Then drown him as he’s screaming about his dick?
For some reason, I don’t think that’s going to be any easier.I reckon a man might fight harder if his dick is on the line.
Closing my eyes on a silent groan,I lie in bed andtry not to think about saiddick.About how well I felt it last night, even though it was still between multiple layers of clothing.Fuck me, the belt thingImadewas a good idea.Richard called it a chastity belt; I called it the only way to hold on to my sanity.
If he’d fucked me in the hall, there’s no way I’d be able to kill him.Already, it’s getting quite hard.Every time I close my eyes, I see his smile.The sadnesshe hides.The desire to be seen as something other than the monsterhis own peoplebelieve him to be.My heart aches for him.I love monsters.I love thembecauseno one else will, and everyone deserves to be loved.To know what it’s like to have somewhere they belong.And Richard, dang it all, is really starting to feel like whereIbelong.
In his arms.Sitting beside him on the throne.Ruling as king and queen.
But that is nothing butafantasy.
Throwing off my covers, I climb out of bed and try to figure out what my next move is.A lot of brownies die of laughter, but I’ve always struggled to tell jokes.Not because I’m not hilarious, but because they’re so darn funny that I can’t breathe well enough to tell them.Fabia still hasn’t heard my funniest joke because I end up on the floor before I can get the second sentence out.
I could take him for a walk through my old carnivorous plants, which are now planted well away from Brownston thanks to Fabia’s insistence, but they take hours to digest their food, and in that time, Richard would definitely just cut his way out of them.Evenif I somehow knocked him out and then dumped his body at their feeding grounds, there’s still the issue of Jace.
Turning, I face the pile of books that I brought back from Brownston.I already flipped through them and ruled out all the murderous ideas Fabiaincluded in her works, but maybe I shouldtakea secondlook.After all, I didn’t finish re-reading the oneRichard had caught me with.
Then again, I’m not in possession of a barbed slug dick that’s sharp enough to pierce through a female’s belly.And even if I was… that is not the sort of pegging I am in to.
Blowing out a breath,I pace over to the windows in the sitting area.Reaching from floor-to-ceiling, they look out over the bustling city of Kholar.As the sun dances through the leaves, Ithink aboutall the shops and attractionsI’llnever get to visit: the nefarious arena where prisoners of warcanfight for their freedom, the battlefields wherekidsas young as two start to train, and the beautifully carved library that’ssituated in the trunk of the tree above the castle.Ican’tsee it from here, but I know of it from Fabia’s stories.She saysit’sthe Secret Wonder of Gaera,abuildingso beautiful, it’s been blessed byAphrodite,the Graecian Goddess of Love.
My eyes widenas I press my face to the glass and try to look up.That’s it!The librarymustbe full of How to Kill People books!I just need to grab a few and do my research!
Turning from the window, I scurryto the door of my suite andyankit open.
“Morning,”I say to the two guards stationed there.“Hope you are well.Iwouldlike to visitthe library, please.”I pause, realising that thoughthey’ve both been outside my door for days, I have no idea what either of their names are.
Bugger, I’ve been a terrible brownie all around recently.Turning tothe onewho showed me to Richard’s study on our wedding night, Ithrow my arms aroundher.“Sorry I didn’t introduce myself earlier.I’m Arienna.What’s your name?”
The womanstandsentirelyrigid,with her hands at her sides.“I’m Marrabel.”
“Hi, Marrabel.”I turn to the other guard and hug her too.“And you?”
“I’m her sister,Saragese.”She clears her throat.“Um, Your Majesty?”
“Yes?”I ask, leaning back to look her in the eye.She isn’tlooking at me though; her gaze is locked on the ceiling.
“Would you like to put on some clothesbefore we head to the library?”
Gasping, Ijerk away from her and look down at myself.Oh no!I was so caught up in planning murderthat I didn’t think about clothes.Probably because they don’t seem to be doing much good here anyway.
“Ah,” I squeak,blushing as the thoughts of last night fill my mind.“My apologies.”Darting back into my room, I closethedoor.
The next time I step out, the two guardsfinallymeet my eye.I smile at them cheerfully.They bothnoticeably relax.“So,”I say,“can you show me to the library above the castle, please?”
Marrabel nods.“This way, Your Majesty.”She walks in front of me while Saragese brings up the rear.I take the time to study her, trying to peek into Fabia’s future.Her hair, like her sister’s, is a midnight blue, cut short to her scalp.But whereas Saragese has a short mohawk, Marrabel has auniform cut all around.
She moves with the same grace that everyone seems to have here, and one hand lingers on the hilt of her sword.My eyes narrow in curiosity as I notice a marking on the back of her hand, peeking out of her sleeve.
“What’s that?”I ask, pointing to it.
She lifts her hand upand pulls down her sleeve,showing it to me fully.It wraps all the way down her arm – blackthornyvinescrawling over each other in intricate shapes,with characters in the middle ofeveryeye-shaped gap.“It’s a rune for my magic,”she says.
“That’s so cool!What’s it do?We don’t have any witches in Brownston.”
“I will tell you if you order me to, but it’s dangerous for a witch to share the secrets of their runes.”
“Oh.Why?”
