Elian's gaze was cast down, his pulse racing.
They'd found him.
The nobles found him.
If he thought he was a noble's plaything earlier, now he was about to become a noble's weapon.
"Do you still not know what I'm talking about, Young Morel?" Lucien asked, hooking a finger under Elian's chin to lift his head.
Elian's face looked defeated, because he was.
He didn't respond, forcing his eyes to stay on the wall behind Lucien instead of looking into his eyes.
"Your silence won't save you now, Young Morel. You're about to—" He was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.
"Open the door," Lucien ordered as Ms. Beck's gentle knock drifted through.
Finn nodded and headed to let the woman in.
"Finn," Lucien called just as Finn was about to pull the door open.
"Yes, Your Grace," Finn paused, facing the Duke.
"This doesn't get out. Understand?" He asked, his eyes warning.
Finn nodded. "Of course, Your Grace. Understood." With that, he let the woman in.
As Ms. Beck quietly walked in, Elian gradually stepped back, pressing his back to the wall.
"I am here, Your Grace," Ms. Beck said, glancing at the scared Elian by the wall.
"Take him. Ready him for the chambers," Lucien instructed.
"Your Grace?" Ms. Beck asked cautiously.
Lucien's face hardened. "You heard me, Ms. Beck. Do as I say," he commanded.
Ms. Beck bowed her head and sighed. Slowly, she went over to Elian.
"Come with me, Elian," she spoke gently.
Elian clenched his fists, frowning. "I am not leaving with you," he stated.
Ms. Beck gasped, glancing at Lucien, and snapped her head at Elian, glaring at him.
"For your own good, boy, come with me now." She was about to grab Elian's wrist when Lucien's voice stopped her.
"Leave us," Lucien suddenly commanded, his eyes ordering Finn and the woman.
Without a word, Ms. Beck and Finn left the study, shutting Elian and Lucien alone in the room.
Elian gulped, his chest aching from fear and a strange pull.
"Do you realize you have publicly disobeyed me?" Lucien slowly approached Elian. He stared at Elian, noting how tense and guarded he looked.
He was scared. Of course he was. He had just proved to be the most sought-after man in the many kingdoms... he should be scared.
He stopped only when he was standing right in front of Elian. "Look at me," he whispered.
Elian didn't.
"Look at me, Elian," Lucien murmured softly.
That name... that tone... Elian looked up. Not because Lucien asked him to, but because he wanted to see if Lucien's eyes matched his tone.
He'd called his name for the first time. Not Young Morel. Not Morel... Elian.
The moment he looked into Lucien's eyes, his breath caught in his throat. He'd never seen those green eyes so intense... so heated... so dark.
They weren't as soft as he imagined, but they weren't as hostile either. He couldn't understand what it was he saw in there, but he knew it wasn't safe. For him... or the Duke.
"You disobey me... I don't like that," Lucien said, holding Elian's gaze.
Elian licked his lip, his eyes briefly falling to Lucien's lips before he inhaled and looked away.
"I am protecting myself, Your Grace," Elian whispered.
Lucien scoffed quietly. "I am protecting you, Young Morel," Lucien said slowly.
This time, it was Elian's turn to scoff. He shook his head. "The way you protected my father?" he spat.
Lucien smiled. "You're... different," he pointed out.
Elian chuckled dryly. "Now I'm suddenly different from my father? But I thought I was the same with my father, since I was punished for the sins you claimed were his?" He questioned, straightening his shoulders to look taller.
Lucien shrugged. "That's how you're different, Young Morel. You're being punished; he was executed for his sins—"
"You're a lunatic—ugh!" Elian gasped as Lucien suddenly grabbed his chin, his fingers painfully digging into his skin.
"Watch it, Young Morel," Lucien snarled, his hot breath angrily hitting Elian's face. "Don't forget yourself... or else—"
"Or else what?" Elian leaned further in, a cunning look crossing his eyes as he peered at Lucien's face.
Lucien was taken aback for a moment by Elian's sudden fearlessness. He narrowed his eyes, his grip loosening just a tad on Elian's chin.
