~Thank you so much for giving this story a chance! I recommend starting on chapter 1, but if you are just here for the sex, please skip to page 2. Please read the tags! Thank you for reading and leaving comments- you guys keep me so motivated!! I am so sorry for the wait on this chapter. I wanted it to be the best that it could. I am so grateful for your support <3 ~
|Chapter Four|
Friday, the morning of the auction
Emera gripped the tree bark so tightly her hands were starting to burn. From up high she could see most of the sprawling lawn of the Lyles Estate. The mansion was built from solid stone, jutting up white against the rolling hills of the estate. The curved black tile roof glittered in the morning sunlight. The gate around the property was made of wrought iron, towering above the hedge around the property.
It had been almost a decade since she'd last been here, but not much had changed. The gardens were all pristine, not a weed or single flower out of place. It was going to be harder to sneak onto the property without any tree cover. Harder, but certainly not impossible.
She shifted uncomfortably on the tree branch.
I promised myself never to come back here,
she thought sourly. There's no other choice now. She scowled. The last time she'd been here Lyles had warned her never to return without an invitation. He hated her.
Emera's mother had died when she was twelve. Lyles, Hendren's father, had 'entrusted' Emera with her little brother after their mother's death. Truthfully, he didn't want the responsibility of raising Hendren on his own. He had given Emera gold and sent her to live in the slums across the city. Where his men could keep an eye on her and her brother from a distance.
Hendren wasn't Lyles's only son. He was the youngest and a bastard. She let out a breath through her nose. It has taken her too long to realize Lyles was ashamed of them. He wanted to keep Hendren hidden until he was old enough to be taught until Lyles could turn him into the perfect little lordling. That was when Emera realized she had to keep her brother as far away from his father as possible. Lyles was a monster, and she wouldn't let him turn Hendren into one too.
Hendren had been living the past three years in an orphanage. Nico had arranged it, ensuring her little brother was clothed, fed and educated. She paid a hefty sum every month for him to stay there. Better than living with her, learning to steal for a living. She ran her tongue over the split in her lip.
The man's words from last night rang through her mind,
'You've been hiding Hendren from Lyles for years. Not anymore though...'
Across the garden, there was a large stone pavilion. Children were playing in its shade. The eldest was a boy with shaggy black hair who sat away from the rest.
Hendren
.
Lyles's men must have found out where the orphanage was. He only had to write a letter to the orphanage's caretaker, and her brother had been brought here.
She watched her brother for a few minutes, waiting to see signs he was hurt or something else was wrong. This was his first time visiting his father since he was four. At least he didn't look happy to be there now.
The auction was tonight. If she didn't rescue Hendren by tomorrow morning then the hunters would leave the city without them. Emera shifted her weight, and the tree branch shook dangerously. It was unlikely she would get her brother back in time.
She was taking a risk, coming here in plain daylight. If she was caught the guards would drag her to Hendren's father with a knife at her throat. Her stomach churned at the thought.
I have no choice.
A guard on horseback slowly sauntered past. His eyes never left the grass. Emera glared down at him. Getting Hendren back would be a challenge. Sneaking past the guards would be easy enough. She could likely make it right into his father's office without alerting anyone. She had made a hundred different plans, thought of every exit and entry point. Getting in wasn't the problem at all.
The problem was her little brother. If they had to run, she would likely have to carry him. She couldn't take on a small army of guards by herself. If she managed to steal him away, he wouldn't be able to scale the roof or climb the fence to get away from the guards.
Instead, she would have to convince his father to let him go.
My luck just needs to last a little longer.
She began to make her way down the tree carefully, plotting her way towards the mansion.
The best plans were always the most straightforward.
***
Half an hour later she was sitting in front of the large gleaming desk in Lyles office. Hendren's father sat across from her. He had straw yellow hair and a wispy, thin form. Emera had forgotten how small and hawk-like his expressions were. He glowered at her from across his desk. His hands were steepled in front of his mouth. He stared at her for so long she almost began to fidget.
"How did you get in here?" He eventually asked.
