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“Do red caps lurk in every corner of your castle?”
He smirked but did not answer.
“I will give you a moment’s peace once you are safely in your room.”
“My room?”
“Your cell, your prison,” he said. “Call it what you wish, but I assume you understand the importance of staying inside until daybreak?”
I glared.
Night itself was dangerous, but night in the Enchanted Forest was a death wish. When I was younger, foolish boys would dare each other to spend the night in the woods, never to be heard from again no matter how close they stayed to the border.
Sometimes the bodies were found in the daylight, beaten and broken or stripped to the bone. Others were not found at all, and I often wondered if they had been whisked away to another kingdom only to become slaves or concubines to some great fae ruler.
“And after daybreak?”
“You may go wherever you dare, but only when I have no use for you.”
I ground my teeth. “What use?”
“Whatever I desire,” he said. “You are my prisoner.”
“And if I refuse?”
“You will always have a choice,” he said.
I knew what he meant by choice. It was either allow him to watch me bathe or be stoned to death.
I studied him for a moment and then fell back into the water. I scrubbed my face and my hair, and when I was finished, I remained below the surface, letting the air escape my mouth until my lungs burned and the water felt heavy, like the walls of an iron coffin.
Hands clamped down on my arms, and I opened my eyes, taking a deep, gasping breath as I broke the surface. The beast glared down at me, eyes shining with acute anger.
“You do not get to leave this world of your own accord,” he said, his gaze falling to my lips. “And if you manage it, I will follow you in death and haunt you for all of eternity.”
I was confused by his fierce response but had no time to process his anger when he released me. I reached for him as I fell, but there was nothing to hold on to. He had already vanished. I landed on something soft—a bed, I realized as I sat up, still wet and naked.
I scanned the room. It was small, far narrower than it was wide. There was an uncovered window to the left and a hearth to the right, a fire crackling and popping within, making the room almost too warm. I slipped off the bed, and there was soft carpet at my feet. I paused for a moment and then bent to touch it with my hands. I had never felt anything like it. I had only ever known the feel of compacted dirt and the occasional handwoven rug.
If this was to be my cell, it was luxurious.
A tapping sound drew my attention. For one heart-stopping moment, I thought someone was at the window, but when I looked, it was only the trees rattling in the wind, and I could see nothing beyond the thick foliage and the deep night. There was a part of me that was unnerved by the obstruction. I’d have liked to look upon the beast’s kingdom. At the same time, I was grateful and hopeful that it meant no one could peer in on me.
With that thought, I crossed to the door and tried the knob, ensuring it was locked, and then dragged a large wooden chest in front of it. I was aware of what the elven lord had not said—while I should not leave this room, he’d never said anything about someone coming in.
With the door barricaded, I returned to the bed and slipped beneath the covers and fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter Four
Mirror, Mirror
The creature in my castle is a seductress. She smells like sweet roses, and she clings to me like the cold despite the fire she’s started in my blood. I want her. The need for her runs deep in my veins. It goes beyond soothing the swell of my cock.
In her presence, I can tastefreedom.
“You will be the death of her.”
“Did I summon you?” I asked, turning toward the jagged piece of mirror on my wall. It was one of seven pieces, the other six belonging to my brothers.
