"I used to think that Joseph was a friend." I took a breath and held it.  Admitting what happened felt too much like confessing a sin. I didn't want to confess to someone who had also hurt me. "No, never mind."

Erick searched my face for the secrets I kept locked within me but finally nodded. "I understand."

My lips twisted into a bitter smirk. "Do you?"

His eyes held pain within them. "I am not worthy of your confidence?"

"No, no, you're not." My voice was the clipped sound of icicles breaking. "I'm not even sure why you're trying. You betrayed me and now kidnapped me. I think I have a right to be salty."

He clenched handfuls of his silvery hair in frustration. "I wish there was a way for you to understand that I never meant to betray you. I had no choice but to protect the one who held my geas."

"Wow, that sounds almost like someone saying, 'The devil made me do it.'" I scoffed, then waved my hand in a shooing motion at him. "Skip it, Traitor."

The car fell into silence as we turned from each other. I traced rude words about him on the foggy window as I started to compare him and Joseph. I had been a lousy judge of character, being far too impressed by pretty. 

Joseph could have ruled a small country with his level of genius. He'd amassed an enormous number of followers in San Francisco with his cunning and his charm.  I'd been sucked right in by his blazing charisma, and blond, pin-up boy looks. 

He hung out with Euro-chic women that hung off his arms like glittering jewels, and suave looking men that wore designer everything. His attention for me disarmed me, since I clearly didn't fit into his crowd, and I was too young to figure out how dangerous that was.  In his family of runaways, he had absolute power, and I was another conquest to him. I hadn't realized until too late. 

I shuddered at the memories, which made Erick return his focus to me.

He tilted his head with curiosity and asked, "Are you okay?"

"No."

He grimaced at me, then poured himself a drink.

My thoughts returned to Joseph. He appeared to be a benevolent savior who found the three of us huddling in a storm tunnel one night. Although he offered to let us hang out with him and often brought us food, Luis refused. That turned into our first argument, but thinking back on it, I was glad he had. It would have made it easier for Joseph to get access to me had we joined his camp. After that, Joseph tried to find me alone to give me food, sweets, and insignificant items. He'd shown me that he was capable of magic, making the things appear in thin air. I was entranced. I blurted to him my secret that I was under a spell. To see his delight and interest thrilled me. Someone so cool found me fascinating.

He told me he could see the spell on me, that he had the key to free me. The day I told him my secret, Joseph started being affectionate, but I wasn't ready for such things, and, after an awkward moment where he said he'd "teach" me how to kiss,  I avoided his attempts to touch me. Since I didn't respond how he liked, Joseph brought me more significant gifts, thinking more considerable gifts might sway me, and those were too hard for me to hide from Luis. I'm not even sure why I kept all the presents. Maybe I was afraid that he'd tell Luis that I let loose my secret. Luis and I had another fight, and Adrian sided with Luis. I had become frightened by the new, frustrated Joseph,  so I agreed never to see him. Luis gave Joseph's gifts back. It... upset him.

As Erick watched the tortured expressions flit across my face, his blue eyes grew frosty. "What did Joseph do? Please tell me."

I nearly shredded the hem of my favorite jersey as rage boiled within me. I looked down and smoothed it out, calming myself. "I said it's none of your business."

"I want to make it my business."

I rounded on him with my teeth bared. "He attacked me, okay?? Joseph ambushed me and beat me when Luis wasn't around to protect Adrian and me! Then, Joseph bit me... he... he had these sharp caps on his teeth! I guess he thought he was a vampire."

I shook my head, still amazed he did that. It was the first time in a long time that the ghosts came to help me. Ghostly, blue, spiky roots had formed between Joseph and me. While they darted through his body, he screamed with a fear I doubt he'd ever experienced before. Then his body was withering, wrinkling. Finally, in defense, he pulled out a small knife and cut me.  Because of the pain of the blade, the roots freed him, and he ran. I hadn't seen him since. Not him, and not his gang. But I had nightmares still of Joseph's body on me.

"Did you kill him?"

"No." I paused as I thought of how he looked. "At least, I don't think so. He was able to run away."

"I will find him then."

"In the same way that you looked for me these past four years?"

He flinched. "It wasn't from lack of trying that we couldn't find you. Your mother hid your magic well. But I promise you; I will find him before the week is out."

"Shyeah... you're so good at keeping promises. Just cut it out."

He poured himself another drink, and I looked at him askance. He was about three years older, true, but he wasn't going easy on the alcohol. "Listen, you should ease up on that. I don't want to be this close with someone drunk."

He set the drink down. "Fine."

"The knife made me very sick," I continued after eyeing him for some time.  "Luis disappeared after he saw me, saying he needed to get help. Adrian was the one who saved me.  I think he must have some sort of power because I was better the next day, even though I was sure I was going to die."

I paused because Erick had ripped the console between us off of its hinges. I blinked at him and leaned away. He looked down at the damage, then at the driver.

"I apologize, Tibor. I'll pay for it," he said to the driver.

Tibor bared his teeth at him. "Yes, you shall. It will most upset master Luke that you destroyed his prized limousine."

The man had a guttural accent that I couldn't place, but at least I knew his name now.

"You can stop the drama. Anyway, I paid Adrian back for saving me by ditching him when the cops were after us the next day. I'm sure he'll never forgive me." Heck, all this happening to me was probably karma for that. But Adrian got hurt from it as well. I closed my eyes in misery

"I'll find the one that dared to hurt you. I'll make sure your mind heals. Madeline — "

My voice raised as my irritation with him finally met its limit. "Shut up, Erick. You already did enough."

Then we took the rest of the ride in silence until we turned into a driveway. The mansion we drove up to had a front lawn like an ocean. It ended in front of an imposing home with many gables and what looked like a hundred chimneys. The builders made the mansion of pale gray brick with marble lions guarding a staircase that went up three flights before ending at gigantic double doors.

