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“Relax, Peter. She is still a nix nonetheless. Even I could compel her to forget what we do with her tonight. It’ll be our little secret,” Alec added as he breathed into my neck. “Let’s see what Scotlind has to offer Sie. It can be our engagement present to him.”
“I’m not playing your stupid game,” I growled at Alec as I tried to break free of his grip. But his hold only tightened, causing a wince to escape my lips. I scanned the room for anyone who might help me. But the Advenians who were paying attention to me seemed to enjoy my impending humiliation, and the few that weren’t, we’re too focused on each other to notice.
I turned to Peter, and my stomach curled. One look from him and I knew he couldn’t help me. Worry and pity overtook his dimpled grin.
My breath came out ragged as I tried one more time to disarm Alec’s threatening grip. My body was already exhausted from the lack of sleep I’d been getting since coming to the castle.
Alec spun me again, and in an instant, grabbed my chin with his other hand, forcing me to meet his gaze. The smell of liquor filled my nostrils. It was the same strong scent from the night Vallie and Miles took me drinking. I tried not to gag as Alec’s breath mixed with mine.
“Such a feisty one. But you see, Princess, you don’t get a choice in the matter. Surrender is where we take someone that is a nix and can be compelled. We make them dowhateverwe want for the night. Basically, that personsurrendersto us and becomes our little plaything for the evening. Sometimes into the morning depending on how much fun we are having,” he slurred.
Bile threatened to rise in my throat as I took in the meaning of his words. My heart thumped so fast I thought it might burst out of my chest. I twisted against his grip, but he only pressed my chest into his, locking me in place.
He looked me up and down with a grin. “I have compulsion. Mine isn’t as strong as Sie’s. I don’t have complete mind control where I can compel anyone in Tennebris, but I can compel humans, Advenians from Lux, and well, nixes like you.”
“No,” I snarled as his grasp on my chin tightened. His other hand made idle strokes down my face, embracing in my discomfort.
“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice, Princess. This is what happens when you are weak. You can’t stop us. It was growing rather dull playing this game on our servants, but thanks to you, we can have some real fun.” He smiled as his neck turned golden. “Now, you are going to have a drink.”
I heard the slight change in his voice as he compelled me, but with the necklace Sie gave me working against his ability, I didn’t feel the pull to obey. My body wasn’t tethered to his like it normally would be. My hand didn’t fly toward the drink. I didn’t have to do what he was telling me. I could walk out. I could leave.
I looked to Sie, trying to plead with him to stop this before it started, but he remained seated. Blank, expressionless, and glaring at Alec’s hold on me.
His stare was unwavering as he calculated what I would do.
If someone does compel you, though, I need you to play along. Do what they are telling you to do. Don’t tell anyone about the necklace, and never let anyone know that you can’t be compelled.His words on the monorail coursed through my head. Did he know they would do this to me? He suspected people would compel me, but did he know his own friends would do it, and right in front of him?
He knew I would have to pretend to be compelled because I couldn’t let anyone find out about the necklace. A different dread filled me. I would have to obey. I would have to do whatever awful thing Alec told me to. For a brief moment, I wished I was compelled. It would be easier to forget whatever Alec had planned.
“You are going to drink with us. Right, Princess?” Alec purred with a wink.
I let out a sigh before whispering yes to Alec. Sie wasn’t planning on stopping this, and I couldn’t let them know about the necklace.
“Good girl. You will forget all of this by morning. You will wake up thinking that you came to meet Sie but he wasn’t here, so you went back to bed,” he compelled again as he stepped around me, inspecting me. Except I wouldn’t forget this. How many servants had they done this to? Would they even remember?
He placed the glass of champagne in my hand. “Drink it.”
I did as I was told and downed the entire cup. At least it would be easier to manage with some alcohol in my system. He grabbed my left wrist where the zero was branded into me, now completely healed, and turned it over in his hand. “Again,” he murmured as he filled my glass.
I emptied the contents, my eyes never leaving Alec’s. I could feel Sie’s gaze burning into me, but I refused to look at him now. Alec filled my drink for the third time, and after finishing it, I felt the liquid hit my head, making everything slightly fuzzy. Alec loosened his grip on my shoulders, and I slipped, not realizing I was relying on him to hold me up. He caught me with a grin.
“Enough,” Sie growled, speaking for the first time. “She’s a lightweight and isn’t going to be able to stand much longer if you keep making her drink.”
“Excellent point, Sie. Why would we want her standing anyway? Kneel,” he smirked. I stared back at Alec, my eyes wide and unmoving.
“Did you not hear me? I saidkneel.” He repeated as he pressed down on my shoulders, forcing me onto my knees. I landed hard on the marble floor as both of my knees smacked against it. I muffled a wince as they popped. Reagan laughed.
“It’s a nice view, her on her knees, wouldn’t you say so Sie?” Alec chuckled darkly as I looked up at him, narrowing my gaze.
My eyebrows furrowed as anger threatened to explode out of me. How long was this going to last? Alec mentioned this could go all night. I took a staggering, uneven breath, trying to calm myself as best I could.
I refused to look at anyone but Alec. I knew Sie was watching me from my peripheral, but I didn’t turn my head to see his reaction.
“Now, I want you to tell Sie how you really feel about him. You always walk around like you hate the world, but I think you secretly want him. After all, you did show up here tonight thinking you would spend the night with him.”
Reagan shifted at Alec’s words. Still on my knees before Alec, I finally looked up to meet Sie’s stare. “I think you are a narcissistic asshole who needs better friends.”
A half smile flashed on Sie’s face as if he expected that. I was thankful at that moment I wasn’t really compelled because I wasn’t entirely sure I would say that if I was. I hated myself for that. Because, to be honest, I didn’t know exactly how I felt about him. I probably would have said I wanted him to kiss me again or admitted I found him attractive. I hated him, yes, and he was a manipulative prick who surrounded himself with awful people. But another part of me couldn’t stop thinking about him. About how it felt when he held me against the wall in the bathing room, his hands tugging my hair…
