Imprisoned

Chapter 3

Ares

What the fuck were we thinking? She’s barely legal. There’s two of us, and she’s as innocent as a baby lamb.

Kissing Arianna was an impulse I couldn’t control. Watching her concern for Asher, I wanted some of that for me. I craved her attention. When I touched her, I felt her response. The soft shiver, the sharp intake of breath. I felt her heart pounding in her chest with anticipation.

As Asher turned and kissed her, I’d never needed to get my lips on a woman more in my life. Not in competition with my friend but more of a joining. Fuck, I don’t know. I only knew that, at that moment, we both needed to do it, and holy fuck was it magical.

“That witch put a fucking spell on us,” I say to Asher as we get dressed for this ball for the woman that's bewitched my mind.

“Mage,” Asher corrects, and I growl at him. “Why the hell wasn’t I jealous?” His pole-axed gaze snares me, and I shrug. “Why the fuck weren’t you?” he barks.

“You remember that job I did in New York last year?” I ask.

“You mean the one where everyone thought you were some crazy serial killer? Yeah, I remember. I had bodies to clean up for days because of your shit.” He glares at me when I snort.

“Right, well, Boston and Dare, hell, even some of their friends, they share a woman in their relationships. They make it work.” I was curious as hell about the dynamics then, but now? With it being shoved right in our faces, it’s something to think about.

“You want to share her? A princess with two killers? You realize how ridiculous that sounds, right?”

“About as ridiculous as getting wrongly convicted of being a mass murderer and not having anyone believe your innocence.” That fucking burns. I know Apollo was one of the few who did believe me, but he couldn’t do shit when the evidence was piled sky-high. I was destined for death.

“Yeah. Okay. What’s your suggestion?” Asher might be a stone-cold killer, his body count matching my own, but he’s a good guy where it counts. Me, not so much. I’ve crossed too many lines to ever consider myself a decent human being.

“I don’t fucking know.” A knock on the door interrupts us. “Come in!” I call out as I’m buttoning my shirt. I fucking hate dressing up. Reminds me too much of my old life in the Big Apple.

“Gentlemen.” The witch bows as she enters the room. Asher and I share a look. “I understand your disbelief in my skills, but you must know, Princess Arianna is in danger.”

“How?” Asher demands.

“When she was born, the dark mage cast a spell on her. One that will take effect tonight.” Her violet eyes shift between us, gauging our reactions. We both wear an unreadable mask. “Because of you.”

“How the fuck can that be?” I shout.

“True love's first kiss,” she whispers like someone might be listening.

I scoff. Asher rolls his eyes. “Look, lady, we barely know her. There is no true love here.” What she’s saying is ridiculous.

“You may not see it now, but it exists. You must put distance between you and this island. The malevolent forces will surely take Arianna away. Whatever is manifesting in Graeline is in anticipation of the princess's eighteenth birthday. Today.” If not for the intensity in her belief, I’d push this woman's fears to the side, but whatever is going on, she believes it, and my gut is screaming that there’s some truth behind it.

“We’ve kissed her,” I say. Asher glares at me, but in his eyes, I see worry. He thinks she could be telling the truth too.

“No,” she gasps. “It’s begun then. Arianna will be whisked away. The kingdom will fall. I must warn the king.” Spinning on her heel, Callista rushes from the room.