❝Your secret is a painting?❞ I took a few cautious steps; the hairs on my arms stood on end.
❝Not just any painting.❞ Dorian approached the easel, shadows on his face as he touched the cloth protecting it. ❝It's a dark object, the manifestation of m...
Sat in the driver's seat of my car, overlooking the dock and the endless sea stretched beyond, my fingers shook as I dialed Dark Dorian's number. No answer. Exhaling in disappointment, I listened to his voicemail.
"I'm not here, probably because I don't like you. But go on, leave a message. I'll ignore that too." Beep.
"Dorian, I'm at the docks. Call me as soon as you get this--please." I sighed, resting my head against the steering wheel. "They killed Opal. And they have him." I sniffed, wiping the tears from my cheek. "You have to help me stop Elijah, Dorian. If we don't, he'll come for you next." I swallowed. "I can't lose you too. Please, Dorian, please... I need you."
I hung up and left the car, holding the door as I stared at the boats and yachts stretched ahead. An eagle circled above, catching my attention with an imploring cry. Gathering the last bit of courage I had, I closed the door and followed the shifter, into the lion's den.
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How many times had I gone out to sea with Vanida and Danny on his family yacht? Too many times to count. If I could've read the future, if I had known that one day I would be standing on this deck surrounded by Elijah and his army of supernaturals, I would have burned his boat to the ground.
Danny sat in the corner, gaze averted as he re-tied his boots. If I had to take a guess by his somber expression, leading a former friend to her doom wasn't the pinnacle of his life achievements.
"Alright," I said. "I'm here. Now where's Dorian?"
Elijah stepped in my path, cutting off my view of his brother. His face was bathed in the shadows cast from the moon. "Below deck. Waiting for you. Don't worry, Amelia, you'll have plenty of time for good-byes." Elijah whistled. "Get that engine going! We have to beat the sun!" His minions sprang into action - silent, grim faces, who didn't dare look me in the eye. They knew this was wrong just as much as I did. But like Danny, they were too afraid to stand against Elijah.
I lifted my chin. "Is that your grand master plan, Elijah? To kill us both?"
"It would have been." He stepped forward, eyes blazing, arms folded across his worn leather jacket. "But there's an alliance--supernaturals have rules. I break them, I get broken. And lucky for you, Danny reminded me that I owe you one. You spared my life back at the Fairway."
"Yeah, well, I won't make that mistake again. You killed Opal."
"She was a hunter. She got exactly what she deserved." Elijah called over his shoulder. "Take her downstairs."
"You won't get away with this, Elijah."
"I already have." He twiddled his fingers, pouting in mock sympathy as a trio of Supernaturals descended. With hands like iron shackles, they dragged me away.
"Let me go, let me go!" But struggling was as useless as pleading with Elijah. "Remember what Leo said: go against me and you'll lose! Danny, don't let him do this! Danny, please!"
