Chapter 5
The queen paste around in her chamber because she was not buying the idea that her son will get married to a servant’s daughter, the prince stopped her and he calmed her down.“ Calm down mother, I will go speak to Mabel” prince Brian said and the queen walked closer to him.“ What will you say to her?” Queen Emma asked.“ I don’t know but what so ever comes to my mind” the prince said and he left the queen’s chamber’s to meet Mabel, he met her with her parents in the passage of the and he walked closer to her.“ Can i speak to you?” The prince asked Mabel.“ Sure your highness” she replied, Mabel’s parents were still standing beside her.“ I want to speak to you alone” Brian said and Mabel stare at her parents.“ Mum, Dad! Can you please leave us?”she asked and her parents nods.“ Please let us know if anything goes wrong” her mum said and they left, Mabel and Brian stare at each other.“ I don’t know what all this is all about the witch said but I can’t get married to you, the people in the land will laugh at the royals family” Brian said.“ Are you about what people will say or you about doing anything to save your father’s life. I may be a commoner but I am not weak.The witch said, I am your destiny and nothing will change that so it’s better you take your decision before we proceed, I will excuse you now” she said and she left.It’s the following day, the prince was ready and was already in the limousine waiting for Mabel, queen Emma ran out of the palace and she went to the limousine, the prince saw her and he wonders why she was out.“ Mother! Why are you here?”he asked.“ I will follow you” queen Emma said.“ You can’t go with me mother, you should stay” he said.“ No, I will come with you” queen Emma said and she entered the limousine, Mabel and her parents walked out of the palace and they huge her.“ Please be careful dear” her parents said and Mabel also entered the limousine.After an hour, the limousine stop where the witch stood in front of the evil forest, the prince, queen and Mabel get down from the limousine.“ You should stopped, queen Emma, prince Brian and Mabel should come front” the witch said and they both cross the line.“ Now you both have cross the line, of the evil forest and there is no turning back but before you go into the evil forest, you will have to make a promise to Mabel” The witch said.“ I can only make promise to offer her money after this mission, I can’t promise to get married to her” he said.“ If you hadn’t made your decision of getting married to her you will not be here, you have cross the line and you can’t go back if you do you will die, you have to make the promise” the witch said and the queen yelled.“ No Brian don’t promise to get married to her”queen Emma said.“ He will die if he try to go back, he have to promise” the witch said and Brian has not choice than to make the promise to her.“ I promise that i will get married to you after this mission” he said and he was not happy, the queen was not happy, Brian stare at Mabel.“ I will never love you” he said in anger.“ You may both leave now” the witch said and Mabel uses her magic in front of Brian and they entered the evil forest.The wind picked up speed as Prince Brian stood on the ship’s bow, where she had a clear vision of where she was headed. To be honest, all she could see was water stretching for miles in all directions, which was mostly the case, anyway: the Otherworld consisting of vast, dangerous seas, scattered with secret islands here and there, with a multitude of creatures that didn’t mingle with each other…hidden from the human world. That included her island, Broom’s Island, home to warlocks and witches. It was her home, too, and normally she would be thrilled to return to her cottage and reacquaint herself with village life. But today wasn’t normal.“It’s going to be all right. I just have to explain to them that things didn’t work out and there was nothing I could do. They will understand.”Even saying it out loud didn’t sit right, and the wind gaining even more speed felt like a wordless agreement. She had one task at hand when she left Broom’s Isle: retrieve a valuable gemstone from Centro,
You have got to be kidding me.”The relief was short-lived at the glimpse of the dancing waves, closer than ever and more massive than she had anticipated. Prince Brian only had a second or two to form a clear statement in her blank mind.Mr. Voice, I’m sorry for doubting you.Then the first wave was dragging her under.Wake up and check out this magical world, where all your dreams will come true.A dreamy haze filled her senses, matching the words that seemed to float endlessly. Prince Brian engrossed herself in it, feeling like she was lying down on the most comfortable feather bed. She didn’t want to stand up. She didn’t want to leave it, not when it hugged her like a lover and made her feel safe, protected, loved…Wake up.A prickle came, then another. It formed into pokes, putting holes in the dreamy haze until she heard the voice more clearly.Wake up!Prince Brian eyes snapped open, but her vision didn’t grow steady until after repeatedly blinking and shaking her head. The com