Emera stared at him evenly. She had been sitting here, across from his desk when he'd entered the office. "You left the windows unlocked."
Her eyes slid over to the large four pane window that took up half the wall. Beyond the window most of his estate was visible: the idyllic back gardens that bled into the sprawling lawn. A pond glittered in the centre.
He shook his head and grimaced, "Consider me impressed. Thats a long drop to the ground." His gaze darkened, mouth tugging down at the corners. She imagined he was thinking of tossing her out the window now. "You've been hard to keep an eye on. How long has it been since your last visit? Eight years?"
"Yes. Not long enough."
"Oh don't be dramatic. Be grateful your brother is safe now."
Her eyes narrowed on him. She had meant to catch him off guard, make him nervous. The bruises on her face were bright purple and red. I want him to look me in the eye. She wanted him to see she wasn't afraid anymore, that she wouldn't stoop to his demands so easily even when he tried to hurt her again.
But he was surprisingly cool and calm-mannered.
Now that he has my brother, he thinks he has won.
She held the dagger in her hand up to the light, reminding him why he still had not called in his guards. The thin silvery scar on his cheekbone was thanks to her. He was already well aware of how quickly she could move with a dagger.
She tried to keep her expression neutral, "You've kidnapped my brother. I wouldn't call my reaction dramatic at all."
There wasn't a word that could describe the level of resentment, the level of hatred she held for Lyles. He hadn't wanted the burden of taking care of his bastard son. That responsibility had gone to Emera.
Lyles had expected Emera to obey him, to drop everything whenever he called for her. Instead she had spent her childhood running from him, trying to keep Hendren safe from his grasp. Terrified. She had done whatever she could to get away.
Nico had been her saviour, taking her in and helping her hide Hendren. Still, she had always been afraid. And then the fae had come. They destroyed everything she had been working towards, ruining the city and
taking and taking
until there was nothing left. There was no room for fear now.
The anger within her had transformed, becoming something else entirely. She could hear her blood pumping in her ears, the thundering of her heartbeat. The anger was a hot flush of adrenaline rushing through her veins. All she could think about was wiping the smirk off Lyles's face. She wanted revenge. It was only because of Hendren she had not slit Lyles's throat already.
His eyes were stuck on her dagger, watching how easily she twirled it between her fingers. He spoke carefully, "We should discuss the matter at hand then. There is no need to act rashly."
When she didn't lower the blade, he added through gritted teeth, "Even if you did manage to hurt me, you will not leave here inconspicuously, not covered in my blood. The guards will kill you."
But it would be worth it though; to see the fear and shock play across his face. She would even savour his death. He had stolen the only thing more precious to her than the statue: her own brother. She took a steadying breath. She couldn't let him see how well he was getting under her skin.
Lyles glanced between her and the dagger. When he saw she stopped twirling the blade he relaxed a fraction. He reached for the decanter on his desk and a glass. He poured himself a hefty fingers length of liquor and capped the decanter. He took a long swing, swirling the liquid around his mouth. Finally, he swallowed. "What do you want Emera?"
"I thought that was obvious. My brother."
Lyles's face was turning red with anger. He glowered at her across the desk, "After everything you put him through? I paid you good coin to keep my heir safe and well-fed, not hidden in a fucking orphanage!"
Emera flinched. "He was safe there! No one could get to him. Not you, not me. You only want Hendren now because he's old enough to do your bidding. But I was the one who kept him alive this whole time." She added pointedly, "My mother, me, Hendren, we were all
inconveniences
to you, until you found some way to use us. My brother deserves better than that. He's innocent."
Lyles stood, bracing his hands against the desk, glaring at her. "I could have you killed you know."
Emera stared up at him. "Yes, you could." She pointed to her face, to the bruises and split lip, "I wondered why those men didn't kill me last night. But then I remembered, there is nothing you love more than gold." She took a deep steadying breath. She held her tongue between her teeth a moment to keep from lashing out at him. "Name your price."
Lyles raised a brow. Then he laughed, shaking his head and collapsing back into his chair, some of the tension releasing in the air. "You cannot buy him back-"
