It was more than I expected, so I kept my mouth shut.
“And the witch?” one of the guards asked.
“Leave her.” Keradoc’s teeth flashed in the torchlight, and he leaned closer once more, reaching for a lock of my hair. In a soft, soothing voice that sent chills racing across my shoulders, he whispered, “It’s time I had a conversation with my little thief about consequences.”
5
HALEY
Iwas alone again with the warlord of Midnight, my insides trembling as he continued to stare at me, cold and unflinching. It felt like he was looking right through me, peeling back every layer, dismantling every wall I’d spent so many years erecting.
I studied him as well, still trying to understand what I’d seen behind his glamour. He was the warlord of Midnight—at least, that was the role he was playing. So why did he need to hide behind a mask?
More disturbing than that, though, was the strange connection I felt to him. Not just because of the intense kiss we’d shared, or because I’d used my magick to influence the flow of his blood, or even because I’dswornI’d seen Elian’s silver eyes flickering behind Keradoc’s violet ones.
No… Somethingelsebound me to this fae—a dark magick that hummed between us like an electrical current, barely perceptible but lingering nevertheless. My body responded to his presence even now, drawn to him in ways a captive should never be.
And in those violet eyes, I saw it too—the same curiosity about me as I felt about him. The same wonder.
The same desire.
After what seemed like an eternity, he finally turned his back and headed for the exit.
The breath rushed from my lungs in an audible sigh.
“Come,” he demanded, the sharp, icy tone echoing with his footsteps across the floor.
I was still vibrating from the adrenaline coursing through my system, weakened from the magick I’d conjured, terrified for Jax and Elian, completely confused about my reactions to the man, and also—for the record—starving. Unless he was promising me dinner, I had no intentions of following that assholeanywherealone.
When he realized I hadn’t moved, he stopped before the exit, barely turning his head to spare me a glance. “Is there a problem, Miss Barnes?”
“I was waiting for you to say ‘please,’ but apparently, you’re about as big a fan of manners as you are of free choice, so it looks like I’m pretty much screwed.”
“Categorically untrue.” He approached me again, his eyes glinting with some new trickery. “I’m a huge proponent of choice. In this moment, you’ve got two: follow me out of this room on your own two feet, or I shall render you unconscious and drag you out by the hair. Take your pick, witch, and make haste. I’ve got business to attend to.”
“Wow. So the big, scary fairy gets off on making idle threats to women.Veryimpressive, Keradoc. You totally deserve a cookie.” I rolled my eyes and stalked past him, knocking into his shoulder.
In a move so fluid it was no more than a blur in my peripheral vision, he spun and gripped my upper arms, hauling me backward against his chest. His fingers dug so hard into my flesh I knew he’d leave a bruise.
In a low, dangerous voice, he whispered, “Would you prefer I show rather than tell? Even in a realm so brutal as ours, I’mnotknown for my mercy.”
“Really? And here I thought you were a big ol’ softy, what with you beheading a pair of shifters, sending your guards to ambush my men with crossbows, tossing them into the dungeon half-dead and bleeding, not to mention drugging me with your fae roofies.” I jerked free of his grip and turned to face him, rubbing my throbbing arms. “Twice, I might add. And I don’t care how many guards you have at your beck and call. You manhandle me like that again, the next time I work my magick, I’ll blast it straight up your arrogant fae ass.”
A slow grin stretched across his mouth, a menacing slash of red in a face too pretty to be so dark. “You think me cruel, little thief?”
“Among other things, yes.”
“Cruelty is a tactic that wins wars.”
“Cruelty is a tactic relied upon by men with small dicks who lack the confidence to communicate and the courage to fight fair.”
“I see. So in your neat-and-tidy little worldview, the meek shall inherit the earth—or in this case, Midnight?” He scoffed. “Only two kinds of people believe that, Miss Barnes. The extremely privileged and the extremely naive, neither of whom have any right to criticize the things the rest of us must do to survive.”
Survive. The word pricked at my insides, igniting a flurry of fresh outrage.
“You aren’t a survivor, Keradoc,” I practically spat. “You’re the reason people like me are forced to survive. You stand there reeking of wealth and power, smiling for your guests, opening your home to the masses as if you’re some benevolent god from above when in reality you’re nothing but a murderer, a kidnapper, a torturer, and a warmonger with legions of minions falling over themselves for a chance to do your bidding. The only battles your sword has ever seen are the ones dropped at your feet for your entertainment, and you knownothingabout my life—nothing but the few things you believe will serve your interests. So the next time you want to lecture me about privilege and naiveté, you pompous dick, do your fucking homework.”
This time, I didn’t turn away or try to stalk past him. I stared him down, fury simmering between us, waiting for him to make another move—to tie me up again, to blow his gold fairy dust into my face, to gut me with the dagger he’d stolen from me.
