Soulbound Read Free Page B

been struck down before their time yet refused to go gently into that cold night. The demon had given them immortality, the ability to roam free in spirit form, and a clockwork heart to bind them to him for a period of time. It seemed a fair bargain. Yet she’d received no such heart. He’d wanted something else from her. Her very soul. Her capitulation. Just like the other man she’d run from.
    The demon’s roar of rage and pain, the one she’d heard the moment their connection had been broken, still rang in her ears. Her cousin St. John had whisked her away so quickly that she’d only been treated to a mere second of that sound. Yet it haunted her all the same. Because it was not the shout of a man who’d easily give up.
    Why did he want her? They’d gotten along like tar and sand, stuck together because of circumstance, an irritant to both each other and those who had the misfortune to be around them. And still he’d been determined to keep her.
    How strange it all seemed now. Like a nightmare. She was no longer chained. She was safe. Aunt Mab assured her that the demon would never come for her. That once the chain had been broken, he could never find her again. Cold comfort.
    Eliza’s fingers dug into her skirt, and the fabric made a hushed rustle.
He
had given her gowns too. In a rainbow of colors, a buffet of textures. And she’d turned away from every one of them, too fearful that she’d be drawn by his enticements.
    You wouldn’t even be here were it not for me. No, you’d be rotting in an unmarked grave, forgotten and unavenged. Because the GIM did that for you as well, didn’t they? Striking down those who hurt you. And what thanks do I receive? Silence. You agreed to be mine. Mine!
 
    The worst of it was, she
had
agreed. She simply hadn’t realized how much it would chafe to lose her freedom. From the moment he had her, he’d kept her chained by his side, his mood always angry, always looking at her as though she ought to be giving him something more. Yet he’d refused to tell her what. He’d grown more sullen, and she’d stopped speaking altogether. And then two men had come for her. Friends of her aunt. They’d saved her.
    And she’d escaped
him
. Her stomach clenched. Guilt was a terrible thing. No, she would not think of it. Or of his guinea-gold eyes framed by thick, black lashes. Accusing eyes, filled with rage and pain.
    As if beckoned by her wayward thoughts, a lone, mournful howl rent the night. Every hair upon Eliza’s body stood on end as she straightened. Heart pounding, she glanced toward the back at the windowed doors, where everything was warmth and light. Had it come from within the house or from outside?
    Past the grand hall that ran along the back of the house, she could see a small slice of the dining room. Mab’s party was still in full swing. Not a flinch or concerned face in the room. Had she imagined the sound?
    A mystery solved, as another wailing howl rang out. Such pain and misery in that cry. It wasn’t human, that howl, but sounded as if made by a dog. And it had come from the direction of the kitchen wing. Had a dog found its way inside and been hurt? She couldn’t fathom how, but nor could she remain here and ignore the plea for help.
    Slipping back inside, Eliza crept past the dining room and into the main hall. Once outside the kitchen doors, she stilled. Where now? The echoing quality of the sound made it difficult to discern its origins. With only the light of a few sconces lit along the walls, the hall was filled with shadows. Silence was a weight against her skin, warring with the sound of her blood rushing through her veins. The tall case clock by the salon door tick away.
    Eliza’s shoulders slumped, and she let out a slow breath. Perhaps she had… A yelp, high and aggravated. Most definitely that had come from the kitchens.
    She hadn’t taken two steps when she heard someone coming. If there was one good talent Eliza possessed, it was to trust her