What sort of twisted game is he playing here?
Only one way to find out.
So, I force my feet to move forward, even though every cell of my body screams against it. This man is the enemy.
A servant pulls back a chair for me, and the moment I sit, he drops a white cloth napkin in my lap before offering to fill my glass with plum blossom wine. I politely refuse.
Reizei watches me curiously. “Have you gotten enough rest?”
“If you think treating me nicely will change my mind and get me to speak, you’re wrong,” I say, voice low.
Reizei’s hand holding the glass of wine halts midair.
“That’s not why you’re here,” he says. “I know you won’t reveal anything. You’ve proven that.”
I blink at him, mind blank.
“I’m impressed by your resilience. By your determination, and dedication. These are rare qualities,” he says and takes a generous sip of his wine.
I stare at him, speechless.
What sort of twisted form of reverse psychology is this? My mind is running a thousand miles per hour, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t…figure him out.
“Why am I here?” I ask.
A servant brings two plates with appetizers and sets it in front of us.
“You’ve passed the test,” Reizei says and slices his grilled asparagus in half with a sharp knife.
He elegantly puts a piece in his mouth and chews before adding a little more salt to the rest.
My stomach churns. “What test?”
“Eat, Vera,” he says. “You’re malnourished.”
I glance at the table setting in front of me. A shiny fork on one side of the plate. A sharp knife on the other.
Could I kill him?
Slowly, I wrap my hand around the handle of the knife. My fingers spasm as I try to get a better grip on it.
My heart drops. Suddenly, I’m so tired I can barely sit.
“What test?” I ask again, and look up at him.
“Caligos initiation, of course.”
I jolt as if he had slapped me across the face. “What?You can’t force me into becoming a Caligos. I will not!”
Reizei sighs. “Tell me, Vera. Have you ever wondered why other Decarios aren’t able to read your emotions?”
I go utterly still.
“Or why you heal just a tiny bit faster than other fae?” Reizei raises an eyebrow.
How does he know about that?
I swallow the ball lodged in my throat. “I don’t know. I never paid much attention to it.”