Astonishment spread over his features as he registered the magic and what she was. He sputtered when she slipped, then hissed when she grabbed his ankles and kept pulling aggressively. Just as she was about to give up, the rock he was holding on to broke.“Don’t breathe it in!”But her warning was too late, as the next shot from the pixies went straight to his face, covering him with shimmering powder. Then they were both plunged into a continuous fall that choked her senses. Prince Brian reached up, hands calling her magic, but it was stuck in her body. She closed her eyes, willing herself not to die a gruesome death…then preparing herself for the hard impact.An arm caught her and swung her upward, changing her direction until she was eye-to-eye with the male magic girl. She watched the powder take effect as those magenta eyes lost focus. She felt his body struggle with it as he locked her in place. Then she was bouncing on some force—a magical one—just as his arm went slack and his
How do you know how to speak our language? Mabel folks speak their language.”He shrugged. “Mabel folks adjust and my court just happens to be very adept at multiple languages, including yours. And I still don’t know your name.”She looked at him like Mabel folks and adjusting shouldn’t be put in the same sentence but didn’t say a word. The silence stretched on.“Prince Brian. Em for short.”Prince Brian.Like her eyes. The name fit. He waited for a last name, then nodded when he deduced that she wasn't going to give it yet. He studied her for a bit and felt a kinship…then, an understanding.“You're lost too. This isn't your island and you don't know how to get out.”Prince Brian tensed again, then absorbed the rest of his deduction. Her brows furrowed.“Too?”The next part was tricky as he wasn’t sure how much he should reveal yet—or if he should even reveal anything at all.“I was thrown here by magic. And I don't know how to get out.”It was the truth, but not the whole truth. She t
The frustration on her face was locked down into smoothness, but he saw enough. The shake of her head confirmed it. “No. Normally I could have made the whole ocean glow and created a portal by now.”He didn’t know much about portals, but he knew witches and warlocks were the most adept at them. The older magician folks could create them on a whim, too, which begged the question…had an older magician helped get him here?“I suspect I was thrown here by friends. Or ex-friends now. And a family member. They might be part of the corrupt system and those deaths, and they may have had help from an older magician to get rid of me.”“Oh.”“And I suspect you were a bystander who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”“I was on a ship on my way home,” she confirmed. “And you still talk too much. I’m still a stranger, remember?”“One who wouldn’t kill me,” he shot back. “If you planned to, you would have already.”She grimaced, not contradicting his statement but reluctant ab
I don’t think he meant to lead me to his folks, and I don’t think he knew they would attack me. He and a few others stood back. I saw it.”“Hmm.”“Everything happened too fast, including you crashing into me. I don’t think he had time to react.”“Hmm.”Witch watched in distrust as the pixie flew toward her, perusing her as if to search for something. Realizing what it was, she twirled and showed Yu her arms and legs.“No wounds. I’m okay.”Yu understood her gestures and circled her excitedly, then wandered over to curiously study witch. The two had a stare down, so laughably familiar between men that she couldn’t help rolling her eyes. Remembering she still had her outer clothes wrapped around her legs,prince Brian sat on a rock to unwind them, then settled in to watch how the two dealt with each other.They walked around the cave, circling each other, their sharp gazes never breaking contact. When witch growled, Yu hissed, but there was no baring of teeth or surge of power. Yu gave u
“Wake up. Come quick.”She paused, the voice familiar. Then she gasped when it registered who was speaking. Yu alternated between shaking her shoulder and frantically flying around.“Yu? You can talk now?”“Witch. Help.”“Witch helped you?” she deduced, still incredulous. “With Mabel magic, I presume, since no one can learn a new language that fast.”“Witch. Help.”It clicked when her gaze finally fell behind her and found the spot empty. Brian whirled back to face Yu, then looked around. She froze when she heard something flit in her ears…music, but why would there be music in the cave?“Yu, where’s Mabel ?”The pixie understood and pointed repeatedly to their right, where the bank of water was located. It was dark just like the rest of the cave, but Yu’s expression had her crawling toward it. When she did, the music became clearer and transformed into a woman humming a melody, her voice like magic and temptation rolled into one. Just as it faded, a warning crawled down her spine. Yu
