The Glass Man - Lila Gray Book 1

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The door swung open without a sound. I stepped through and waited for my eyes to adjust. The quiet snick of the door sealing me inside came like a scream to my ears, and by some miracle I managed to keep my own from blasting from my lips.

One bright light shone from the ceiling in the middle of the room where a large, glittering circle had been drawn on the floor. Red droplets interrupted the glowing arc every few feet. It appeared to be blood. Whose was it? Had one of mine fallen before I had a chance to save him?

I squeezed my fists up tight, thinking myself out of releasing my rage in a hail of power.

A shadow fell across the light. Echoes of vicious laughter induced a shiver in me. The acoustics made it hard to determine which direction it came from. I gnawed my lower lip, while thoughts spun in my head.

Stay calm. This is what Mother trained me for.

For once, I had to think through every step, or we'd all die. No more flying off halfcocked.

"Come in, my darling," Parthalan sang from the shadows.

"I think I'll stay over here, thanks." Having the door at my back gave me a sense of security, though part of me knew it was a giant lie my mind chose to believe.

Before I could think about what to do, the door opened again. Torn about where to look, I backed toward the dressing room so I could see most of the room, or at least what little the light revealed.

I shook the tensions out of my hands and left them loose at my sides. Patience would win the day. So would my mother's grace, if it had rubbed off on me more. Or maybe it had, but my years alone in the wild places had burned her goodness out of me like oxygen trapped with fire.

I hated having Parthalan out of my sight, but his presence pressed on my mind as it always did, giving me a general sense of where he was.

Sebastian came through the door first holding one of Rourke's arms. Bain held the other. They dragged the psycho piece of shit into the shadow toward where I thought Parthalan might be.

A few Sluagh entered behind them, along with a dozen or so fey I recognized from the Court. They spread out along the far wall beside the red princess bed, watching, whispering. Spectators at the freak parade.

My Light flared to life and pulsed a golden glow into the room.

A drunken laugh burst out of Rourke. With the addition of my Light, I could see him propped against the wall a few yards from where I stood. He giggled, his weasel face arranged around a lunatic grin as he stared up at Sebastian with wide, contented eyes.

"She broke his legs," Sebastian said through clenched teeth. He slouched where he stood inside the circle at the end of the bed. He bowed to the far side, a bloody curtain of red hair tumbling forward.

There you are, Parthalan, you prick. Your peon just gave you away. I couldn't help but smile, but it didn't last for long. Knowing his location didn't improve my situation much.

"Mmm, getting bolder I see," Parthalan said with an edge of amused pride. "Have your precious rules gone by the way at last?"

"Rourke doesn't seem to mind, in case you hadn't noticed," I grumbled.

"No, in fact you gave him exactly what he wanted from you." Parthalan's feet padded along the tile.

Why wasn't he wearing shoes? I said a silent prayer that he wasn't naked.

"I have a gift for you, my darling."

I blew a loose strand of hair away from my lips. "Keep it. I have all I need."