Crimson Lace

Chapter 31

WARNING: This chapter contains subjects that may be triggering to some individuals. Including but not limited to: violence.

ALEC
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

The noise that rings through my skull can only be described as torture. Something leeches into my veins from my neck and burns in my blood. I look down at my hands as they begin to shake uncontrollably by my sides.

A group of people emerge from shadows
around the streets.

I turn to Elle, her face has gone pale as she looks me over. The ringing in my head sharpens and my limbs grow heavy like sandbags. I try to fight it, try to reach for her one last time, but my legs collapse out from under me and I fall to my knees as the word "Run," escapes my lips.

Slowly the noise subsides, replaced with an infuriating numbness. I can move, but each motion is exhausting and painful. Elle grabs my arm and tries to hoist me up.

I shake my head. "Go, Elle. Get out of here." Words feel foreign in my mouth, I don't know if she can hear me. I don't know if this is even real or some kind of nightmare, but the people close in rapidly and Elle is too lost in my own pain to care.

"You're eyes!" she shrieks. "They're—What's happening? They're yellow."

Mute. I've been drugged with Mute.

A young man steps forward, his uneven gate and cane clipping loudly on the stone as he comes into view. He crouches down beside me, and uses a bloodied hand to tilt my chin up to face him. I recognize his curly auburn hair and pointed grin instantly from the news. Goreth Crimswell. The leader of the Crimson Reapers.

He turns to Elle and my stomach lunches as he speaks, "Hello, Eleya."

I jump to my feet, a growl ripping out of me as I throw an arm up, pulling her behind me. She stares at the man in shock, her eyes wide.

The world seems to tilt on its axis and I nearly fall over, slowly I reach up and tug the dart out of my neck. A few drops of the yellow liquid drip from the needle, burning my skin as I toss it to the ground. To think that Serfs can consume this stuff and not feel the effects is infuriating.

Elle snaps out of it, stepping forward from behind me as she schools her voice into that icy calm that she displays whenever someone needs to be put in their place, "How do you know my name?"

Gore looks from me to her a few times. "Everyone knows who you two are. Your faces are plastered on every cover page and every wall in all territories." He waves a hand in the air for emphasis as he continues. "Headlines read: Hybrid freak bewitches Prince Tyrus Alexandrette into betraying his kind," he drawls with a crooked smirk.

Placing a hand to her shoulder, I pull Elle close to my chest when I see her shake a little where she stands.

"And—" Gore resumes with a sparkling grin, stroking a finger over the head of his cane. "She is wearing the crimson lace." His concrete, grey eyes flicker up with such menace.

My heart stills and Elle reaches a hand up to the red tie in her hair. That is when I remember something that I've read about the Crimson Reapers. They tag their victims.

She lunges at Gore, hands open wide in front of her as she tries to summon her power. Gore flicks a finger and several of the men around us pull the triggers on their guns, releasing dozens of tiny darts in her direction.

Elle simply holds up a fist and the darts halt, mid-motion. Her gaze never wavers from Gore's face. I've never seen her grey eyes, usually so warm and lively, look so cold and murderous. A shiver quakes through me and I reach forward, plucking one of the darts from the air and examining it between my fingers. The yellow liquid swirls and I frown, dropping it to the ground.