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I timidly meet Nor’s gaze, afraid of the rage I’ll see there, and find his amber eyes full of invisible fire.
“Come,” he growls through his teeth. “Now.”
I know better than to object.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
Nor
One of these days, I’m going to lose my grip on the years of built-up hostility and bitterness and beat Zen’s ass to a bloody pulp.
It’s only a matter of time.
While Oryx is annoying and somehow finds new ways to wedge himself under my skin every day, I know he cares. He cares about his kingdom and the people who live within its borders. He cares about his family and wants to see them happy and healthy. He cares about me, which I know can be challenging some days, but he does anyways.
Zenobios, on the other hand, has only ever cared about himself, and he only sticks his nose in things when it benefits him. He moves in the shadows, rarely drawing attention to himself, and that makes him even more dangerous. Like a snake hiding in tall grass, no one ever knows where to expect him. No one knows if he’s lurking or watching, so most days, my other siblings and I ignore his existence unless he makes his presence known.
It’s the only way we’ve managed to cohabitate with him for this long.
I hold out hope that one day, he’ll pack up his things and disappear, but I doubt I’ll ever be that lucky. When I’m king, perhaps I can persuade him to take a one-way trip to a place far away for a considerable amount of money. Maybe I’ll snap before then and break his neck.
I’m fine with either outcome.
However, I’m not fine with his obnoxious habit of disrespecting those above him, and how he called my marriage ironic. Not that it isn’t ironic, but the fact that he’s so interested in my union means he sees himself benefitting from it somehow.
What could he possibly stand to gain?
Alarm bells are sounding in my head, despite my efforts to shake off the interaction. It’s tainted the evening and ruined my mood.
He should be more concerned with what he stands to lose when I become king, because he’s a couple of snide marks away from being banished if I have any control over it.
I’m so focused on my thoughts as we climb our way to the second floor of the castle that I almost forget the princess on my heels. I look over my shoulder, seeing that she’s fallen several steps behind, and I wait for her to catch up.
“You keep forgetting I have short legs,” she jokes lightly, but I can tell her heart isn’t in it. I’ve been so wrapped up in how I want to break Zen’s horns off his head and shove them down his throat, I haven’t slowed down to explain anything.
“That was my other brother,” I say, even though calling him that feels like an insult to the title. “He’s quite a character.”
We climb the rest of the stairs in unison and turn right when we hit the landing at the top.
“He’s sort of scary.” Her voice is soft, like she’s afraid to admit it out loud.
“He’s terrifying,” I agree. “That’s why most of us don’t have anything to do with him. Just stay away from him, and you’ll be fine.”
The way her expression remains the same tells me she doesn’t buy it.
“I promise. Zen’s all talk,” I say, gradually slowing my walk until I’m standing still. “Besides, he’d have to answer to me if he hurt you, and he definitely doesn’t want that. I think that’s why he’s never tried anything other than being pretentious. He knows I’d kill him.”
“If you say so.” She stops and stares up at me, the corner of her mouth twitching, and I realize my tactic isn’t working well enough. She’s exhausted and stressed, and my reassurance isn’t enough to take her mind off everything that’s troubling her.
I could just leave it alone and let her wallow in her feelings, which is what I would have done had Oryx not followed me out of the ball earlier, but now, it feels like a shitty thing to do. If I intentionally run her off before my coronation, there’s a chance I’ll lose my shot at the crown altogether. I can’t send her packing yet.
After she’s had a good night’s sleep and she’s ready for a sparring match of wit, then I’ll resume being an asshole.
Until then, distraction.
While I’ve still got her eyes locked with mine, I test the waters by taking a step toward her, minimizing the distance between us. She stiffens and the slight catch of her breath hits my ears, but she doesn’t move.
I advance again, getting so close to her that she’s forced to take a step back, and I keep moving forward until her back hits the wall. Realization flashes over her eyes as I plant my hands on either side of her head, caging her in, and even though there’s still plenty of room for her to escape, she makes no effort to run.
