any debts behind.”
“Oh, he did,” Lord Cooper said. “He has debts all over town. Most of us had decided to forget about it since your family didn’t seem to be in a good financial situation. But you see, you just went to Lord Sandler’s ball in a new dress, an expensive carriage, and even a servant. That tells me your family’s situation isn’t as bad as you made it look. So, I’m here to collect my debt.”
He extended his hand, as if Kianna would simply fish a pouch of gold from her pocket and hand it to him.
“Lord Cooper, I’m so sorry, but you’re mistaken,” Kianna said. “The carriage was sent by Lord Sandler, the man you think of as a servant is actually a friend of the family, as for the gowns … we repaired them ourselves.” She lied about the dresses, but if she had told him she had bought it, he wouldn’t stop pushing. “We really don’t have any money.”
“You don’t have any money, hm.” He glanced around. What was he doing? “Then, I’ll take some of your farm tools. Heck, I’ll take all of them.”
He took a step forward, but Kianna jumped in his way. “Please, my lord, you can’t. Those tools are the only things we have to work the field. If we can’t work the field, we’ll starve.”
“Not my problem.” He pushed her aside and marched on.
Kianna stumbled on her feet, but she raced after the man. She grabbed his hand and almost knelt in the grass. “Please, my lord, you have to believe me. We have nothing. We are nothing.”
He halted and looked her up and down. “You’re nothing, hm. Then I guess I’ll take you as payment.” He closed his hand around her wrist.
Panic laced her chest. Cat yelped, while Selina and Calvin protested.
“You can’t do this.”
“Leave her alone.”
Letting her temper show, Selina stomped to the man and tried grabbing for her sister’s hand. Lord Cooper slapped her hard on the face. Selina flew back, landing in the grass.
She didn’t get up.
“No!” Kianna jerked against the man’s grip to no avail.
“Selina!” Calvin yelled as Cat threw herself beside the little girl to check on her.
“Come with me.” The man yanked on Kianna’s arm, tugging her to his carriage.
Tears of fear and frustration and rage filled Kianna’s eyes, blurring her vision. She tried jerking out of the man’s grip, she tried calling for Selina, but nothing worked. Even her voice had run away.
The man shoved her toward the carriage’s door.
Kianna’s panic took life.
Her hands shook as she felt it again. That same sensation from before, that thick air around her, that pull and push inside her chest, a dark calling.
Whatever she was doing, it felt powerful. Invincible. She embraced it, willing it to take control of her, to find a solution for this impossible situation. A thick oily feeling filled her veins. The world around her darkened. Shadows grew from the trees and the manor.
Was this her? Was she doing this?
“Just go,” Lord Cooper said, shoving her inside the carriage.
Kianna lost control over whatever that was when she tumbled onto the carriage’s hard floor. The man stepped inside behind her, his eyes glinting with something Kianna didn’t want to acknowledge.
Lord Cooper closed the carriage’s door. “Let’s go.”
The carriage started rolling, taking Kianna away.
Devon
Earlier, when Ophelia expressed interest in going to the village to get some supplies, Devon jumped at the opportunity. He didn’t like leaving Kianna alone, but he was due to meet Ryder for a report.
The problem was, what would he tell Ryder? That everything was okay? That he still thought Kianna wasn’t evil as the gods first thought? Though, he wasn’t so sure anymore. He had sensed her at the festival, as she sensed the demons for the first time, as she grew scared by whatever was happening. But just because she could sense the darkness, it didn’t mean she was evil, right?
Perhaps he was biased. Or rather, enamored.
Kissing her—by the gods, it had been the best feeling, the best sensation he had ever experienced. If he could, he would glue his lips to hers so he could kiss her for eternity.
But then he sensed them. The demons. Coming for her. He sent her away and went to meet the demons. He killed them all ruthlessly, but not before being injured.
That night, he almost didn’t go back to the farm. He knew Kianna would be waiting for him, and he didn’t want her to see him like that. But if he