I sobbed. Sliding back onto his throne, pretending that putting distance between us would keep me safe. Dahes’ grinned. He pulled his hood down, then ripped off his mask as he soaked me in.
Half-naked. Bleeding. Sobbing. Voiceless. On his throne.
Behind us, there were more protests, more fighting. I knew Hael was taking beating after beating to get to me, but I could no longer see it. My tears were too heavy, too blurry, my vision hazy as it threatened to consume me.
Dahes took a step toward me.
“I’ll do it—” Hael screamed.
Dahes didn’t turn around at Hael’s protest. He was still staring down at me, his gaze lingering on my exposed chest as I rapidly sucked down breaths. My body revolted at the glint in his eyes, at the possessive way he was standing over me.
“I’ll give you what you want—” Hael’s voice was ringing through my ears in ragged pants as realization of the past couple of hours clicked. Dahes was trying to make a deal with him—had been torturing him while I was locked in my room, but nothing made him cave. It had been hours since we came back. Hael must be close to getting his well back from the burnout. His powers would return soon, he just had to hold out a little longer…
“Swear to me that you will become my prisoner,” Dahes sneered, his voice echoing across the room.
No, Hael. Don’t do it. Please don’t do it…
“I’ll do anything you want. Just don’t fucking touch her,” Hael swore, his eyes searching mine, but I refused to look.
“Swear it,” Dahes’ voice lowered. “Swear you will not resist me. That you will not access your Vinculum Bond until I tell you to. You will not ride your dragon. You will do everything I tell you to do.” Dahes was still looking down at me, forcing Hael to stare at his back. “And you will fight with me in Viven during the Summer Solstice on the first night of theWatala, and you will be the one to kill King Elion.”
There was a pause—only one second—and all I wanted to do was beg Hael not to…
“I swear.”
Dahes grinned, his voice entering my head.“Stand, little ghost.”
I did, only to fall to my knees. A crack echoed off the stone, and I wasn’t sure if I broke bones.
Dahes turned around to face Hael before sinking back onto his throne. Hael slackened against the sentries, desperation across his face as he took me in.
I was covered in blood. Red seeped onto my knees and palms from where I braced the fall on the slab of stone. The top half of my slip was still torn, any semblance of coverage was gone.
“Now, get up,”Dahes crooned.“Come sit on my lap.”
No. No. No. I didn’t want to do this…
I rose, my legs trembling. Everything was planned. Dahes was only speaking in my head now. I knew exactly how this was going to look, how it would seem…
I fell onto his lap.
Hael straightened, his jaw tensed as Dahes pulled me further into him. His other hand started absentmindedly stroking my arm. I tried not to focus on my body, on the fact that I could feel Dahes already hard against my back. I knew he would try again. He was biding his time.
“I have to say, I’m proud of you, Magnolia. You did a marvelous jobacting.”
Hael tensed. His eye flicked from mine to Dahes, lingering over his hand resting around my waist, and I couldn’t look, couldn’t see the moment he realized?—
“You managed to seduce and trick King Elion’s Drakin Leader.”
Silence filled the throne room for one, two, three seconds…
“You…” Hael’s words died on his tongue. “Everything was a lie?”
I flinched at his tone, at the hurt hidden beneath the anger I knew was coming. A single tear rolled down my cheek, meeting with the wetness already pooling on my face.
Dahes laughed. “Magnolia here was able to infiltrate your kingdom and manipulate everyone inside it, including you. Everything was a lie, even saving her from the Tallik was calculated.”
“You’reDahes’ whore.” It wasn’t a question, and he spit the last two words at me like I repulsed him.
