Selene's pov
"Who the hell are you?" I demanded, trying to piece his appearance together. Dark brown wavy hair fell into his eyes, which were an icy shade of blue. But they did not look icy—they actually radiated warmth.
He was good-looking and he knew it; I could tell from the confidence in his gait as he came closer, standing right in front of me. It made me angrier, and I had no problem letting that anger show as I stared right into his eyes.
"I am Darius Bloodclaw, brother to the very man who dragged you here," he said with a bow.
My jaw slackened with shock. Of course! When he'd stepped into my room, I first compared him with Lucian. How was it that I didn't make the connection?
Come to think of it, the details of his lips when he smiled were identical to Lucian's. Or rather, they would be the way I envisioned them, because Lucian had never actually smiled at me, so I didn't know for sure.
Now that he mentioned it, I could see faint traces of resemblance, although Darius was still very much his opposite. It was like his personality overshadowed everything else.
I clenched my jaw, hating that I was overthinking this. "Get out!"
But he didn't move. Instead, he stepped closer until just a few inches' distance separated us. I felt highly uncomfortable, but if I stepped backward, it would show my weakness, so I stayed where I was.
His eyes gleamed with interest as he looked at me. "Oh, I didn't come to fight you. Forgive my brother for putting up that impression, but every member of our family is not like he is."
"Quite the opposite actually. I thought you might appreciate some perspective."
Was it just me, or did he always speak in riddles? I narrowed my eyes. "What perspective?"
"Well," he tilted his head to one side as if he was considering the question. "I'll say my brother does not always make the most rational decisions, and most often ends up offending a lot of people. But if you ever feel like you need a friend in your troubling times here, someone who can help you escape all this—" He waved his fingers at our surroundings. "—I will be happy to oblige."
I felt like he was actually cloaking the real reason he was there with something else. It could be because I met Lucian before I met him, but I didn't trust him one bit. However, if I was ever to make my way out of here, I had to play my cards well, and he might come in handy someday.
"That's good to know," I said coolly, "but tell me, Darius, do all werewolves offer friendship while keeping their guests locked away?"
He smirked. "Lucian's rules, not mine. Left to me, I'd let you roam around as you wish, but he's not the most accommodating host."
"Well then, leave the door open for me," I snapped, gesturing to the room's exit. "Or do you take orders from him too?"
Darius chuckled. "I don't take orders from anyone, but Lucian is... particular about you. I doubt he'll let you out anytime soon."
"Why?" I asked, honestly surprised. What was this sudden interest in me? I recalled him saying something about us being mates, but that had to be gibberish.
"Maybe he's afraid of you," Darius suggested.
"Afraid?" I took a step backward. That didn't make sense—he was Lucian Bloodclaw. How could I scare him?
Before I could ask any more questions, Darius was heading towards the door. "Think about what I said," he said over his shoulder. "If you ever need my help, I will always be one step away."
I was still standing dumbstruck when he shut the door behind him. Something was really off about this place and my current situation. Funny enough, I didn't even want to know what it was—I just wanted to get out.
I moved towards the door, staring at the intricate carvings etched on it. I knew these were more than just decorative. When I flattened my palm against it, I could feel the faint shimmer of magic in it.
How desperate was Lucian to keep me here? Well, desperate enough to weave a ward into the door, I guessed.
I needed to do something to get out of here. Even though my body still ached from exerting myself with magic the last time, the thought of sitting here and waiting for Lucian to show up was unbearable.
I moved to the center of the room and settled myself on the cold floor. Closing my eyes, I focused on my breath to make it slow down, drawing on the faint tendrils of energy deep within me.
My powers were still numb, so they were just like the flickers of a dying ember, but they were still there.
I traced the patterns I had seen on the door with my fingers in the air and whispered a chant.
The words I said were from an ancient spell, fragments of which I had learned back when my Coven still trusted me. The air became more charged, and a faint golden glow surrounded me.
I could sense it through my closed eyelids, but I didn't dare open them for fear of being distracted. Right now, it was taking all I could to focus, straining against the pain within and my headache that built up again.
Hopefully just a few more seconds and it would be done. Fixing that in mind, I grit my teeth against the pain and tried to steady my trembling hands.
I suddenly felt lightheaded, like I could topple any minute, but I wasn't going to give up—not now when I was so close.
When a low hum filled the air and the golden glow behind my eyelids began to diminish, I knew it was working. I continued my chanting, not breaking away from the spell.
Suddenly there was a sharp crack and a force slammed into my chest. I was sent sprawling across the floor. Pain lanced through my skull and my vision blurred as I tried to sit up.
All my limbs had suddenly turned to jelly, so I could only watch as the faint glow in the room faded back into silence.