Caught in Their Snare

Prologue

Everything feels so heavy and unreal. All the colors are muted, and I struggle to think. Part of me wonders if I am still asleep and this world is nothing more than a dream. My body is encased in warm fluffy blankets somewhere else, unaware of the aches and pains I feel. Blissfully ignorant. There is little coherent thought, only bits and pieces of sentences that are hard to piece together.

I don’t see the shadows dancing around, but I can certainly feel them. Little bits of darkness that are eager to come play within my light. It’s exhausting keeping them at bay. Sometimes when I grow too weary, I have to let them in just a little. Give them just enough to toy with to allow me to recharge. It is better than the alternative. They used to drown me in the darkness, drown me in their corruption, and I almost didn’t survive. Once I was strong enough to fight them back, I did. I won, but they still linger. Always at the edge of my borders, waiting for weakness. They don’t leave. They’ll never truly leave. Once they find a trace of light, they can’t resist; they want to consume it until it’s all gone. I could run, but it would be pointless. They would follow me. They would find me. They always find me.

“Elvi.” I heard my name as if from a distance, barely registering. Obediently I looked up at Bastian. My dark strands were coiled around his long fingers before he let them fall. “Did you not hear what Mr. Hordin said?”

Flinching, I glanced over at the man in question. He wasn’t very remarkable. His suit was too big for him. His head was clearly balding and greying on the sides. There was a hungry look in his eyes, but all the men that came to see Bastian had that look. They always wanted something, and normally I could zone out without being caught.

This time, I supposed I was meant to be listening, but I hadn’t been. I did not know what he said. I had been lost in my own world. One that was prettier than this one, vibrant, full of life and greenery. A world far away from Bastian’s control.

When it became clear that I wouldn’t be able to gather any information from the man standing before us, I forced myself to shake my head no.

Bastian tutted in disappointment, and I felt my stomach drop. “He said that you looked beautiful, my sweet.”

“Oh,” I swallowed nervously. “Thank you.”

When the man inclined his head in acceptance, I hoped that would be enough for Bastian. If he was in a good mood, I could get away with this infraction, but if he wasn’t….

A quick glance at Bastian’s face didn’t help ease my nervousness. There was nothing in his features that revealed what he was thinking. There rarely was. It made tiptoeing around his moods nearly impossible.

“It’s not very polite to ignore people when they speak to you,” he murmured. When his hand wrapped around my arm, I repressed the instinctual desire to fight.

Instead, he pulled on me, and I obediently rose to my feet. My muscles ached from having to kneel beside him for so long, and I struggled to stay standing. He tugged on me, and I allowed him to pull me into his lap. His heat caused me to shiver, reminding me how cold I had been. Stroking his thumb across my cheek, I leaned into his touch. Sometimes he liked when I was receptive to his touch.

“What do you say?” he asked.

“I’m sorry,” I half whispered, struggling to keep my body from beginning to tremble. I didn’t look away from Bastian. Even though the apology was towards the man, it was meant for Bastian.

“I’m sure you are, my sweet.” His voice was soft, trying to draw me into a sense of safety. It didn’t.

It was a mind game.

He wanted to soothe me, to convince me that I wasn’t in trouble. A teasing mood, which didn’t bode well for me.

Just as he opened his mouth to say something, the double doors opened and in walked Caelum.

Whereas Bastian liked to be quiet, stealthy, Caelum loved to make an entrance.

And an entrance he made, his blue shirt splattered with blood and a red-coated rag hanging out of his pants pocket. Someone had been on the receiving end of his ire, and although I felt guilty for thinking it, I hoped they doused some of his bloodlust.

“How is the meeting going?” Caelum asked, striding past the businessman as if he wasn’t even worthy of a greeting.

Bastian wrapped his arms around my middle and adjusted me so that I was straddling him, my legs spread over his. The short skirt I was wearing was riding up my thighs, and if I wasn’t careful, the entire room would know I wore nothing beneath it. The businessman didn’t bother to hide his leer as his eyes settled on me.

“Well, it was going well until Mr. Hordin decided to comment on our girl here.” Bastian casually mentioned, and I felt my insides turn to ice. To an outsider, it would seem that he didn’t care one bit about what the man said, but I knew, and so did Caelum. The man did something that upset Bastian.

“Oh? And what was it that he said?” Caelum sat down in the chair beside Bastian and reached over to run his palm up my thigh. The businessman watched with interest. I think he hoped that Caelum would push my skirt up higher.

It was a test.

“Why don’t you tell him, Elvi?” Bastian teased me, and I squirmed as Caelum let one of his fingers curl just slightly beneath my skirt. Any higher and he would be able to touch my pussy.

That question was a test for me, and one I was going to fail. Licking my lips, I tried anyway, “He called me beautiful.”

Caelum’s finger brushed me, and I shivered as my breath stilled. Bastian noticed and spread his legs, forcing mine to widen and give Caelum better access.

“That’s not all he said, my sweet. See, this is why you need to pay attention,” Bastian chided me. “He said much more.”

“Is that so?” Caelum inquired, and although his finger brushed my clit, causing me to jerk slightly, his eyes were focused on the businessman. The man didn’t even notice. His desire to see what was happening was too strong. It was a mistake.

“He wanted to make her part of our business deal. He said, and correct me if I’m mistaken, Mr. Hordin, he said he’d love to see what is so magical about her pussy that the two of us are willing to share her.” Bastian continued the explanation.

