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“Fight to thedeath?” She stopped short in her tracks, her chains jangling with the sudden movement. “You can’t be serious. This is some kind ofjoke.”
“I do not joke,Bree.”
She ground her teeth together, fire licking the insides of her stomach. “You’re really going to do that? Force me to fight for my life? You do know that if I die, I can’t do this energy thing you want me to do, right? If I die, you can’t fix theTithe?”
“Yes, I do realize that,” he said with narrowed eyes. “That is why you must train. You must make certain you can win thisfight.”
“I can’t believe it.” Bree threw up her hands, her chains rattling even harder. The sound caught the attention of a few fae clustered at the end of the hallway. She recognized one of them. That strange, unnerving fae she’d met the last time the Prince had taken her on a walk. Some kind of Lord. He twisted her way at the sound, his eyes sparking with something dangerous when he saw who had made thenoise.
“Be quiet,” the Prince said in a low, dangerous voice. “You mustn’t cause a scene in front of other Courtmembers.”
“Or what?” She crossed her arms over her chest, the sleeves of the dress dropping away to reveal the chains. “You’ll force me to do something dangerous, like, I don’t know,fight to thedeath?”
The Prince frowned and flicked his eyes down the hallway. Bree’s lips curled. He didn’t want the others to overhear this conversation. He didn’t want to be embarrassed in front of them. He was nervous that she’d make some kind of scene, one that would reflect badly onhim.
A strange smile spread across Bree’s face. If she were smart, she wouldn’t give in to the urge. She would fall silent and do as she wastold.
But her hatred and anger for him took over hermind.
“I will not fight to the death for you!” she loudly proclaimed. And then she kicked him right in theknee.
Everything wentblack.
* * *
“You shouldn’t have done that,”Rafferty murmured as Bree moaned, and she squinted against the bright glow of a hundred tiny lights. Her vision began to clear, bringing her surroundings into focus. She was in some kind of dining hall. Hundreds of sconces lined the walls, highlighting the five long tables that stretched across the massive stonespace.
Bree twisted, her cheek brushing against the ground. She was on the floor, lying next to...a pair of silver boots. She looked up. A pair of boots that belonged to the Prince. He glared down at her, eyes sparking with that intense hatred ofhis.
Rafferty knelt by her side,frowning.
“Where am I?” Bree asked. “What’s goingon?”
“You are in the Great Hall. The Court has just had their evening feast. You are the...entertainment for the evening.” Rafe winced and glanced up at the Prince. “Is this really necessary,Taveon?”
Bree couldn’t help but notice that the Prince did not correct his friend’s lack of title when addressinghim.
“Honor demands punishment when a slave does not show the proper respect toward members of the royalfamily.”
Rafe’s face clouded over, and he dropped his voice to a whisper. “This is not honor,Taveon.”
“Rafe.” The Prince hissed. “Do not question me on this. It must bedone.”
Rafe fell silent, and then sighed as he helped Breestand.
“I don’t understand what’s going on,” she repeated, frowning out at the dozens of eyes that were now focused right on Bree’s face. Lord Dagen was among them, sitting right in front with his hands clasped across this chest. Bree glanced at Rafe, trying to understand what the hell washappening.
Rafe gave her a strained smile. “Unfortunately, the Court was witness to an attack on the Prince by you, Bree Paine. The crown demands punishment when members of the royal family have been wronged. The Prince has chosen...well, you are to dance for theCourt.”
Bree nodded, swallowing hard. She had to admit that it was a strange punishment, one that was mortifying but not particularly terrible. She would have conjured a million different types of Dark Fae punishment rather than this. Scrubbing floors. Having hair pulled out one by one. But dancing? That didn’t seem all thatbad.
“Until you collapse from exhaustion,” Rafe added. “You will not be allowed to pause, and you will not be allowed food or drink until your legs have buckled and you can no longerstand.”
A chill went through her. Okay, so this punishment wasn’t quite as harmless as she’dthought.
Prince Taveon pushed back his chair and stood. “I am certain many of you are curious about this girl I have brought before you.” He gazed around the expansive room. “This is Bree Paine, a slave I found during my travels through the Forest ofFireflies.”
Frowning, Bree glanced at Rafe who turned his back toward the crowd and placed a single finger on his lips. How strange. Bree had never heard of the Forest of Fireflies but it must be a place found in the Dark Fae’s realm. Which meant the Prince did not want the rest of his Court to know where she truly came from. Butwhy?
