Hell's Belle - Eve Newton Page 0,68

the riot downstairs gets even louder. The residence shakes, alerting us to the fact that they are now trying to get through the barrier and to me.

The silence is broken when Shax returns with our mother, whose beautiful features are creased into a worried frown. Surprise registers on her face as she sees the two of me, then she slowly takes in all of the men in my bedroom, her sharp blue eyes finally landing on me.

“Annabelle Pandora! What in the blazes of Hell are you up to in here?”

30

Annabelle

“Uhm,” I blink and falter under my mother’s wrath. “It’s not what it looks like?” I squeak out knowing that it came out like a question, which only makes her face more pinched.

“Oh, please,” she scoffs. “I know that it looks exactly like it is.”

“Okay,” I say, lifting my chin up and putting my hands on my hips. “Yes, all of these men are mine, Mother. Well, except for the miserable cunt in the armchair.” I wave dismissively at Killian.

He grunts in response to my insult.

My mother gapes at me, as I take in the surprised look from Gregory. I give him a sultry smile which makes his cheeks blush.

“All of them?” she asks, looking at them again. “Whatever for?”

“They each give me something different. Drescal gives me the seduction, Gregory listens to me and makes me want to make myself better, Aleister and I…” I shake my head as I can’t explain what we have to anyone yet. “Elijah gives me a challenge but is willing to submit to me. It’s…do I really have to explain this to you?”

She purses her lips at me. “Me? No. Your father didn’t want this for you though. He didn’t want you following in my footsteps. He expected you to…” She bites her lip.

I scowl at her. “Conform? A traditional one-on-one with a little heir in tow. Fuck that.”

“Indeed,” she murmurs. “We need to talk about this, alone, please.” She gestures to the other me on the bed.

“Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of them,” I inform her.

She hesitates.

“I trust them. They are my circle. Well, except for…you know…” I point to Killian.

“The miserable cunt?” Mother asks, giving Killian a big beam which he returns.

Err. Say what, now?

I blink, but then realize that I’m being silly. Of course she knows who everyone is in here. She was the Queen of Hell up until six months ago.

“You would do well to have War in your corner, dear,” Mother says, looping her arm through mine. “He is a powerful ally.”

“Tell him that,” I mutter.

“Hmm. Regardless, if you are sure you can trust these boyfriends with your private business, I can help you.”

“B-boyfriends,” I splutter.

She shakes her head at me to shush. I catch Shax’s eye and he looks antsy, like he has somewhere else he wants to be. I give him an inquiring glare, but he looks at our mother instead, ignoring me.

“You can explain this power?” I ask her.

“Yes. When you were little and anxious or angry, you would do this. It was your way of dealing with your emotions, of pulling yourself out of your body, having no powers and just being “normal”. Your words! Not mine,” she exclaims before I can blast her.

“Oh,” I say, trying to take that in. “I don’t remember.”

“You were only about three or four. Your tantrums were, uhm…”

Killian does nothing to hide the snort of pure amusement. “Legendary, is the word you are looking for, Axelle.”

Mother looks back at me with an apologetic look. “Yes, quite.”

I give Killian a filthy look.

I suddenly feel so very young amongst all of these much older males. Even Gregory is older than me and that makes me feel rather juvenile.

“Well!” I huff. “So glad that I was such a source of amusement for you all.”

“Annabelle,” Mother chides me. “It’s nothing to be upset about. You grew out of them and, so we thought, this power a long time ago.”

“But I don’t get it. I’m not stressed about anything.”

“Something else might be causing you to feel the need to split yourself.” She surreptitiously gives the men another look.

“Oh,” I say again, getting her meaning. “That’s all very well, but how do I get back? I can’t go down there and sort out this mess with no powers.”

“I’m afraid, that’s up to you,” she says quietly.

“Dammit,” I exclaim and look at Shax. “Have you changed your mind about giving me that key?”

Mother catches the question, her eyes boring into