Who was your first? Obviously, it wasn’t your ex.” Was it one of the people who had made fun of her?She paled.Just like that, the mask slipped back into place and her defense mechanism shot up like a wall—a far better sight than the defeated person she used to be. He knew that the defeated part had only been in the beginning as Brian didn’t peg him as a person who let any kind of defeat last long. When she finally spoke, her voice was as cool as ever.“An ex-pirate. He helped me navigate around the treacherous seas when I was still an inexperienced traveler and had to do missions for the council.”To prove myselfwas left unsaid.“I see.”Her chin lifted, green eyes studying him. The quiet sweep was thorough and made his body stand on attention.“How did you teach Yu our language so fast?” she asked.“Call it a magic specialty. Em?”“What?”“The kiss…”“I was taking the hypnosis out of you. That’s all it was.”Shut down before he could even say anything, which was just as well. Mabel s
Giovanni waves it off with a dismissive gesture. "That happens in offices. It's important not to get carried away with things."I feel a surge of jealousy, but I also like that he doesn't seem interested in her. He gets a mischievous glint in his eyes and comes over to sit on the edge of my desk."Why do you seem so upset about it?" he asks, leaning closer."No reason," I lie, looking away from him. But he leans even closer, his breath warm on my cheek as he teases me about my possible jealousy."Never thought of it, but maybe I'll go for it," he teases me further, his voice low and dangerous. "It would be cheaper than hiring a prostitute, and she definitely seems like she'd put out."My blood boils, and I glare at him with rage in my eyes, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. He has the audacity to grab my chin, brushing his thumb against my lips as if he's daring me to say something."Are you jealous?" he asks again, a devilish smirk playing on his face."Absolutely not," I snap, try
"Of course," I reply, trying to maintain my composure.She downs the rest of her wine, a rosy flush spreading across her cheeks. "That was delicious. It's been ages since I've enjoyed a glass like that – you should know, I'm a bit of a lightweight.""Marvelous," I say sarcastically, and she grins – then, unexpectedly, she reaches up and boops me on the nose. Her playfulness catches me off guard, but I smile in response.Setting her empty glass on a nearby table, she slips off her shoes and places them on the stone steps leading to the garden. "What are you doing?" I"I want to feel the grass beneath my feet," she replies, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Life is all about getting a little dirty, don't you think?"As she runs barefoot through the garden, laughter bubbling from her lips, I watch her with a mixture of admiration and desire. There's something about her – not just her body, but her mind and spirit – that captivates me. In her presence, my rigid, work-driven life seems to l
Something tells me you do listen, Teddy," I say to him, my eyebrow raised.He shrugs and gives me an innocent smile."Thanks, Teddy," I say gratefully. "You're seriously the best."He smiles, but his eyes betray his exhaustion. "I should probably go to bed. Had a tough night.""Goodnight, Teddy," I reply, watching him leave the kitchen.After finishing whatever I found in the fridge, I start to head back to my room. As I walk down the hallway, curiosity gnaws at me. What is Giovanni up to right now? My heart rate picks up, and a flush of arousal spreads through me as I tiptoe toward his room. The idea of catching him with another woman both disgusts and excites me. I try his door, and once again, it's open. Why doesn't he lock it? Does he not consider that someone might pose a threat in this mansion? He should never underestimate me.A dark thought crosses my mind – the kitchen is full of knives, and his door remains unlocked at night. But no, that's not who I am. I won't resort to vi
"Actually, yeah," she admits, brushing a stray curl from her forehead. "I am.""Great. There's a mall across the street. Let's grab some lunch at the food court and talk about the job." I gesture for her to follow, and she does.As we make our way down the elevator, the hum of the machinery filling the small space, and she studies me with a curious expression. "You know, I'm surprised you're a food court kind of guy.""What do you mean?" I ask, raising anShe gestures vaguely, taking me in – my designer suit, the sleek building we're descending through, the aura of power that seems to cling to me like a second skin. "You just seem more... upscale restaurant than cafeteria, if you catch my drift."The elevator door slides open, and I shrug as we step out into the mirrored hallway. "Food courts are efficient. Normally, I'd send my assistant across to the mall to get me something, then bring it back so I can work through lunch.""Ah," she says, her voice a mix of understanding and disapp
