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I looked at Ladon, and his brow was furrowed slightly, like he was wondering the same thing.
“Hurry up. I haven’t got all day,” Reyna said.
I stood on shaky legs, and together, Ladon and I followed her out of our room. I felt his hand on my back, then his breath on my ear as he leaned in close enough for me to hear.
“It’s going to be okay. We will get through this.”
I didn’t know if he was trying to convince me or himself. I could hardly swallow, my throat had gone so dry, and my heart felt like it was going to pound right out of my chest. Somehow, knowing what awaited us was even worse than when I hadn’t known.
As we passed the hall that would’ve led to the drawing room and dining area, Ladon and I exchanged a look. I assumed he was thinking the same thing as I was—that being taken to a new area in the mountain was suspicious. Danger lurked in every corner of the mountain and I could only imagine the ways that it could get worse than what we’d encountered so far.
We rounded a corner and then up a staircase, walking along a long, narrow corridor before we made it to our destination. Luther stood outside a dark double wooden door which was decorated with vines that looked eerily familiar to the ones on my wrists and ankles. She nodded to the guard, who opened the door. Then she ushered Ladon and I inside, following closely behind.
It was a bedroom. A four-post canopy bed took up half of the room, decorated with black fur blankets and tasseled pillows. The canopy itself was made of a thin lace rose pattern. Opposite the bed were two chairs centered around a towering fireplace, where a small crackling flame glowed in the night. It was the only light source in the room, except for…moonlight.
The wall across from the door had three grand windows, arched at the top and devoid of drapes. The view from the room was stunning. From this vantage point, I could see how high up in the mountains we were, and this room opened up to a black night sky. Nothing interrupted the view for miles. It was only the moon, some clouds, and endless stars.
Reyna poured a glass of wine before she sat in one of the chairs. It swiveled until she was facing the bed. Neither of us moved while she sipped from her glass. She gestured toward the bed. “Sit.”
Ladon led the way, his courage helped me find my own. He sat on the end of the bed and, before I could sit next to him, Reyna barked at me. “Not you, Emilie. You can come sit next to me.”
She patted the chair next to her. It felt like a betrayal to leave Ladon’s side. But I didn’t have a choice. If only Ladon’s siphoning power had nullified the vines that submitted me to her will. I sat in the chair and she poured a second glass of wine, extending it to me.
I stared at it. And then stared at her. She was watching me. Waiting for me to drink.
“Oh please, Emilie. I didn’t poison it.” She laughed. “Although I can see why you thought I might.”
Her laugh was unnerving. Reyna was the worst kind of villain. The kind that isn’t completely sane. Whose actions and words don’t make sense. Who acts on every impulse and thinks about the consequences later. She was unpredictable and terrifying.
I took a small sip, just so she would look anywhere else but me.
Finally, she returned her attention to Ladon. “I suppose you’re wondering why I brought you here today. No dinner party this evening. My friends had other engagements preventing us from meeting tonight.”
Ladon snorted at the word friends. I wished he wouldn’t push her. But then again, he’d never been the type to hold back. She thrummed her fingers on the side of her wineglass, glaring at him.
“Take off your shirt, Ladon.”
His jaw clenched before he reached over his head and pulled his shirt off in one smooth motion. He tossed it on the ground right in front of Reyna’s feet.
I knew he meant to anger her, but I think his attitude only excited her more. She turned to me. “Isn’t he a sight to behold? All chiseled and hard. The gods blessed him with that warrior body.”
She gossiped like he wasn’t there. Like I was one of her friends, and not her prisoner. I frowned and took another sip of wine, just to have something to do with my hands.
“I asked you a question, Emilie.”
I swallowed my wine. “Um, yes.”
Reyna seemed delighted with this response. “What is your favorite part of him?”
I hated her games. I hated them so much. I sighed and reluctantly raised my head, my cheeks burning. Ladon, meanwhile, was the epitome of calm and collected. Aside from the venomous look he was giving Reyna, he seemed completely at ease with the situation.
There was no way that wasn’t a façade. I didn’t believe for a second that it wasn’t affecting him.
Reyna cleared her throat, urging me to answer the question.
My eyes raked his body in the politest way I could manage, never lingering too long on any one feature. I knew what it was like to be put on display and I didn’t want to subject him to the same torture.
I went with the safest answer I could think of. “His hands.”
