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Mistake.
The plate has slime on the edge. A dark brown slime that seems to be leaking off of the grey meat on the plate.Grey meat? What the hell has grey meat and what’s left to eat here besides grave trolls, rot monkeys, and shadow beats?Hungry as I am, I have standards and I would rather starve than eat anything prepared or served by such a vile creature.
Anything grey, slimy, and of questionable sources.
Even if my stomach feels like it’s going to cave in…
Both men begin to eat the meat, and I have to turn away or risk vomiting. There’s no way that food tastes good. Food made by dirty rot monkeys from a world with almost no life. If I watch them putting that in their mouths… hell, I have to stop thinking about it.
A clank makes me turn my head back to the meal. The king has let his fork drop onto the table, and when he sees I’m looking at him, he folds his hands over his slender stomach. “You’re not hungry?” He looks at Phantom, as if he’s accusing him of sneaking me food, then back at me. “Rot monkeys are like any other creatures on this earth. They simply don’t hide their vices… their desire for death and darkness. But, I assure you, what they make is quite sanitary.” His grin is every bit as odious as his enslaved critters.
“If you say so,” is all I can manage.
Instead of responding with anger, he throws his head back and laughs cruelly. “That’s exactly it, Ann. It’s as I say so.”
Wow. Ego overinflated much?
I stare at my food as my stomach growls miserably.
“It’s not earth food, but if you don’t eat, you die,” Phantom tells me softly.
I look at him, hoping to see concern or any sign he cares, but his face is blank. I realize he isn’t trying to comfort me; he’s just telling me facts. And as much as I want to yell at him and say to go screw himself, I realize he’s right. If I don’t eat here, how the hell will I have the strength to escape?
So, I eat, trying not to taste the grey meat as much as I can. It’s not pleasant by any means, but it’s not vomit-inducing. I take small bites, forcing myself to keep going until I’ve eaten as much of it as I can stand.
The king watches my every bite. “So, do all fae have the same powers?”
An alarm goes off in my head. One that says to proceed with caution. “No. We’re all different.”
I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. His expression is calculating. “Can others use their… light the way you do?”
“I’m not sure,” I respond. The truth is, I’m not. I’ve never seen anyone use light this way before, but it doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
“And is it useful for anything else?” He leans a little closer as he asks the question, and I hate having him in my space.
“Not that I’m aware of,” I say, not meeting his gaze.
“It can heal and kill,” Phantom adds.
Super helpful.
The Shadow King makes a sound, like he’s thinking. “Perhaps we should have Ann try her light in our dark world… see what it can do.”
“Whatever my king wishes,” Phantom says with a nod.
I’d call him a kiss ass, you know, if he wasn’t being controlled by this monster against his will. If I didn’t think deep inside the Phantom I love is still there. Yet, I’m careful, because this Phantom is his king’s puppet.
“Maybe another time.”
The king looks pissed, but then his expression relaxes and he sighs, “I guess you’re inevitably waiting to help me until you get what you want. But not to worry, Ann, you’ll be my queen soon.”
Queen? Is that what he thinks I want?I stare at him and stare.When Phantom made love to me, was it part of this plan? I don’t understand. What game are these two playing?
Phantom turns to his king. “I thought since I had had her first you wanted our powers to unite, because you didn’t want to risk angering the goddess by taking her after your son.”
The king shrugs. “There are exceptions to that rule.”
Exceptions like killing Phantom so that he can take me? Yeah, I bet.“Does that involve removing Phantom from the equation?”
