The Empire of Darkness
l
o big. Too per
closet filled with clothes I didn't choose. Everything in here
briel Moretti put me here, in his world, in his cage, and I
he lock is on
rough the room. S
he doo
br
er dark suit, shirt unbuttoned just enough to reveal a glimpse o
ts beneath me,
ownstairs," h
s. "I need you
s eyes stay cold.
t move
to meet the re
uns down
tay even. "I never ag
a blade. "You agreed when
hot and quick. "You di
te. "I gave you the only choice
ly chest to chest. He smells like leathe
your prisone
mething resembling am
unlock the front gate
pa
laughs. A low, quiet thing that se
is voice is silk over steel. "Bac
ls out my pendant again, the silve
in, voice dropping to something dangerously s
but I refuse to l
s fingers and shove it into my pock
tilts his head, watching me l
ve it," h
he means, he turns on
sage is
tay locked
er my breat
ng room
ystal glasses and gleaming silverware. Floor-to-ceiling windows
room that makes
the
ike kings around the
, all o
ilent whe
at the head of the table, owning the sp
esi
a cruel smile-leans back in his chair,
at the way
name," Ga
lse j
ting him. D
at makes something
his gaze over me like I'm something to b
"You'll have to
pples aroun
just nods toward an empt
't wa
it an
acing a plate in front of me. Expensiv
unset
of
c, a sandwich in one hand and a medical report in th
Gabriel
er the weight of all these eyes. "Yo
stranger," h
r laugh. "I'm not
ting his forearms on the t
kates dow
he says it-it'
a pro
ware that I'm in a room full of
tting next to the
is an i
efined-like somethi
it, there's t
ching me. M
tions with just enough information to satisfy them
s too, silent
always
nner is over,
first. "Alba.
teeth bu