“Treason carries the punishment of death,” he said, his voice eerily calm. “They’re lucky I made it a quick one.”
“Oh? Was that for my benefit? Trying to frighten the fragile, helpless witch into confessing her secrets by showing her what a big, scary fairy you are?”
Behind me, one of the guards cleared his throat, but said nothing.
“I never pegged you as fragile or helpless, little thief,” Keradoc said. “Only presumptuous.” He walked around me in a slow circle, examining me as if I were a prized steer at an auction, then finally stopped to stand behind me. I could feel him looming, the air heavy with his cloying scent, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of tipping my head up to look at him.
“How the fuck do you even know those shifters were guilty?” I snapped, past the point of caring whether I pissed him off. He was either going to behead me or keep screwing with me, and if he chose the former? Fine. I’d makedamnsure I was still cursing him out when my head rolled. “Who appointedyoujudge, jury, and executioner? Last I heard, you were just a self-appointed, washed-up warlord moving pieces around a chessboard with one hand and jerking off with the other. And who made that throne, anyway? Are those even real bones? Because I’m pretty sure I saw a DIY kit just like it on Amazon.”
A shadow shifted over me, the scent of roses receding.
A chill crept across my shoulders, making me shiver.
And once again, Keradoc of Midnight swung his sword.
I gasped, but the pain never came.
The ropes fell away from my wrists and ankles. I was pretty sure he’d slashed a few stitches on my dress too. But…
Holyfuck. Had I not been so busy trying not to pee myself, I might’ve taken a moment to be impressed with his swordsmanship.
Turning back to his guards, Keradoc said, “Leave us.”
They did as he asked. When the door finally slammed shut, he sighed and tossed the sword to the floor, like he couldn’t even stand to hold it. The metallic clang echoed across the cavernous room, making my teeth clench.
“On your feet, witch.”
I stood up slowly and rubbed my wrists, trying to figure out my next move. Try to go for the sword? It was mere feet away from me, but… No. He’d almost certainly beat me to it. Hell, he’d probably set the whole thing up as a test, just to see how far I’d push him.
I got the distinct feeling the guy was bored and looking for a challenge.
Why keep me alive otherwise?
So the sword was a no-go. I had no weapons, no jewelry but the ring, and my fingernails weren’t long or sharp enough to cut my skin and draw blood. If I acted quickly, though, a hard bite to the fleshy part of my hand could do the trick…
I feigned a cough, lifting my hand to my mouth, and—
Keradoc grabbed my wrists and hauled me against his chest—another dance, but this one was much rougher than the last. Much more intense.
And Keradoc, the fucking creep, was hard as hell.
An answering pulse of desire throbbed in my core.
Thathadto be a fae trick. Keradoc was a fucking murderous asshole. A sociopath. We were standing in a pool of shifter blood, for fuck’s sake, all because he’d felt like playing with his big sword.
“Tell me something, witch,” he said. His cold-roses scent washed over me again, mixing with that forbidden earthiness that’d called to me earlier, all of it conspiring with his smooth voice and warm body to shatter my resolve.
None of this made sense. Why the fuck did he sound—did hefeel—so familiar?
“If treason is punishable by death,” he murmured, his gaze sweeping my face, “what is the appropriate sentence for a thief who attempts to steal the blood of the… what was it now? Ah, yes. The self-appointed, washed-up warlord of Midnight?”
He released me and retrieved a vial from his pocket, holding it before my eyes.Myvial. His blood swirled inside, flickering with magick.
He dropped it. Stomped on it.
Fuck. Me.
I swallowed the tightness in my throat, refusing to shed so much as a single tear. This was far from over. Therehadto be another way. As long as I was still breathing, there was another way, and I’d fucking find it.
