I wipe at my eyes with my palm, then my mouth and nose with the back of it.Swallowing down the snot in my throat, I rasp, “Ambrosia.”
His lips twitch.“The alcohol?”
Another sniffle.“They like it.They’ll eat it until they pass out.”
He leansforward and kissesme, a quick peck on the lips, and I’mnotsurewhich one of us issurprised more.With wide eyes, I stare at him.Heholdsmy gaze for a second,looking just as lost at me,thenheglancesaway.
“Someone get me some ambrosia,”my kingsays, rising andpulling me to my feet alongside him.
Jace approachesus astwo of theguardsscatter.Leaning closeto his king, he whispers, “What are you doing?”
Letting me go, Richard gestureshis head to the side.I watch as they walk away a bit, watch them talk, a heateddiscussion clear in their gestures.Jace waveshis arms while Richardstandsstoically, his arms crossed, his face saying hedoesn’tgive a fuck about whatever Jace’ssaying.Hisgazelatchesontome…
Hestudiesme, his violet eyes soft and hard all at once – an enigma.Everything about himisan enigma.
I raise a hand to mylips, feeling the ghost of that peck.Itwaslighter than any ofourprevious kisses…andyet,it wasthe heaviest of them all.Isaw it inhis eyes, the softness, his surprise.Hedidn’tmean to do it.Which meanshewasn’table to stop himself, andthe fact thatthis rigid manlostcontrol, even for a second, floorsme.He kissed me not for a role or a political gain.He kissed me for me.
Confused and lost, I hurry towards my house,seeking comfort in the familiar, in the predictable.In the easiness that was my life before I ventured into Raza.
“Take another step,”hecallsout behind me, his voice flat and even, “and I’ll burn the place down myself.”
My feetgrindto a halt.“But –”
“Does Jace need to take you away from here?”
Ishakemy head quickly, hearing footsteps behind me.“I’ll be good.”
His lips press against my ear as herunsthe back of his fingers down the side of my neck.“I know you will becauseif not, I’llhave to punish you.”Hishandtightensaround my throat, holding in the hot gasp that wantsto escape.“My queen.”
I shudder,fightingthe sudden urge to do something bad.Something naughty.
“The ambrosia,Your Highness.”
When his presence vanishesbehind me, I suck in a ragged breath.Itdoeslittle to bring order to the chaotic thoughts running free in my mind.
Walking over to one of thefarwindows, Jace bangson it with a fist, drawing any free wasps to him.
Richard approachesthe door.
Opensit and stepsinside.
My breathcatchesin my throat.I want to call him back.I want to give myself time to think about what Ireallywant.
But that little voice in my head, that whisper of reason,tellsme to stay quiet.
You want to live, don’t you?
I nod even as I start to tremble.Excitement and fear swirl inside me.I latch on to the former until ittakesoverallelse, until I’mwaiting in anticipation of his scream.
I want to live.
Above everything else, I want to live.
That little voice startsto laugh.And then it coos,Well, we might as well break all the rules then.Can’t exactly go to Niflhel twice.
Twenty-Seven
Everyone knows brownies aren’t afraid to fuck monsters.Ironically, they are the only things yondus (sex-obsessed monsters) avoid.
