Page 53 of Tale of the Heart Queen

“You think I give two shits about who fucks who on the surface?” she asks. “Mate bonds are the dominion of fate. I just made you all believe that so you’d worship me, hoping I’d bestow them on you.”

“So you’re not the divine, and you don’t control the mate bond. What is it that you do up here?”

I see the moment she realizes she’s revealed too much, her eyes widening before she clenches her teeth.

“This line of questioning is over.”

She pushes up and saunters to where I’m sitting, plopping herself on my lap. It takes every ounce of restraint I possess not to dump her into a heap at my feet. I’ll need to stay on her slightly less crazy side if I want to escape with my head still attached to my neck.

“Please get off me,” I say, trying to keep my tone polite, but she ignores me, leaning in and pressing her breasts to my chest.

“We don’t have to wait for the wedding night, you know,” she says with a wink, dragging a finger along my jawbone and then pressing it to my lower lip. My head jerks as she slides the tip into my mouth, and then I do shove her off. Screw this.

She topples to the side, landing on her ass in a satisfying tumble of limbs.

“You bastard,” she hisses, scrambling to her feet.

Well, it was satisfying for me.

Faster than lightning, her hand streaks out and circles my throat. She squeezes and then starts to lift me up. I can’t resist. I claw at her arm, but I might as well be trying to fight a mountain.

“That’s enough,” she says, bringing her face close to mine. “This is your home now, princey-poo, and you are mine. Keep speaking to me this way, and I’ll cut out your tongue,” she warns. “Soon, we will right the wrong done to me so many years ago.”

Then she hurls me to the ground and claps her hands. Two of her little minions appear again. They stare blankly at me before Zerra crooks a smile.

“Don’t worry. Before long, you’ll forget your mate. You’ll forget everything. That’s what this place does to everyone.”

Her eyes flick towards her two helpers as her meaning becomes clear. These were High Fae who lived below once, but they’ve been here long enough to become these empty shells.

Icy dread trickles down my spine.

“Take him to his room,” she says, waving her hand. “He can come out when he learns how to behave.”

As I’m dragged away, one thing is absolutely clear: I have to get the fuck out of here.

CHAPTER 20

LOR

ON THE RUN

Sand churns under my feet, rubbing my soles raw. My ankle throbs, and my head pounds, but I press on, gritting through the pain. The sun starts to rise, transforming the sand into a burning canvas like walking over hot coals.

A large rock formation looms ahead, and I duck behind it to catch my breath, seeking a sliver of shade to cool off my overheating body. I’d give anything for a drink of water as sweat drips down my temples, mingling with the blood coating my face. I say a silent thank-you for my light garments at least.

Peering around the corner, I scan the horizon. In the distance, people tend to the fallen, scrambling over the wreckage. Behind me, the river looms in the distance, and though it feels like I’ve been running for hours, it looks like I’ve barely covered any distance.

Once I can breathe again, I check behind me and run.

Eventually, I’m forced to slow my pace as my breath twists tight and my chest constricts. Every time I gauge my progress, I nearly weep. Why is the river still so far away? My stomach rumbles, and my mouth feels like it’s coated with carpet. I run for the next large stand of boulders, seeking shade and another moment to rest.

Once I’ve recovered, I check behind me again, and my blood runs cold.

Two black shapes move in the distance. I recognize their armor declaring them as Rion’s soldiers, and they’re approaching much too fast.

Sucking in a panicked breath, I turn around and continue running as quickly as my tired legs will take me while I consider my next move. I could just blast them away, but I’ve hurt enough people for one day. These men serve Rion though, so why would I feel bad about that? But maybe they don’t have a choice.

More importantly, I don’t know if these two spotted me and started running or if they told the king first. If I use my magic, it’ll be a bright flashing light revealing my exact location. I’m almost sure that if Rion knew I was running this way, he would come after me himself. I decide to take my chances and hope I can outrun them. Those uniforms look heavy, and the black fabric must absorb a thousand degrees of heat. Hopefully, it slows them down.