Lucien smirked. "You're just a Truth Seeker... not a king—"
"Yet, you need me more than you need the King," Elian slowly pointed out, his lips lifting in defiance.
"I see," Lucien chuckled darkly. "You believe you're indispensable now?" He questioned.
"I know," Elian stepped out of Lucien's hold. "And if you think for one second that I'm about to become your puppet, then you have another thing coming, Duke." He smiled defiantly.
Lucien slowly nodded. "It's good you understand how power works..." he started, watching Elian carefully. "It's good you realize that the person with bigger power gets to do the controlling," he smirked.
"It's good you understand that the most powerful person in the room has the final say. And right now... that's not you," he stated coldly.
Elian frowned, confused by Lucien's stubbornness. He thought Lucien would be scared of his power; he thought he'd get to demand whatever he wanted using his gift as leverage. But from the looks of things, Lucien was about to make that an impossibility.
"I refuse to become your doll," Elian gritted out.
"You're in no place to bargain with me. Or..." Lucien casually cracked his fingers, "Did you forget your poor mother in the dungeon? Do you not care what happens to her?" He asked, smiling evilly as Elian's face fell, the fire dimming from his eyes.
"That's not all, Young Morel." He slowly moved and cupped Elian's face. For a moment, he was drawn by the way Elian's brown curls fell away from his eyes, exposing those blue orbs to him. He paused, realizing that Elian's eyes, which had always been full of life and fight, had nothing in them. They looked dead... hopeless.
"What..." Lucien caught himself immediately. What was he about to ask? To inquire what was wrong?
He knew what was wrong with Elian... 'He' was wrong with Elian. He knew Elian's mother was his lifeline; threatening her must have drained the life out of him.
"That's not all, Duke... did you want to say something else?" Elian asked quietly, his voice resigned.
Lucien hardened his face and removed his hands from Elian's face.
"You will obey my every word, Young Morel; unless you want the whole kingdom to know about your little crimson secret. If you hate me now, you'll hate the King more once he learns about you," he said and turned away.
"I'm protecting you in exchange for your trust. You will never tell a soul about who you are, you do my every bidding, and swear with your blood and your mother's that whatever I ask of you, you shall carry to your grave," Lucien demanded coldly.
Elian stared at Lucien's broad back, hating the man all over again. However, he had no choice. Being one noble's plaything was better than being the kingdom's bargaining chip and plaything.
"I agree, Your Grace," he said in a small voice. For the sake of his mother... for the sake of his secret...
"Good boy," Lucien said and walked toward the door.
Perhaps Lucien was actually protecting him, even though he clearly had an ulterior motive. But Elian could tell he was safer here; if the court ever discovered that his eyes turned crimson when he heard a lie, he would be hunted by every corrupt noble in the kingdom... and neighboring ones.
For once, it was starting to look like the devil might be his only shelter in hell.
"Make sure he stays. He's not allowed to leave," Lucien told Ms. Beck as she walked in to take Elian.
She nodded, gesturing Elian to the door. Without a word, Elian moved, his gaze cast down to avoid looking at Lucien.
"Behave," Lucien caught Elian's wrist before he could walk past him at the door.
Elian wanted to snatch his hand away and glare at Lucien while telling him never to touch him again. Instead, he said, "Yes, Your Grace," and left.
How dare he talk back? To put himself and his mother at risk? No. He had literally become Lucien's slave, and the worst thing? There seemed to be no way out for him. Lucien was ready to use him until his last breath. Heaven only knew the sort of things the Duke was about to make him do for him.
"Thank you, Finn," Ms. Beck said to the young guard as he opened the sturdy door for them.
Elian stood still, staring at the lengthy stairs and candle-lit stone walls.
"Where are you taking me?" he asked slowly, a chill running down his spine. He knew this was no dungeon; it was too polished and noble to be a dungeon.
"The Duke's chambers," Ms. Beck replied behind him.
And that was even worse than the dungeons.