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Reyna hooked a finger in his direction, beckoning him forward. “It’s time, Ladon.”
“No,” I said again, a little louder this time. I grabbed his hand.
Ladon shook his head and whispered my name like a warning. “Emilie.”
It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. I had to do something.
“I’m growing tired of your insolence, Emilie,” Reyna said. “I thought we had come to an understanding after the last time. Perhaps not?”
She stepped closer and wrapped her hand around my wrist like a vise, pulling my hand from Ladon’s. “Maybe this time—”
Something caught her eye—something that infuriated her—and I trembled when I realized. She was staring at my palm. My healed palm. Her eyes widened as she turned my wrist, examining my hand. “What is this?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Do not lie to me, girl. How did you heal these wounds?” Her voice was panicked. Frenzied and a small part of me exulted in her hysteria. While another part of me wanted to retreat from the manic expression on her face.
She searched my hands and wrists, trailing her bony fingers along the tattooed vines. It was enough to make me question whether they were as foolproof as we’d thought. She seemed to think we’d healed ourselves with magic. That our tattoos had failed.
When she realized they were still intact, she dropped my hand and huffed.
“Tell me, or else,” she said, circling around Ladon like a huntress to her prey.
Ladon’s head moved a fraction. He didn’t have to warn me. I wasn’t going to tell her a thing. She’d punish us regardless.
Reyna stood behind Ladon, resting her chin on his shoulder. He turned his face away, but his body went rigid. I could tell from his unnatural stance that he was held in place with those wretched vines.
I instinctively moved towards him, even though I couldn’t do anything to help, but those same vines around my ankles and wrists stopped me in my tracks. I froze, watching as Reyna dragged her spindly fingers down his arms.
Ladon shuddered, breathing through gritted teeth. He was seething, and so was I. My hands were balled into fists at my sides.
Reyna traced the protruding vein in Ladon’s neck with her tongue. He snarled and stared at a spot behind me, somewhere in the corner of the room near the ceiling.
“What are you doing?” My voice was broken. Barely more than a whisper.
She turned to look at me and smiled. “Don’t worry, Emilie. He likes it. Don’t you, Ladon?” Her hand traveled down his stomach and she splayed her fingers over his groin, slipping her hand between his thighs and massaging him over his pants.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“Oh, I know I don’t. But I want to. And Ladon wants me to. You should feel him growing harder in my palm. Can’t you see the way his breathing has stopped?”
She was right about that one thing. It was like he was holding his breath, grinding his teeth. His face had an unexpected flush to it. But I knew better than to think he wanted anything to do with her. He was struggling against those magical bonds. It was etched in his eyes. Written in his pursed lips.
I was horrified as those same vines held me in place, forcing me to watch as Reyna continued to rub her hand over the fabric of his pants. He didn’t move aside from the rise and fall of his chest and the ripple of his jaw. I could hear each breath he released, breathing through his nose.
It was so quiet. And the blood rushing in my ears was so loud.
Reyna brushed her fingers against his cheek, and a growl rumbled in his chest. She eased her other hand into the band of his pants, sliding down and cupping him.
She continued to stroke him, and his body twitched. Muscles flexed and relaxed. Fighting against that twisted magic and being forced to succumb.
Why was she doing this?
Removing her hands from his body, Reyna stepped back and raked her eyes over Ladon. Like a beast ready to devour its dinner. Ladon looked anywhere but her face.
My heart ached for him.
She circled around to his front side, toying with the hem of his shirt before pulling it over his head. His arms reached toward the sky, not of their own accord, I knew. My lip trembled as her hands moved to the button on his pants.
