13. The Flickering Candlelight

Chapter 13

The Flickering Candlelight

The Siren

P ressing my ear against the wooden door of Marcus' private study, the previously muffled voices became more prominent as I used my heightened sense of hearing. I'd never stepped foot inside this office. Marcus preferred to keep his business separate from me.

"The cargo was less than last time. This is a problem," a voice spoke deeply, one I'd never heard before.

"Then go talk to the chiefs and see if you can get more of them," Marcus responded, his footsteps sounding around the room as he paced the wooden floor.

"That's the problem. They won't bring them to us like they used to. There is tension in the tribes, and some are fighting back. Every shipment comes with less and less. Not to mention, the markets aren't as frequented. They want a different type of…" the captain's voice trailed off, as if he struggled to find the proper word. "…product."

"What do you mean?" Marcus asked with an edge to his voice.

The captain chuckled, something clinking. I recognized the sound to be ice in a glass as I pressed my ear into the cool wood. "There seems to be a high demand for redheads right now."

I reeled back, realizing what the product was that they were talking about. A sudden sick feeling clenched within my gut as I nearly tripped over my feet backing away from the smooth wood of the door. People. They were talking about people. Marcus' business, the work he'd kept from me this entire time, was in the slave trade.

Only, he wasn't even getting the blood on his own hands. He made his captain do the dirty work. Marcus wasn't as good as he'd led me to believe. The guilt I had been feeling at taking this good man's heart evaporate just like that. A sly smile stretched across my lips. He wasn't a good man, but he was good enough to grant me my full siren power.

I walked away, heading to my room to ready for the dinner we'd be sharing together shortly. It was nearly time to strike. My power nearly within my grasp.

When I sat across the table from Marcus, it was as if I saw him from beneath a different light. The light I'd placed around him shattered into a darkness I didn't even recognize. His captain had left without me ever laying an eye on him, a dirty little secret I'm glad I knew. No longer did I feel guilty for what would come.

"What you said earlier," I said to him between bites, the food delicious and steamy. "About my inheritance. We've grown so close these past weeks… Would you truly be okay if I chose to return home?"

An uncomfortable silence fell over the table as I speared the grilled vegetables with my fork. Heated food still felt strange on my tongue, but I was beginning to enjoy the texture and tastes. There would be no way to mimic any of this when I made it back to Atlantis.

Marcus took a long moment to chew before he swallowed and wiped his mouth with the silken napkin draped over his lap. He smiled, his gaze on my use of the fork I still held within my grasp. I wondered if we both were reminded of our first shared meal where I'd barely known what I was doing. How he seemed amused at my lack of manners as I tore into the fillet of fish spread across the white porcelain of my plate. My lack of etiquette had nearly given my lies away, but he'd found it endearing, an excuse to bring us closer as he'd guided my hands.

I used my own napkin and patted at my lips, even though I knew nothing marred my smile as I awaited his response.

"Absolutely," Marcus said as he laid the napkin next to his plate. "But I was hoping you would stay here with me." A wrinkle formed between his brows as he studied me. "Do you not wish to stay here? With me?"

I placed my own napkin to the table as I leaned forward, my elbows resting on the fine white tablecloth, a stark difference from the darkest blue of my gown. With a gentle grin and a twinkle of hope behind my eye, I answered, "I do, Marcus." I released a breath as I gently bit my lower lip, dropping my attention to his lips.

He stood, coming around the table with adoration in his gaze as he knelt on one knee. The plush burgundy rug with golden threads beneath his knee was an odd contrast against the dark hue of his crisply tailored pants. He took my hand into his own as I turned toward him, leaning in close to me as he looked up at me. His fingers tucked long strands of my hair behind my ear, a heat sparking beneath his loving touch.

"I want you to stay more than anything," he paused, lifting himself just long enough to brush a soft kiss to my cheek. "I have a confession to make."

"What is it?" I asked, breathlessly. His nearness did odd things to me, my cheek still feeling the warmth of his kiss, my attention drawn to his lips with want burning through me. My breath caught as I reminded myself of what I'd learned earlier. I couldn't afford to get lost in the lust.

"I want you in my life, Talia. Forever."

