“You know that’s not true.”
“Get out!”
“Avery-”
“No!”
“Avery!” he snarled ferociously and she slid back, seeing real darkness in him, the scar glaring at her. “I’ve frightened you? Good.” He stood up in one fluid motion, staring down at her with no expression. “You have a choice, Avery. You come with me for a week and give me a chance to prove what I say is true, or I take your Aunt Caroline before her time.”
Rage shot her to her feet and she launched herself at him, pummelling his chest with her tiny fists. “You bastard!” she shrieked, not caring if she woke her aunt up. “You sick son-of-a-bitch!”
Brennus didn’t even flinch under the attack. He grabbed her wrists and thrust her away from him, holding tight. There was a ruthless quality in his eyes. Avery had the awful feeling this man, this Ankou, always got what he wanted. “If you come with me, if you choose me, if you love me…” he pleaded now, trying to draw her close. “…I get a gift, Avery. When I leave the Ankou, I get a gift for all the years I’ve honoured my obligation. I will use that gift to save Caroline. I’ll make it so you never existed and so that she never gets cancer. She’ll live a long happy life and she won’t remember you to miss you.”
A sob burst out from the pit of her chest. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not,” Brennus promised. “I never lie.”
“And if I don’t come with you for a week, you’ll come for her quicker?”
He nodded sharply.
“But I don’t have to stay with you for any longer?”
“Not if you think you don’t love me.”
Avery choked on her tears, glancing back to the doorway where her aunt slept. “What will happen to her? She needs someone to take care of her.”
“I’ll take care of it. We leave now, and she’ll wake up with a carer. When you get back she’ll never remember you’ve been gone.”
She stared at him dubiously.
“She’ll believe whatever I want her to believe, Avery.” His eyes had grown soft again. But she wasn’t fooled. There was darkness in him. He was ruthless, alien and strange, and she wanted nothing to do with him. Her mind knew that, even if her body didn’t.
But she wanted her aunt for a little while longer; she wasn’t ready to let go just yet.
“Fine. I’ll come with you.”
Brennus smiled in relief and, bizarrely, placed a hand out to her, his other arm reaching around her waist and drawing her close. “Will you dance with me, Avery?”
“W-what?” she stammered, completely dazed.
“I know how you love to dance.”
Tentatively Avery placed her hand in his and he drew her close, a rush of tingles exploding over her body at his close proximity. She hated herself and him for it. Slowly he began to dance with her, until he was moving them towards the fire escape. He bent down at the window and gracefully stepped out of it onto the escape, reaching a gentlemanly hand back in for her. Avery shuddered, throwing one last look over her shoulder, praying she could trust this dark being’s honour. With a deep breath she put a foot out of the window and suddenly the world whirl pooled around her, her skin feeling as if it were being sucked into a vacuum. She fell into Brennus’ arms just as the sensation began to disappear. She felt sick. She pushed against him and he steadied her, and when Avery glanced up her eyes widened. Pulling away from him, she took in the room, felt the soft carpet beneath her feet.
“Uhh… where are we?”
I’m Gonna Choose you ‘Cause
You Have No Choice
The room was huge. High ceilings, oversized fireplace, sofas, and armchairs. Everything was the height of luxury, expense and style; from the fabrics to the vases, to the flat screen television attached to one of the walls. Most breath-taking of all was the glass wall that looked out on to a wide balcony. Light flickered outside and Avery could just make out the dark sea of greenery for miles around the house. Jeez, it was an estate.
“Upstate,” Brennus finally answered her, seeming reluctant to let go of her arm. “My home.”
Avery turned in a slow circle, drinking it all in. “You guys must make good money.”