Page 84 of The Devil of Hollywood

“No?”

“Elec, you can’t use a surrogate. We have traditions. We have laws.” I took two steps towards him, the anger laced in my every movement. “If I must marry, so do you. You know I didn’t want to be forced into marriage. How do you think it feels to be married to a man you know holds hate for you? Drayton and I needed closure. I deserved a fucking choice. I love him, but it wasn’t fair.”

“Life isn’t fair, Marian.”

“Bullshit! I’m so sick of you men having the upper hand. I won’t bend on this. I am a founding member just like you. I will petition the ever-living shit out of your request. I will make your life hell if you condemn me to this life and manage to avoid it for your own.”

“They will dismiss your petition.”

My head tilted as my mind swam with knowledge.

“They will dismiss the petition from the most powerful name in our circle?” Elec’s arms uncrossed as he stood straighter. “Let’s not pretend Drayton just didn’t surpass Bram Whitlock. My child will marry into royalty. My child. We are the shadows above kings.” I stepped closer. “The Unavowed will see the crown in his lifetime, and Drayton and I are going to do everything we can to make it possible. Think about that real hard before you think to start a war with me over tradition. You’re either with us, or you’re against us.”

“She’s right.” Drayton stood, pinning Elec with a glare. “You will marry and conceive just like the rest of us. It’s our law.”

Elec’s eyes narrowed, but I continued before he could speak.

“You will find a chosen and suffer like the rest of us. Being Main Master doesn’t put you above me, Drayton, and it sure as hell doesn’t put you above Bram Whitlock. But…” I softened my tone, trying to calm myself. Trying to calm him. “Maybe if you stick with us, I could make it close.”

Drayton

Silence.

I didn’t like the way that Marian and Elec weren’t breaking stares. Elec was pissed at us, but I could see his interest. He was curious about her proposal, and so the hell was I. Even though I felt like I was faced with a brick wall, I forced myself forward. The action had our Main Master looking even angrier as his gaze snapped to me.

“Marian, go on. What do you have in mind for Elec?”

She turned from me, facing him. “We will give you the support from a royal line. A bridge to not just our circle but London’s. When the Unavowed takes his place, and we take ours, we will back your very public search for a wife. We will host you in whatever country you choose. And we will assist you with power like you wouldn’t believe. You want our lines better, stronger, and more powerful? I can help you get that, Elec. You may not like the idea. You may hate what has happened, but we both know what the connection to The Unavowed does for us. We don’t have to be enemies with them anymore. We can have something better—their best—and as part of our circle. Here. And before you want to argue with me, it won’t be tainted, it’ll be enhanced. This could be a good thing.”

“I really don’t like you.”

Marian smiled, and I moved in closer, wrapping my arm around her to show my support. More, Elec watched.

“Not many people do, but you love our circle. You love what we stand for and that makes my offer tempting. Elec, you deserve this. If you want what we both know you’re worth, you will take it. You know where it’ll put you if you do.”

I tried to hold in my own smile but couldn’t.

“This is why you’re the best. I’ve heard about it, but now I see it.” My hand stroked her side, and I couldn’t deny the lightness inside after mine and Marian’s altercation. She genuinely wanted to try to make this work, and after so much pain on both of our sides, I couldn’t help but want to try. It wouldn’t be easy. I knew that like I knew my life would be a million times more miserable without her. But we both deserved more. We deserved the best of each other.

Elec shifted on his feet, his jaw flexing, repeatedly.

“I’m not saying yes to anything, but what’s the price? You want something.”

Marian’s hand trailed over my chest, and she turned, heading to the bar to pour a glass half full with liquor. She took a sip as she walked back to us, shrugging as her face stayed hard. When her eyes lifted, I wasn’t the only one who seemed affected. I couldn’t help but walk forward in fascination—longing. That look. It was addicting. It was everything. It was a missing piece of me I always dreamed of. Elec didn’t move. I wasn’t even sure he’d taken a breath.

“My mother had big dreams for our family. She’d be turning in her grave right now if you didn’t have her body parts displayed as trophies around this place instead. As it is, I could care less about what happened to that bitch. What I want is a mentor. I want to be able to walk back into The Order and make those guards kill themselves just from looking at me. I want to hurt them without anyone knowing. I want to whisper a word into their ear and their brains believe acid is eating away their insides. I know you can teach me how to do more than the look I’m giving you right now. I need to know more, Elec. I need you to help me make them pay. Real torture isn’t enough. The body will only process so much pain. I want them to feel it more than if I were cutting them apart. They have to feel it. They have to suffer like I did.”

“Absolutely not. Did she teach you that look or did you learn it by watching her?”

Marian didn’t answer. She took a bigger drink. A blur of anger and something entirely powerful appeared on her face as she stared him down.

“How did you learn it?”

Nothing.

“Oh, you’re not talking to me now?”

Still, she didn’t speak.