Holding my chin between his hands, he pulled my mouth to meet his, our lips meeting for the first time as our breath warred while his tongue dragged across the crease of my lips, begging for entrance that I willingly unlocked for him. Our tongues met, and our passion built as they fought against one another in a battle of lust and love.

I felt as though I had been torn in half. One part of me melted into his hold as a heat built within me beneath his touch, his hold, his kiss. I could get lost in the way he looked at me as if I were his entire world. Lost in the gentleness he showed as he brushed just the tips of his fingers across my skin.

I pulled away from him, both of us breathing heavy as I realized the other part of me recognized him for what he was. A vile creature too weak to even do his own dirty work. "Oh, Marcus," I said, my voice whisper soft as I smiled. I needed him to love me, needed to win this game of love. "I would love to stay forever, but I can't impose upon you any longer. It just wouldn't be right."

His hand dove into his pocket again as he watched me. "You wouldn't be imposing if you became my wife," he said, pulling out the ring again and holding it up. The ruby sparkled beneath the flickering candlelight of the chandelier hanging above our heads.

My hands covered my mouth as I gasped. "Marcus," I said, my voice breathy. An act that was easier now that I knew what he did behind closed doors. I batted my lashes as I gave my head a polite shake. I needed to be absolutely sure where his heart lay. "I'm flattered, Marcus, really. But I cannot marry you just because you pity me." I placed my hand over my heart. "I must marry for love. Nothing less."

His fingers still held the ring between us as a look of shock dropped his jaw a moment before he recovered. "Do you not care for me as I care for you?"

I held his hands, my hold wrapping around his palms beneath the boxed ring held open between us. "No! That isn't it. On the contrary. I fear my feelings are not reciprocated fully." I bit my lip as if I were fearful of his response.

His face softened with a slight sadness. "I am sorry to hear that I've left you feeling anything less than what I truly feel for you. I can't explain it, but trust me, Talia. I wouldn't ask you to marry me if I didn't truly hold you within my heart."

"Within your heart?" I needed more than just poetic words. If I were truly going to take his heart to the sea, I needed a declaration for certainty.

"I cannot stop thinking of you. I want to be near you at all times. You seem to have invaded my senses, my thoughts, and I can't get you out of my head." He laughed, as if he couldn't believe he was about to say what he spoke next. "I never thought I'd find it, never thought I even wanted to, but you came into my life unexpectedly and taught me what it was like to finally love. I am in love with you, Talia. I've?—"

With a wicked grin, I flicked my claws into existence and dug them deeply into his chest, the truth of his words hitting me like a bolt of magic as my fingers felt his flesh sliding over my skin while I tore through it. His eyes widened with shock, his mouth gaping and closing as the ring he held clattered to the floor between us. My fingers closed around his still-beating heart, the warmth of his blood coating my fingers as I ripped it from his chest. I held it between us, still beating slowly before falling still in my hold, relishing in the horror and betrayal that flashed behind his eyes before they turned sightless, his body collapsing to the floor at my feet.

I wrapped the heart in magic to suspend it, keeping it fresh until I could finish the ritual that would awaken my full potential, then I tucked it into the pocket of my skirts. Picking up the ruby ring that had fallen from the box, I held it to the light with my crimson fingers. I used the napkin to wipe my fingers clean, tucked the ring into my pocket as a memento to this rite of passage, and left the room without another look back to the man dead on the floor behind me.

I closed the doors to the private dining room, shutting the horrors away to be discovered in the morning. Grabbing a cloak from the hook by the front door, I draped it over my shoulders, buttoning it at the front so it would conceal the splatter of blood I'd gotten on my dress.

As I made my way down the front steps, the footman approached me. "The lord wishes to be left alone for the night. He said something about needing to catch up on work." I looked up at him from my lashes with a demure smile. "I'm afraid I've been keeping him preoccupied as of late."

He smiled, a knowing glint in his eye. "So I have heard."

I continued walking toward the front gates.

"Miss," the footman called to me. "The hour is getting late. Is there somewhere I can have our carriage take you?"

"I appreciate your concern, but that won't be necessary. I'm just going for a short stroll. I should be back soon. You have no need to worry," I replied, walking away from the manor and toward my destiny.