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My heart pounds in my chest, adrenaline coursing through my veins. The danger is imminent, yet despite the fact my life hangs in the balance, there’s something undeniably alluring about the way he looks at me now. The curiosity in his eyes, the hunger… I want him to kiss me. I want it more than I want the air I breathe. What the hell is wrong with me?
“You won’t hurt me for the same reason I can’t you,” he says, his gaze flicking over my face as if he’s reading something there, penned in invisible ink.
Standing this close to him… It’s impossible to think straight. My eyes lock onto his full lips, craving to feel them, to taste them, again.
“Now... If you’d stop trying to stab me for a moment, we have places to go.”
That single sentence seems to slice through whatever spell I’ve been sucked into. My eyes dart to his, my heart kicking it up a notch, speeding away in my chest until my ribs ache from the onslaught.
“Where are you taking me?” I demand the answer, finding the strength to stand tall.
“Back to your room so you can have your privacy.” His thumb rolls over my cheek as he cups my face. “Don’t worry, princess. You’re not going into the prison hole, but I doubt you want to stay here with me. As is, I can’t even walk through the door without scaring you enough to get stabby. I don’t blame you, but it’s also the same reason I won’t be able to sleep unless you’re in your own space.”
He steps back, pulling the rope free from where it’s tucked into his belt. Holding it up, he nods at me, like I’m supposed to just give my hands over.
“I’ll behave,” I say, unmoving.
“It wasn’t a request. People will ask questions if you’re not tied up, so hands.”
Eyeing him for a moment, I give, holding my hands out so he can bind them, leaving a length of the rope he can hold like a leash. Great… I’ve gone from witch to house pet. Part of me wants to say this is an upgrade, but it’s yet to be confirmed.
25
Hook
IescortScarlettoher cabin, trying my best to ignore the glaring looks my crew sends her as we cross the deck. It takes everything I have to school my features to remain indifferent. Those glares cut through her and even though she doesn’t show it, they flay down to the bone.
Doing my best to get her down to her room as fast as I can, I tug her along, keeping my grip gentle on her arm. She’s tougher than she looks, that’s for sure. I’d never know how much it fazed her without our bond. On the outside, she’s numb, like nothing can bother her, but inside… Let’s just say if I had this much emotion swirling through me, I’d be a fucking wreck.
We reach her room below deck and I open the door, letting her walk inside. A part of me wants to stay with her, but I know that wouldn’t be wise, not when I’m still not sure what to believe. It’s not just me, either. If my crew saw me treat her differently, they might think the worst. They could assume she’s bewitched me, and that doesn’t end well for anyone. It’s one thing for Zephyr or my sister, even Nelvin or Lorian, to see me troubled, but they knew me well enough to give me time to process things before assuming anything. I stay in the call to refrain from caving into the desire to hug her—to tell her things will be okay, that they’ll work themselves out.
She turns, holding out her arms so I can untie the ropes. I make quick work of it, looping it through my belt and crossing my arms so I can rest against the doorframe. “You’ll be spelled inside, so no one can bother you, but you won’t be able to leave, either. Smee will escort you to the bathroom and bring you dinner. If you need her, she’s in her room, so just knock on the wall.”
Scarlet nods silently, her eyes scanning the room as if she’s seeing it for the first time. “It’s emptier than before.”
I scratch my head. “My sister cleared out most of her things, but there might be some books still in the cupboard. I’ll see what I can find for you to pass the time.”
“Thank you,” she murmurs, her voice barely audible. She stops pacing in front of me, wringing her fingers as if she’s unsure what to do with them. Then she reaches for my hand and I quickly take a step away. If she touches me, I’m done for. I’m barely keeping my shit together as is, but knowing how… isolated she feels, it’s ripping me apart at the seams.
“I–I’m sorry, I thought…I thought you would want me to, but I must’ve misread things.” She reluctantly tucks her hand to her chest and turns away from me, taking a seat on the chest at the end of her bed.
“You didn’t… It’s not that I don’t want you to. I just can’t.”
She nods, tucking her chin to her chest so she can tangle her fingers in her lap.
“I’m sorry…” I shouldn’t have said that, but it’s hanging in the air now and I can’t take it back. Her hazel eyes lock on mine, so big and bright that it fills me with something I can only describe as hope. “I’m teetering, Scars–” I close my eyes, hating that I used that nickname. I understand why her sister calls her that now it kills me to know what she’s been through… the way her father treated her. “Scarlet,” I correct. “I meant to say Scarlet, but you have to understand. I’m barely keeping it together and I’m trying as hard as I can to wrap my mind around all of this, but it’s hard when we share this connection. I can’t tell where you end and I begin. I just need time to figure it out.”
“I understand,” she says, not looking up at me, just staring at her fingers.
I give a curt nod before shutting the door. Digging in my pocket, I fish for the spelled skeleton key to seal it shut. As I head back down the hallway, I blow out a deep breath, trying to shake off the tension. She’s going to be the end of me. I can feel it in my bones.
I stop on the mess hall floor, finding Zephyr nursing a drink at one of the tables. I slide in next to him without a word, and I take a grateful sip of the fairy wine in my flask. The fruity taste does little to soothe my frayed nerves, but it’s something. I drag a hand down my face, attempting to release the pent-up frustration and stress, then gulp down two more mouthfuls of the wine.
Zephyr catches me staring at him and raises an eyebrow. “Are you going to speak, or are we going to pretend each other doesn’t exist?” he asks bluntly. “I’d rather know now than risk the wrath you unleashed on Nelvin earlier. I don’t heal as quickly as him.”
“It’s nothing.” We both know I’m lying. He’s known me since we were toddlers—I can’t lie to him. He knows all of my tells.
Zephyr snorts. “In that case, let me know when you’re not feeling so murderous, ay?”
