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.Pulls the sweet smelling sheet closer to her as if she can hide beneath it.Like when she covered her head as a child, certain the boogie man lived in her closet.Now the boogie man is her father.“The same person who murdered your other daughters.The same person who tried to kill me before.”Her father’s eyes become dark.The color of a stormy sky.Keely cringes away from the fury twisting his features.“Who? I want the name.” His hands fist at his sides causing the veins to bulge on his pale skin.“My brother,” she whispers.“No.You’re confused.Asmoday would never.” He shakes his head.“He would never go against my will.You misunderstand, my child.He was merely retrieving you for me.To bring you here.” He lifts his hands and Keely’s eyes dart around the room.It’s the same as before.The strange but lovely wooden bed.The old lamp.The door.“No,” she says absently.“No?” He looks amused, as if he is talking to a small child with an overactive imagination.“No,” she repeats.“Not Asmoday.I mean my other brother.I mean Apophis.And I am quite certain he was trying to kill me.I have the scars to prove it.” She lifts her head.Reveals the shiny scar that crosses her throat now bruised from the shot he delivered to her windpipe in the school bathroom.“Apophis.” He says it as if it puts a bad taste in his mouth, leaving the one word lingering in the air.Suddenly, he is gone, and she’s left alone in darkness.Keely wastes no time.She hurries from the bed, her legs tangling in the blanket.She shoves it off of her.Scrambles to the door, flinging it open.The room—it appears to be a formal dining room—is also dark and she realizes that her father must be the one who lights this place so brightly.Moving slowly, she runs her hand across the wall feeling for a light switch.The wall is cold.The room is frigid.Heat must be another thing her father took with him.Her fingers move over the bumps from several coats of paint.The mural, she remembers.The wall ends, and she turns to follow a new wall.A hand clamps around her wrist and she freezes.Somehow, she doesn’t scream.Just a stunned intake of breath is her only reaction.She doesn’t even try to pull away because the slithering rush in her veins already tells her who it is.“Asmoday,” she mouths and somehow he hears her.“What are you doing here?”“Daddy dearest left me here.”The room lights then and he is staring at her.He releases her arm and moves to a high backed chair.His movements are graceful as he pulls the chair out and sits leisurely.He gestures for her to sit, but she is paralyzed by the crawling under her skin.Seeing this, he moves his fingers like a beauty queen waving in a parade.The sensation ceases and Keely sighs in relief.“How do you do that? Why do you do that?”“I do not do it purposely.It is our blood.It sings to one another.”“That’s never happened around Apophis,” she says quietly.Her hands are shaking.She folds them around her.“Apophis? You two have met?”“Met? Yeah, we’re old friends,” she states dryly.He gazes at her for an agonizingly long moment.“You are friends? I doubt that somehow.”“Wow.Nothing gets by you.”He laughs, one side of his mouth pulling up in a smirk.“Sit.”She sits across from him, though she wants nothing more than to find the exit to this place.His eyes brush over her intimately, causing a burst of goose bumps to flood across her skin.She cringes and looks down at the table.“What happened to you?”Her head jerks up.“You psychopaths have been trying to kill me for the past two days.Or two years, really.And you patronize me.Well, here.I’m right here.Just do it and get it over with.”His expression doesn’t waver.It remains the same, relaxed and arrogant.“I did not do that.” He leans forward resting his elbows on the table.“Would you believe me if I told you I was not trying to hurt you?”“I wouldn’t believe anything that you said.”“It’s the truth.You have no idea how truly special you are.What you can potentially do…it will change everything.” He stares at her, gaze full of excitement.“Keely, you are safe with me.I swear to it.”Her mouth pops open.“Oh, I believe you.Really.Now, how do I get home?”He laughs again.She is annoyed that he is so breath taking.“This is your real home.Please, stay.Stay and anything you wish for will be yours.”She shakes her head.“All I wish for is to go home—back to Nick’s.”“Nick is a dreadful, predictable creature.Do you not find him boring?”“My life has been anything but boring since Nick came into it,” Keely says calmly, but calm is the farthest sensation from how she really feels.He stands.Walks around the table and squats beside her.“Stay with me, Keely.” He takes her hand.His skin is soft and cool.She notices he smells sweet.Like his father.Her father.Like everything in this place.He smells of summer.Like fresh cut grass, and blossoming flowers, and peppermint.She closes her eyes and inhales deeply.Enjoys the scent.Opens her eyes meeting his rich dark gaze.She enjoys the sight of him.Enjoys his closeness.He moves his free hand up to her face.Fingers graze her cheek ever so lightly.She moves her face into his touch.His lips part into a smile.He releases her hand and cups her face, pulling her to him.She enjoys his touch.Wants to touch him back.Her hands lift slowly, steadily.Her fingers slide down his jaw line.Down his neck.Over his collar bone.She takes pleasure in touching him.He lets out a breath.It is more than a sigh.His breath blows over her and she wants to taste him.They move at the same time, leaning into each other, her hands gripping his shirt.Eyes falling shut as she pulls him to her.She can hear the rushing beat of his heart.Her speeding pulse matches his.Pounding in unison.She opens her eyes to darkness.Not just darkness.Pure blackness
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