My hands ball into fists as I pace the room, the plush carpet beneath my feet doing little to soothe my nerves. My mind races, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions threatening to overwhelm me. But beneath it all, there's a kernel of determination that won't be extinguished."Next time," I promise myself, even as tears prick at the corners of my eyes. "Next time, I'll get away."ChapterEightWith a heavy sigh, I slide back into the driver's seat of my sleek black car, the irritation coursing through my veins. Lulu's incessant escape attempts - as futile as they are - have me spending far too much time in this godforsaken mansion. My penthouse in the city beckons to me, but she refuses to cooperate."Damn her stubbornness," I mutter under my breath as I drive up the curving driveway, the tires crunching over the gravel. The guy carrying her back to her room follows closely behind.As soon as I step out of the car, the grandiosity of the mansion looms over me, its imposing presence a con
She tells him how glad she is that he called, how much she missed him. His response is harsh and biting: "Shut up."I'm taken aback by his coldness, wondering what kind of woman would willingly subject herself to such treatment. But she only giggles, seemingly unfazed. He slaps her ass. "Shut up and take it like the whore you are." Slowly, he pushes his cock into her asshole, her moans making it clear that she loves every inch of it.I stand there, transfixed. I've never seen anal sex before, never even considered it. But seeing Giovanni at the center of it all, dominating this woman with such raw intensity, it's undeniably hot.No, not hot. I'm here to find something to use against him, I remind myself. But my fingers itch to touch myself, to bring relief to the ache that has settled deep within me.A slow feeling of electricity courses through my body, warming my veins and leaving me breathless with anticipation. My skin prickles with desire, and I am aware of every sensation around
The blissful silence shatters as an alarm pierces the air. Panic grips my chest, and I stumble in my haste. My ankle twists beneath me, sending a bolt of searing pain up my leg. I curse under my breath, clenching my teeth as I try to push through the agony and make my escape."Damn it," I hiss, realizing that my attempted flight is short-lived. Almost immediately, a burly man emerges from the mansion, his eyes locked onto me with hawk-like precision. He's the rover, one of Giovanni's loyal enforcers—a massive, intimidating figure who seems to move with an eerie silence despite his size."Hey!" I shout, fists clenched. "Do you seriously have nothing better to do than chase after me?"He doesn't reply, instead closing the distance between us in a matter of seconds. Before I can react, he scoops me up effortlessly, as though I weigh nothing more than a feather. I kick and scream, pounding on his back in a futile attempt to"Put me down, you brute!" I demand, but he remains silent, carryi
The sun hangs high in the sky as I stand next to my father near the docks in Miami. My heart races, and for the first time in a long time, I feel excited about this meeting. As the oldest, it's something I've always wanted – to be included in the family business, to prove to my father that just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I can't run the Manuel Syndicate as well as any man.A salty breeze blows through my curly hair, carrying with it the scent of seaweed and diesel fumes from the fishing boats swaying gently in their berths. The squawking of seagulls mixes with the distant hum of traffic as they search for scraps of food among the detritus littering the dockside, creating a cacophony of life."Lucia, pay attention," my father chides, snapping me backA man approaches us, his dark hair slicked back and his darker features giving away a lifetime of experience. I eye him up and down, taking in every detail, before he introduces himself as Axe. My father waves off his introduction wi
You can keep that truth to yourself. I have plenty of others to share,” she countered.“Many supplied by me,” I interjected. “The perk of working so closely with your many high-powered campaign donors.”“There’s no proof.” Harris narrowed his eyes at the both of us. “Not a single paper trail would lead to me.”“You’re forgetting the kind of influence I have over humans. What I could promise for a few small favors.” I gave him a crooked smile to remind him of what I“And what am I supposed to do, then? What about all the good I have done for the community?” He was starting to scramble. “The charities or beautification projects that I personally founded to make this state a better place? Were those things for nothing?”The thing about ambition is that it can be blinding,” I said. I looked down at Evie and cupped her cheek to bring her eyes to mine for a moment before finishing my last point to Harris. We both needed the moment of connection. “No matter how good your intentions are, you’v