{{Unedited}} Marielle was jerked into the middle of the room and she glanced around, counting five men. The one who’d pulled her in, a big guy with a cigarette between his lips, another with dark hair, thin beard, and mustache; he seemed to be the leader of this operation, a little guy with twitchy movements, …

{{Unedited}} Marielle opened her eyes in the darkness and looked around. What had happened? She thought that she had seen light from somewhere. Maybe it was just in her dream. She rolled and started to doze, when it happened again and her eyes popped open once more to catch the tail end of a glittering …

{{Unedited}}   The days seemed to melt together. Austin would get up, make food, and she’d barely eat. He forced her to drink, however. After the second week, she’d drink on her own, and was even moving around the apartment most days to shower by herself, dress herself, and sit on the couch, albeit mostly …

{{Unedited}}     Now, I am the desert dry, and endless and you are the rain that turns me into the beautiful mud; the moldable clay. Make me as you want me, darling. Trap me with your love. I beg you. Give me my prison again. – Austin Rancor.   ***   Austin thanked Sabine …

{{Unedited}}   “No, mon amie,” Chamber’s sad voice was heard, whispered in Austin’s ear piece.  Marielle was certain that the world had stopped spinning. There were images flooding her mind from the last five months layering on top of one another and jolting through her in waves. For a moment, no one said anything. The …

{{Unedited}}   “Your move…” Cory taunted, staring down at the chess set. Vincent started to lift a chess piece. “You sure about that, boyo?” Vincent paused, thinking, and then peering up into Cory’s eyes to try and read him. Cory smirked and sat back against the chair and in that instant, Vincent knew. “Oui, mon …

{{Unedited}}   Marielle had walked away when she heard Austin calling to her. His voice was overwhelming and all-consuming in her head, sometimes. -Come to me… he’d begged and she’d started toward him. But why? To what end? Marille knew that if she went to him and actually made it to the piano and the …

{{Unedtied}}   He was coughing again, a lot… and the more that Vincent looked at him, the more it hurt his heart and his mind. Vincent lifted a hand and put it to Hazal’s back. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, and he meant it. But all that Vincent wanted to do was escape. He wanted …

{{Unedited}} Austin rolled over and flicked the light on. Below the lamp was the picture of the Queen of Hearts card stained with blood… his blood… her blood… the blood of their enemies… it didn’t matter. What he knew right now was that he was shivering and it wasn’t that cold in his house. And …

{{Unedited}} When Marielle woke up, she wasn’t as peaceful as she’d been when she’d ended the night. Not because she’d changed her mind – she smiled softly at the ring as it glittered on her finger – but because she knew that she had to tell Austin that she’d said yes to being Vincent’s wife …