Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy, #1)

by Lauren Roberts

For every girl who has ever felt powerless

Men would likely go extinct without women to coddle them.

But I’ve heard enough about his reputation. How he’s supposedly the strongest Elite in decades. How he’s the future Enforcer, said to be callous and calculating, yet charismatic and charming when he wishes to be—when he chooses to play the part. I’ve heard how he’s a rare and powerful Wielder, able to sense another’s power and use it himself so long as they are close enough to him. The Deliverer of Death, they call him.

Vicious little thing, isn’t she? “Careful, Highness. I wouldn’t want to spill royal blood.” She’s mocking me and it’s an adorable attempt. I lean toward her, letting the sharp steel of my own blade bite into my throat, drawing a thin line of hot blood. “Careful, darling. You forget that spilling blood is what I do best.”

“One of your Imperials did this to me.” She uncurls her fist from my shirt and gestures to her lip. “Speaking of, did you ever ask him about me? I’m sure he had much to say.” I had, and he did. After speaking with each Imperial assigned to the morning rotation, one mentioned his recent encounter with the Psychic. The man’s disdain for Paedyn was more than obvious as he recapped what she had sensed from him. And yet, he failed to mention how he’d hit her. Perhaps I’ll relieve him of one of his hands, so he never has the opportunity to lay it on a woman again.

We watch each other for a long moment. Her gaze is unwavering, reminding me of the still ocean, the calm before the storm. “Mark my words, Prince, I will be your undoing.” I lean in, ignoring the knife against my throat as I murmur, “Oh, darling, I look forward to it.”

I catch her watching me and our eyes lock, sparks dancing between us. She is the embodiment of a bad decision. The twin of danger and desire. The fine line between deadly and divine. And I can feel myself drowning.

He finally turns, making his way across the ballroom as I watch his retreating form. Then he calls over his shoulder. “Do me a favor, darling?” “And what’s that?” “Promise me you’ll stay alive long enough to stab me in the back?” I laugh loudly. “That’s been my goal all along, Prince.”

He’s suddenly still. His eyes roam over my face, lips slightly parted as he takes me in. Then he blinks. Once. Twice. His dark lashes flutter, gray eyes flicking between mine as he says, “Remind me to make you smile like that again, when you aren’t dying, and I have all the time in the world to memorize it.”

“Paedyn.” Kai’s voice is so far away, so distant from where I’m slipping into oblivion. “Paedyn, open your eyes.” It’s an order, strong and stern. And I ignore it. How very typical of me. Even in death my body refuses to listen to the commands of the future Enforcer. “Open your eyes, dammit!” Tired. I’m so very tired. Far, far away, I hear a male voice muttering panicked words. “If you die, I’m going to kill you.”

“What kind of gentleman would I be if I took your leather and left you to die?” She lifts her head off the ground, eyes searching mine as she scoffs, “So you’re telling me that you did all of this to be gentlemanly?” “Why does that come as such a surprise to you?” “Maybe because you have to be a gentleman to be gentlemanly.” “And who says I’m not?” “I’d like to find someone who says you are.”

“You never did answer my question,” I say, far more casually than I currently feel. “You’ll have to be more specific than that, Azer.” “I asked who the hell did this to you.” She laughs dismissively, turning her head from mine. “Oh, that question. It doesn’t matter.” “If it doesn’t matter, then tell me.”

I spin her if only to give myself some time to think. I’d never thought about what my favorite color was before. It never seemed important. Not until I looked into a pair of ocean-blue eyes and realized that perhaps drowning was a beautiful thing. Not until I looked into a pair of fiery blue eyes and realized that perhaps burning was a painless thing. Not until I looked into a pair of sky-blue eyes and realized that perhaps falling was a peaceful thing. I’d never thought about what my favorite color was before because I hadn’t seen one that was worthy of the title. Until now, that is.

“Just because I was doomed for death doesn’t mean I wanted to damn you as well.”

“Sweet dreams, Pae.” “Sweet dreams, Kai.”

“I’m tougher than I look, I assure you. The strongest weapon a woman has at her disposal is that she is often underestimated,” I answer with a small smile. “And I wield that all the time.”

This was never about winning—it was about making a point. Proving to myself, and everyone watching, that I am still a threat. Whether I have a power like theirs or not, I will find a way to hurt them.

Quite the team, Death and I.

I huff out a laugh, and when he opens his mouth to say something, I cut him off with a quiet, “Go.” My thumb lands on his and I’m about to brag my victory when he easily slips it out from beneath mine. And then, once again, he has my thumb pinned. “Adorable effort to distract me, darling.” I sigh in frustration. “I see why you hate this game.” “No, I hate this game because it’s boring. You hate this game because you’re bad at it.”

Something about this, about us, seems different. Intentional. We both wanted this. We weren’t forced together because of the cold or because of an injury. I could have walked away, but I chose this. No, we chose this. We chose each other.

It’s like a tangible tether between us, this consuming connection. I will her to meet my eyes, and when they do— Sparks. Electricity. Everything beautiful, everything bold, everything breathtaking—that is what I feel in her gaze. That, and terrified. Terrified of what she is doing to me. She is a vision, a nightmare, a dream. A grim reaper clad in black, come to steal my soul and my heart. I’ve never seen something so beautiful, so bold, so blatantly wrong for me. She is a devil. She is a deity. She is a man’s downfall in human form. She is my downfall.

She’s so beautiful, I can hardly believe it, hardly breathe. Her soul is stunning. Her very being is bright and bold and so unbelievably better than I am. She is a good beyond my grasp, one that I am not worthy of glimpsing, let alone grabbing hold of. And yet, here she is despite that. Choosing me. It’s a privilege to look into those eyes, to drown in the essence that is her.

I hear another Imperial shout through the crowd, barking out other orders along with it. But there are few guards who aren’t trapped by the Mute-encased stands where members of the Resistance are blocking the exits. And the handful of Imperials that are free make no move to rush to their king’s side.

I did this to him. I killed his father. But he killed mine first.