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Chapter 4
Bree
It seemedlike the food of Underworld sucked some serious ass, though Bree was fairly certain that wasn’t the real problem at all. The actual issue? Taveon had ordered the cooks to bring her their scraps or the worst combination of food imaginable. He was trying to get his point across, and it was actuallyworking.
Do what I say. Don’t make an ass out of me. I can make your life better or worse. It all depends onyou.
But despite knowing that she could catch a few breaks if she just played along, she couldn’t bring herself to back down. Her anger at Prince Taveon went too deep. She’d never wanted to punch someone more, and yet, the only thing she could do was stage small, silentrebellions.
Prince Taveon showed up at the same time—she thought, anyway—as the day before. He didn’t make her change into some fancy dress this time. Instead, he handed her some well-fitting fighting leathers, ones that were threaded with rich golds and reds. As usual, he stood on the other side of the cell bars, his back turned toward Bree as she changed. She tried to ignore the feel of his eyes on her naked back, but that was next toimpossible.
A part of her wondered if he got some delicious thrill out of this, but she knew better than that. Every time he looked at her, there was nothing but disdain written all over his face. There was no intrigue or curiosity or attraction. In fact, it felt like the complete opposite. He couldn’t care less about BreePaine.
“What’s your problem with me anyway?” she asked as she pulled on a thick but light-fittingboot.
A snort was Taveon’s onlyreply.
“Seriously,” Bree pressed on, yanking the other boot onto her foot. “What’s yourdeal?”
“You murdered me. Is that notenough?”
Bree rolled her eyes. “I didn’tmurderyou. You’re standing right there, alive and well, on the other side of the cell bars, glaring in at me with that gloomy look ofyours.”
“Well, you attemptedto.”
Bree let out a heavy sigh as she laced up the boot. “I was trying to get away from you, Prince Taveon. I don’t want to be your slave. I don’t want to kill people for you. You won’t let me go. What else was I supposed todo?”
Apause.
Bree whirled to face him, her fists clenched tight by her sides. “Tell me you wouldn’t have done the same if you wereme.”
At that, the look of disdain flared across his face again. “No, I would not have. I would never be in your situation in the first place. I am not human. I am not Light Fae. And I am certainly not ashapeshifter.”
Ah, so there it was. He thought of himself as better than Bree, just because of what she was or what she had been. Of course he would look down on humans. They were his food. And he would look down on Redcaps as they were merely vessels to be controlled. And the Light Fae? Well, the Dark Fae practically controlled them,too.
“You’re an asshole,” shesaid.
He raised an eyebrow, seemingly unfazed by her insult. “Are you finished yet, human? Or shall I leave you in there all day and come backtomorrow?”
Panic flared in her chest. She hated that he knew her this well already. Bree couldn’t bear the thought of sitting in this dank, dim cell for an entire day. She wanted out. She’d do practically anything for a few breaths of fresh air, and that included snapping her mouthshut.
When Prince Taveon saw the look in her eye, he gave a nod and unlocked the cell door. Relief whooshed out of her, but as she stepped into the corridor, he snapped the wrist braces around her arms again. They were hard and cold to the touch, a grim reminder that he was her master and she was hisslave.
He led her down the corridor, but this time, they didn’t go up the stairs. Instead, they continued on past a bend in the darkness, the fire-lit sconces dropping away to reveal nothing but black. Bree frowned but kept her feet moving. Where was he taking her? Surely he hadn’t decided to get rid of heralready?
“Stop panicking,” he said in a gruff voice as he jerked on her chains. “I am not leading you to your execution. At least nottoday.”
Gee, that really put the warm fuzzies into Bree’s heart. “So you do plan on killing meeventually.”
“Not if youcooperate.”
Bree shot a sideways glance his way. He was nothing more than a silhouette in the darkness. His strong jaw. His broad shoulders. His tall form that radiated pure, chaotic power. There was something so unnerving about Prince Taveon, and it made her entire body shiver from the force of it. What was it about this fae? What was it that made her feel as though she could reach outand—
Bree blinked and ripped her gaze away, heart hammering. What the hell was wrong withher?
Prince Taveon seemed completely oblivious to her gaze. He just kept on striding forward, occasionally yanking hard enough on her chain to make her stumble. He really was a complete asshole, and it seriously pissed her off that he could look so good while being such an insufferabledick.
“Here we are.” Prince Taveon came to a stop just before a small wooden door. He pulled a heavy set of keys from his pocket, jammed an old silver key into the lock, and then turned. The door creaked as he pushed it open, sending a wave of shivers down Bree’sspine.
