The Fate of the Muse - By Derrolyn Anderson Page 0,105

and dirt, and I realized I was in some kind of makeshift tent. It was dusky outside, and I figured that I’d probably been knocked out cold for at least an hour. It would be night soon, and the thought of being there in the dark with him was terrifying. There was only one way out, and it was just past the enormous giant that had a hold of my bare foot. What had happened to my shoes?

“Please,” I spoke with trembling lips, “let me go.”

He smiled, and pulled me towards him, his eyes like black coals in his rugged face. I clawed at the ground frantically, unable to grab hold of anything, and finally froze, rigid with fear. He lifted me into his arms, cradling me like I was a baby and stroking my hair. I was afraid to breathe, afraid to move. He bent down to kiss me again, and when I cringed away with a whimper he stopped, his brow wrinkled in uncertainty.

“Is okay,” he said softly.

He seemed surprised by my fear, and it dawned on me that I was very different from the girl he thought I was. I had been a defiant captive, seemingly calm and in control. He remembered a smiling seductress, casting him come-hither looks and purposefully flirting with him. I’d intentionally drawn him to me; hoping that I could convince him to release me and Lorelei.

It had very nearly backfired on me, but luck was on my side that day, and his lack of resistance to my muse powers had turned out to be our salvation. I had clouded his mind, fanning the flames of his attraction to me until it rapidly developed into a full-blown obsession, which finally led to his downfall. I’d stumbled upon what Evie and the muse council already knew– how easy it was to manipulate the vulnerable. It never occurred to me that it would come back to haunt me.

But now the tables were turned, and I was under his control.

As the fog in my head slowly cleared, I panicked, struggling to break free, afraid of what he might do next. He placed me back down on the pile of blankets, looking at me adoringly and stroking my forehead. He took my hand, and I winced as he inspected the torn skin on my wrist, murmuring gently to try and calm me.

It reminded me of how Ethan had spoken to the horse, and I thought of him getting back from his day on the boat, expecting to hear about my time surfing...

“Cruz!” I gasped, my heart pounding. Everything came flooding back to me at once.

I sat up, swaying, overcome with a terrible sense of dread. There was a metallic taste of fear in the back of my throat, and I started shaking. I had to find him before Barbara had a chance to carry out her diabolical plans.

I looked up at Curly’s rugged face, “I have to help my cousin!” I cried, meeting his confused eyes.

“Yuri,” he said slowly, pointing to himself.

My eyes flooded with tears, and I dropped my face into my hands. I was weakened, tired, and dizzy. I gave in to despair, and started sobbing, overcome with fatigue and emotion. If something happened to Cruz I could never live with myself.

I felt his hand on my back and I flinched, looking up to see him offering me water again. I hiccupped and took it, drinking too fast and coughing. He patted my back gingerly, his eyes increasingly nervous. My crying was clearly making him uncomfortable, and it stopped him from looking like he wanted to kiss me again. I took that as a sign to keep it up.

“Is okay,” he said nervously.

I cast my eyes about, noticing how lived in the place was. There were empty cans strewn about, and a large pair of binoculars lying on a grimy pillow. Curly, who I now knew to be Yuri, looked like he’d been staying here a long time, and he smelled like it too. I struggled to my knees and crawled towards the tent opening, watching in dismay as he moved to block my exit with his body.

Peering around him, I was surprised to see exactly where I was. Yuri had set up his makeshift camp on the ocean bluff just outside of the Edwards mansion. From the tent opening I had a direct line of sight through the swirling fog and up into the vast picture windows that looked out towards the sea. God