While I gawked, the limousine pulled around the wide circular driveway and stopped. Then Tibor opened the vehicle door, and I got out, looking dazed as I took in my new digs. Erick walked forward, but Tibor held me back for a minute. "I am sorry for listening, Miss. If you need my help, I will do what I can to free you."

I gawked up at him, wondering why the taciturn guy was making the offer. I nodded shortly in thanks, and he released my elbow. Then I turned to follow Erick up the driveway.

The driveway encircled a tall, gaudy fountain of three mermaids holding up a shell from which water might have spouted.  The house had small cherubs perched over each arched window along the first floor. Although it was March, the cold was blistering, and snow blanketed everything.  I clutched my borrowed cloak as the frigid air seeped into my bones. It was cold in San Francisco too right now, but a few weeks here, and I'd be walking around there in shorts. 

But I had to admit that the views were breathtaking because the area was all frosted mountains and chilly, white forests. However, the house seemed so stiff and unfriendly, and the cold was closing up my lungs. I stifled a cough then shifted my gaze to look at a man standing on the deck of the first flight of stairs in front of the driveway. 

The man was tall, maybe 6'4, and wavy dark copper hair sprung from a widow's peak. He had a prominent brow with light brows that looked nearly invisible. His eyes were narrow, and as I got closer to him, I could tell they were a light green. He didn't have a labial fold on his eyelids. Along with the heavy brow, this made him look sharp and mean, and I hoped he wasn't.

When I stepped forward, his lips curved into an arrogant twist. Perhaps he was trying to go for a friendly smile, but his face was too stiff to manage it. He had high cheekbones and a square chin that made him look stubborn. The man also had a wide, straight nose, and being a natural redhead, was pale and had plenty of freckles. He held out a thin hand with long, graceful fingers for me to shake. I caught a look at his watch, which was a Rolex, and noted the fancy suit he was wearing. The clothes made the man, because, despite his unusual face, he was kind of handsome, if you liked the thuggish, dangerous type of attractive. He looked nothing like an uncle, though.

I took his hand, and he turned it and bowed over it once. His eyes scanned me coldly before he said, "Greetings, Madeline."

"Hi..." I mumbled as I pulled my hand out of his grasp. His fingers tightened for a moment but eventually, let go. I felt like I'd just been judged and lost. "I thought my uncle would be a lot older than you..." What was he, like, twenty-five? Thirty? It was hard to tell, but he was way younger than I'd imagined.

There was a flash of humor in his eyes, and a ghost of a smile lifted his lips. "Your aunt married my brother, who was much older than me. We are not related. "

So we were only loosely related by marriage. Why all the fuss in bringing me here? 

He was giving me that unsteadying piercing look again, which I couldn't decipher. It almost looked violent, like he wanted to throttle me. As I took a step back, he said, "I prefer you call me Luke instead of uncle. You look miserably cold and are turning purple. Let us go inside, shall we?"

His face was a mask of cold propriety again. So he wanted me to call him Luke. Luke, it was then.  I nodded. 

"When you have rested, you will attend a welcoming party in your honor," he continued.

My mouth opened to protest. I was not going to be kidnapped with my friends then play nice with my captors by having a party.

But he had turned away from me and was walking up the steps to the double doors of the mansion before I could voice my objections. I followed behind, wondering what would happen when I refused. I could scream at Erick all day, but the cold intensity from Luke scared me a little. 

 He swung open the big door, and I was met with a vast foyer. Two twisting double staircases led upwards and two archways on each wall that led to other rooms. In the center of the foyer was a tile mosaic of the orchid earrings I wore around my neck. I clutched at my necklace hidden under my shirt and stepped back. Just what had I gotten myself into?

He walked across the foyer to a door that I assumed was his office and was about to disappear inside. Still, before he did, I blurted out, "This guy pulled me off a motorcycle into a van and knocked me out, and all you're going to do is walk into your office after springing the news of a party on me?"

"What?" he turned in the open doorway and stared at me, his face paler than it was before. He looked from me to Erick, and his eyes narrowed.

Luke stalked back to me and scrutinized me. He glanced at my wrists and noticed that I had bruises there from my wrestling match on the plane. I hadn't felt them at all. "What is this?" His voice dropped several menacing octaves.

He directed his question at Erick, who stepped forward and knelt before him. "I apologize, your Majesty. Unfortunately, there were problems on the plane when she woke up, and it made for a safety concern."

Luke glowered down at him, then cuffed the side of his head. It was a blow that would have made me fall over howling, but Erick remained as still as a statue. "You dared to touch her at all. She is so far above you that you are not worthy even to look at her, let alone maltreat her."

"I forgot my station. You are right to punish me."

Luke wiped his hand off on his lapel as if he'd squashed a bug.

"Hey!" I stood in front of Erick and pushed at Luke. "Stop it!"

Luke didn't move an inch. It was like trying to push the Rock of Gibraltar.

"Why you would seek to protect that worm, my lady, I have no clue. I had thought when I sent the worthless cur that he would have the mind to explain everything to you, but I see I was wrong."

For reasons I couldn't explain, I felt the need to defend Erick against this man. "Well, that's because we had a lot of catching up to do! And he was too busy trying to keep me from hijacking the plane!"

"Madeline..." Erick whispered in a warning.

This sent a new wave of ire from Luke in his direction. "You will not speak her name. She is 'My Lady' to you and nothing more."

Erick bowed his head. "Yes, My Lord."

"Now that ain't right!" I protested. "I don't like him, but he can call me by name!"

Luke glared at me, then opened the door to his office and stood to the side. "I was going to wait until you'd rested before speaking to you, but it appears it's necessary to do so now. Please come inside."