited her just fine. If nothing else, it allowed her to build up the army of Shadows that had become so useful these past few months. The mindless beings with super-human strength were very effective at quelling protests and rebellion. Rowena’s lips curled into a smile at the thought.
Rowena felt a ripple along the current of her power, followed by a stinging lash, much like a whip, against the edge of her awareness. The pulse of power caused Rowena to freeze in place. Was it possible that the little bitch had found a way to sneak in after all? No, Rowena realized, her arrival would have much more fanfare than that.
Precautions had been taken to ensure that their prisoner would not be in any state to access or use his own power. Even so, Rowena placed sensors in his room so she or her guards would be able to act quickly in the event he got free. The power flare she felt was one of the sensors going off. Since it was tied to her own strength, the release of power instantly alerted her wherever she was. She was more than a little intrigued that it would go off now after so much time had passed. Just when she was about to put the next step of her plan into action.
It was also too much of a coincidence for her to ignore. Rowena rose swiftly and crossed the room. Apparently, it was time for her to engage in a more direct manner with their prisoner.
Gillian stood outside of the door, hesitating only for a moment before pressing her hand to its cool wooden surface and stepping inside. Von’s eyes snapped to her, tracking her movements like a predator assessing prey. She swallowed, uncomfortable with the comparison. She did not appreciate feeling hunted when he was the one in chains. Relieved to see that much, at least, had not changed, Gillian braved a few steps closer to the bed.
She eyed him dispassionately, only mildly disappointed that he was no longer naked. As much as she had appreciated the visual feast, her mother had ordered that she dress him after dosing him a few nights ago in “preparation” and she was not about to force the issue. Gillian wasn’t sure how giving him skin-tight leather pants and a fitted white tunic did much to prepare him for anything. If she had to guess, it was more her mother’s way of removing the distraction of his heavily muscled body, since a naked Von was hard to ignore. Mother knows she had enough trouble ignoring that temptation herself.
Mouth suddenly dry, Gillian licked her lips and cleared her throat.
“Meal time already?” he drawled insolently.
Gillian shook her head, “You have indulged in our hospitality for long enough, Holbrooke. It’s time for you to get to work paying your debt.” She knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as the words left her lips.
Silver eyes glittered with malice, “Let me loose and I’ll begin repaying you for your hospitality right now.”
Gillian forced herself to let out a shaky laugh and roll her eyes in a show of haughty amusement. “Oh, Von, always so quick to threaten violence. I was merely teasing. Let us start again, shall we? No more secluded meals in your room. Now that you are well, you will be joining me upstairs.”
She waited for a reaction to her announcement, but he did not so much as flinch.
Taking a steadying breath, she tried again. “You are coming with me,” she announced with false bravado.
The smile that stretched across his face showed how easily he saw through her. Lifting a mocking brow, he asked, “Who’s going to make me?”
“I am,” said a voice just behind her.