Page 57 of The Searching Songbird

“No! I –”

“That man!” he interrupted, his face growing more and more furious by the moment. “The one from the tavern who couldn't keep his eyes to himself. Who is he to you?”

“I don't know who you're talking about,” Lily whimpered, looking desperately over at Fia. The woman remained in her seated pose, but she was watching them with the faintest hint of interest.

“Who is he?!” he bellowed, shaking her so hard her teeth rattled inside her head. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she shook her head back and forth.

“No one. He's no one.”

“Don't lie to me!” With a roar, he grabbed her by the hair and spun her around, pushing her toward the balcony doors. Flinging the doors open wide, he pushed her forward, pulling her up by her hair as she began to stumble.

He shoved his fist in front of her face. There was a large, iron ring on his middle finger, with an oval-shaped, black stone at the center. “If he's truly no one,” he hissed in her ear, “then why was he caught sneaking onto my grounds earlier, hmm?”

The solid black stone began to swirl, like smoke. As it cleared, it showed a picture of someone frozen in mid-air, like a statue of someone running. Squinting her eyes, she let out a cry of alarm as she realized the statue looked just like Draven.

“What is this? What are you showing me?”

“That, my love, is what happens when someone trespasses on my grounds.”

“But why is he frozen like that? What have you done to him?!”

“I haven't done anything. He's the one who came running through my enchanted barrier.” He chuckled derisively. “My entire mansion is surrounded by it. No one enters or leaves without my approval.”

Which means we're trapped.

The realization settled in her stomach like a rock, and her shoulders drooped as she felt the fight drain out of her. “Where is he?” she whispered, no longer pretending ignorance.

“Just there, outside the forest. If the moon were brighter, you'd be able to see him quite clearly. In fact...” He lifted his ring to his mouth, pressing his lips against the stone. “Illuminate.” A soft glow lit up the yard, forming a dome shape around them, illuminating Draven's figure standing frozen on the grass.

The baron pushed her forward, so that her waist was pressed up against the balcony railing. “What do you say we give the man a show?” Securing her hands behind her back with one hand, he used the other to yank the wide neckline of her blouse down over one shoulder, then another.

His fingers stilled as he sucked in a breath. “This mark...” He traced the black lines with his finger, his voice almost reverent. “It's the exact copy of your mother's. I remember it from her stage pictures, back before she married. It was one of the things that drew me to her in the first place, it was so daring and exotic. I've never seen another one like it until recently – ”

“On me.”

He whipped his head around, loosening his grip on Lily's wrists as he turned to face the woman standing in the doorway. Lily made quick use of his distraction by freeing them altogether and sliding over to the side, out of reach.

Fia's eyes followed her, full of questions. She opened her mouth, but the baron cut her off with an angry growl.

“What do you think you're doing? How dare you speak to her ladyship, mongrel.”

Lily glared at him. “How dare you? She's not an animal. She's a human being!”

He turned his snapping eyes on her, and she cursed her legs for trembling beneath his gaze. He took a step in her direction, but stopped when Fia suddenly shot a hand out, catching hold of his forearm. Without taking her eyes off him, she said, “The ring. Whoever has the ring controls the barrier.”

And with that, she gave the baron's arm a hard tug, causing him to stumble closer, right into the knee that was simultaneously driving upward.

The seconds passed like hours as everything moved in slow motion. The baron, releasing a howl of pain as he crumpled in on himself. Fia, driving the heel of her hand into his nose, releasing a spray of blood. And Suzu, flying out in a burst of light.

With lightning speed the phoenix dove, angling her head at the baron's hand and then snap!

The baron's blood curdling scream filled the night air as his finger was ripped from his body. Without stopping, the bird circled around and headed toward Lily.

Jump, Shendri! Now!

She hesitated, looking back at Fia. “Come with us.”

But Fia just shook her head as she dropped to her knees. Her hands clawed at the black ribbon that was wrapped around her throat. “Go,” she rasped, pleading with her eyes for Lily to listen.