Well, I definitely hadn’t heard that.

Cold air drifted over my thighs as my skirt was flipped up, revealing my lack of undergarments. Spread obscenely wide by Bastian’s legs, nothing was hidden.

Squeezing my eyes shut, my cheeks filled with heat from the shame. I only reopened them with a gasp as Caelum pushed a finger inside me.

“This pussy?” Caelum mused.

He glanced down at me, and I could see the hunger. It wasn’t just about me. There was something more sinister twisting within that gaze.

Two thrusts of his finger and he withdrew it, holding it up to look at the wetness that coated it. All traces of play were gone from his face when he dropped his hand and narrowed his eyes at Mr. Hordin. “I see nothing magical about it, do you, Bastian?”

“No,” I could hear Bastian’s grin. “But perhaps Mr. Hordin would like to test it out, just to make sure.”

The warning was there, but Mr. Hordin was stupid. This was the moment he should backtrack. This was his chance to grovel for forgiveness and claim lunacy. But no, he was going to walk straight into their trap with glee.

“I would gladly pay for the pleasure of a night with the girl.” He eagerly offered, his eyes zeroed in between my legs. It wasn’t something I enjoyed, but I knew better than to cover myself.

“And would you pay for the luxury with your life?” Bastian asked.

“What?” Mr. Hordin squawked. “Of course not.”

“Then what might make you think you could talk about what is ours like that, Mr. Hordin?” Caelum didn’t raise his voice, but he didn’t need to in order to sound terrifying.

Now Mr. Hordin was starting to catch on. His eyes darted to look at Caelum with shock, and then fear as they moved to Bastian. I almost pitied him as he paled, but I knew the type of men Bastian and Caelum worked with.

“Stand up, sweet.” Bastian commanded and assisted me off his lap. I stayed beside the chair as he stood and then sat in it when he pointed. Crossing my legs, I tried to shrink into the cushions.

Bastian and Caelum made their way towards the man in unison. Each moved with the grace of a predator. Bastian was a silent, slow stalk. Caelum wanted to scare his prey. He was quick and aggressive.

Mr. Hordin held his hands up, taking a few steps back from the approaching men.

“Clearly, there has been a misunderstanding here.” He was grasping at straws. “I meant no offense.”

“No offense was taken,” Bastian soothed. “I understand completely why you would want a taste of Elvi. She is divine, which is exactly why we’ve chosen to keep her.”

“But still,” Caelum rumbled, “you thought we were under some kind of spell? As if we could be controlled. Which means you thought you could somehow manipulate us, and that is something we take offense to.”

“No, that’s not it at all.” Mr. Hordin rushed out. His hands dropped from their submissive gesture toward his waist. Whatever weapon he had there, he never had the chance to grab it.

Bastian and Caelum were on him in an instant. The man didn’t have time to process what was happening before he was on the ground, pinned beneath Bastian’s knee, his arm deadlocked. Caelum had his other arm under his boot, idly playing with his dagger.

“You have heard the rumors of what happens to men that offend us?” Bastian asked.

Mr. Hordin’s eyes rounded, bouncing around the room in desperation and fear. Fighting uselessly, he begged, “Please. I will make it up to you. Please, I’ll give you whatever you want.”

Caelum sighed and lightly tapped his blade to the man’s cheek before dragging it, opening up the skin with ease. “See, that’s where you’re confused. We don’t actually need you to give us anything. You wanted to make a deal with us, remember?”

The sound the man made was half groan, half grunt, “All this over a worthless pussy?”

I sucked in a breath. I’ve made my fair share of stupid comments. There have been many times I’ve lashed out at them, but this man’s idiocy was far superior to mine.

“Well, I wouldn’t say it’s worthless,” Bastian sounded amused, “it does wonders for my cock.”

“Mine too.” Caelum ground his boot down into the man’s arm, and I heard the snap of a bone. I flinched instinctually. To the man’s credit, he didn’t make a sound. “Still, we can’t let that go. I should take your tongue, but then you won’t be able to scream for me, so I think I’ll start with your fingers since you thought you could touch her.”

The man made noise then. He screamed, guttural and agonized, as Caelum slowly sawed at first one finger, and then another. My stomach rolled, and I had to swallow down bile as, one by one, his digits were severed. By the time the pinkie was gone, he was sobbing. His face was covered with snot and tears, a reddish-purple.

“Elvi,” Bastian demanded, and I lifted my horrified gaze from the remnants on the ground to him, “I want you to go to the bedroom, strip your clothes off and bend over the bed, I haven’t forgotten your lack of attention.”

Forcing myself up from the chair, I hurried towards the door. I wanted to get away from this as fast as possible. Even if it meant that I was heading toward my doom.

The threat of punishment was just an excuse for them. After they finished with whatever they wanted to do to Mr. Hordin, they would want to ride out the adrenaline rush. I was the ride.

Just as I reached the door, I heard Caelum call out, “Elvi.”

I turned to look at him, fresh blood drenching the blue shirt, and now his pants, the rag discarded on the floor. The entire outfit would have to be thrown out. There was no getting rid of that much blood. Remembering I had to answer him, I replied, “Yes?”

“What do you say?” Caelum chided me, and the man screamed as he stabbed his dagger into the palm of his hand. I winced.

“Yes, master, yes, sir.” I replied obediently. At the incline of his head, I turned and ran out the door. They would be a while. I would have time to get to the bathroom, throw my guts up and try to rebuild my world before they got to me.