Page 64 of Red Masquerade

He just laughed. “You’re too feeble for this conversation. Justlisten to meand perhaps your emotions will not overwhelm you.”

I burned with fury, looking at the devil that was my brother by blood, but had not been mine in years. “You’re wrong,” was all I could manage, glaring at him the best I could. But my voice was not strong, my throat aflame with shame, with frustration..

“And how am I wrong?” His voice was deadly low.

It was then that I considered, truly, for the first time, that maybe Iwaswrong. Centuries had passed and the orderof things had been the same. The institution of marriage had remained the same. I could not name a woman leader, a female president, could not even fathom it. Besides perhaps the queens from bygone eras. But their lives, theirwombs,were still the property of the public. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

“God, you’re astounding,” he scoffed.

Pulling my wrist free, I moved to slap him, my anger rising, but he gripped me even harder. I saw the red capillaries in his eyes, the irises that almost seemed black, a monster lurching to break free somewhere within him.

“I should have you locked up somewhere so no one will have to deal with you anymore. Then you’ll be free of him. Isn’t that what you want?”

Images of a locked room, my arms bound, the wail of other imprisoned people, those poor people who deserved better—

Just then, there was a light knock at the door. A turning of the doorknob, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Lucas, dear? Helena?”

He gave me a glare that said if I spoke a word, I would regret it.

Had she heard him through the door?

My chest heaved, trying to regain my breath, shuddering an inhale.

Lucas stepped away from me quickly, straightening his shirt. He smoothed his hair back with a flat palm and flexed his jaw, the fire in his eyes slowly dying off. A deep breath, another. As if the menace in him was something he could summon and send away. The mask returned, the facade built up once again.

I was left crumbling on the settee, my heart pounding against my ribs. I dared not move as Lucas went to the door. He turned to me one last time.

“I dare you.” His voice was barely above a whisper, but it rang loud and clear in my ears.

How dare you defy me, he had said that night, long ago.

And then he was gone.

The air sucked back into my lungs all at once, and I collapsed in a heap upon the floor, right in front of the settee, my vision blurring. My anguish came out in a sob, and there I stayed, weeping upon the drawing room floor.

Twenty-Two

Six Years Ago

“Ihope your meal was satisfactory.”

The voice was familiar,toofamiliar.

We were enjoying ourselves, Adam and I. We’d gotten into a new club, still mostly empty for the evening. No one looking at us, staring,recognizingme. No one to possibly tell Mother or Lucas. Except—

With six words, my blood ran cold.

No.No.

It couldn’t be.

How did he know?

How was he here?

I froze as a man slid into the booth next to me. He still wore his jacket—he didn’t intend on staying—and theside of his body bumped mine, his elbow nearly causing me to drop my fork against the china.