“You’re such a—” I whisper, unable to finish the sentence before sleep takes me.Asshole.
When I wake up, I’m in the same room. Fresh clothing and a tray of food sits at the bedside, and, to my relief, I’m alone. The cloak is still wrapped around me, which suggests Magnus carefully moved me to the bed without being a creep. Still, I slip into the yellow chemise that’s been laid out on a chair.
Everything hurts.
Is it like this when Moth shifts? He always changes shape effortlessly, but I feel like I just pounded three margaritas and then tried to do CrossFit.
I reach for the tray of food, confident by this point that the food isn’t poisoned. Sitting cross-legged in bed, I eat.
I don’t think I liked, well…any of that. The new shape of my body—though powerful and comfortable—was overshadowed by the sharp rage that threatened to eat through me with every passing second. If Magnus hadn’t talked me down, I might have actually hurt him. God, I wanted to—and kinda wish I had.
But when the insufferable vampire king arrives to check on me, he’s holding a cup of that pink-tinted almond tea. I debate for a moment on whether to tell him to go away. I’m not above kicking him out of his own bedroom if I have to…
“How did you learn to do that?” I ask, unable to help myself. “To change back, I mean…”
“I cannot take credit for the tea, one of the maids brewed it at my request and—” He rambles, setting the tea cup on the end table.
“I’m talking about shifting back…” I clarify because he wouldn’t have been able to talk me through that frazzled guided meditation without at least some experience. I look at the area his wings should be. “Was it before you started wearing a glamour?”
He steps backward. I can’t help but notice that he’s keeping his distance, and the extra breathing room is a nice change of pace.
“The sight of … abnormalities among my kind is not exactly celebrated,” he said, fiddling with his necklace; it must be his glamour. “Neither court enjoyed looking upon them. Their sneers of distain were enough motivation to learn. Was this your first time?”
“I’ve done minor things before, but nothing like that,” I answer honestly. There’s no use trying to hide it. I’ve seen his wings and know he’s either hiding them or using a glamour. It seems unfair that it’s something his court won’t accept. As pissed as I am,I’ll admit they’re pretty–and the color matched his violet eyes perfectly.
He’s essentially photoshopping himself because of comments he’s received his whole life—and damn, if that’s not something I can sympathize with.
“You probably have more experience,” I say, eyeing him. Is there a version of him he loathes even more than this? Something that might actually be worth breaking mirrors over?
“Even still, I have never…” He swallows hard. “If I have a form like yours—I would not want to know it.”
“Seriously?” I snap. “No offense, but you seem like the type who would want more power, not less.”
“I do not want to offend.”
“As if anything you could say would make me hate you more.” I cross my arms as an uncomfortable feeling washes over me. I realize it’shisbed I’ve taken over.
“Beauty is power,” he says with a small shrug, as if it’s not something to be debated. “I have never found the forms the Moths and Bumbles take … appealing. I’ve made it clear your aesthetics, shall we say, are one of the reasons I’ve been drawn to you.”
“Is that why when I turned back you said my beauty had been restored?” I ask, and he simply nods.
“Don’t you think that’s shallow? Like, think about it. If we do find some mortal to set you up with, she’ll grow old. Marriage is in sickness and health—”
“Mortal vows are meaningless in the world of faeries and monsters. The woman in question would become a vampire.” He sighs. “I’m sure your fiancé would agree with the sentiment.”
“Considering we were about to have a mortal wedding—no, I don’t think he would,” I huff.Moth would accept me no matter what. Iknowthat.
“He turned you, didn’t he?”Magnus says, and though he’s still keeping his distance, his gaze is dagger sharp.
“He didn’t have a choice,” I bristle. “I told you; this isn’t my first time being kidnapped.”
“What happened the first time, Heather?” he asks, closer now.
“None of your business!” I cut him off, my claws sharpening into points. He reaches out, but falls short of actually touching me. Still, there’s a seriousness about him I’m not used to.Protective.
“But if there was another suitor—someone who you still pine for—someone your fiancé hurt.” Magnus’s sentences are choppy as he tries to work out the details of my past. Unfortunately the clueless vampire king is once again using a set of pieces that don’t belong to the right game. He’s right that someone stole me away from Moth—but it wasn’t something I wanted, and neither is this.
Rage boils in my chest.
