Jaxon
"Is... all this really... necessary?" I asked, swallowing thickly as my eyes watched the torches on the wall. The flickering flames only lit a small section before the next torch took over lighting the damp tunnel.
"Isn't he bound to her?" I continued. "Your brother mentioned he succeeded in that much. Wouldn't she be able to feel that something is wrong? I know she hates the majority of us, but that wouldn't be stronger than her need to make sure we weren't harmed." I had a feeling that included locking her mate in a dark underground jail cell with other unsavoury companies around. Some of which he had placed there.
The violence his sharp glance held had me pausing.
"Your friend froze their bond," he said after a moment of silver that was filled with the sound of dripping water and the crackling of the burning torches. "She's smart. She can tell somethings off, but an example must be made. The incubus broke the agreement, for that he must pay."
"The agreement..." I began saying, trailing off as I tried to recall what I had agreed to along with the others.
"She is to decide. Whether it be days, weeks, months, or years, she decides when she accepts any one of us, bound and unbounded. She didn't decide to accept the incubus bond, he forced it upon her. He broke the agreement." His eyes narrowed on me. "It will do you well to keep your friend's condition in mind on your little date tonight. Though he's an example, the next one that would need to be made would be sure to drive the point home to anyone else who thinks of harming her."
"I'm not going to hurt her," again.
"We'll see," he said, eyeing me skeptically before turning and continuing down the path. "You'll be down here a few hours. Your nose will eventually get accustomed to the smell." Though my footsteps echoed off the walls, his steps were silent. Oh-" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a woven band and tossed it towards me. "In case he decides to try to turn his charm on you."
I snorted as I placed the bracelet on my fingers and curled them over it as I made a fist. "He knows better."
"We all thought that, too."
Fair enough. I kept the spelled bracelet in my hand as we continued. The magic lightly tickled my skin, proving how much power the small piece held.
* * *
"He usually doesn't move much or have enough energy to keep up a conversation," Ares said as we neared the next set of cells that the tunnel lead to. This time, unlike the previous sets of cells we had passed, they weren't empty.
I could hear the beating of multiple hearts as the scent of bodily waste and filth joined the scent of mold. My hand uselessly rose to try to cover my nose against the assault.
"If there are any issues..." he shrugged, "shout?"
"This is it?" I asked, looking at the rusted bars holding the incubus captive.
The chipping metal looked like it could be broken through if punched hard enough. I was sure there were probably various spells and wards in place to ensure escape was impossible, but the rusted appearance the metal held made the whole setup appear weak and easily broken through. Maybe that was the point. Easy to know who to keep your eye on if they announced themselves with an escape attempt.
"Well, there's also a chair," he said, pointing towards the cushioned seat that looked out of place in the darkness. It must have been the green orange colour. Or how clean it was. Or the simple fact that it appeared soft and comfortable.
The phrase he said would have sounded like a poor joke if it hadn't been spoken in the serious tone that both of the brothers seemed to have mastered at a young age.
