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“You are, yes. Some will never see the position as anything but a demeaning one. I can’t change that. I acted quickly. I did what I did to try to shield you. I couldn’t shield you completely and for that, I am truly sorry. But for now, we are stuck like this. Bound together. Whether we like it or not.”
“Not. Decidedly not,” I said. “Unbind us.”
He looked out over the volcanic vista, his face clouded. “I can’t. I must remain here until I’ve dealt with certain things. And you must remain where I am. I can’t take you back to Pendrath. I can’t ask anyone else to take you. For one, I don’t trust that your sociopathic brother wouldn’t kill you simply for coming back empty-handed...”
“Oh, please don’t pretend you’re any better than Arthur is,” I said with disdain.
“You really think I’m the same as he is?” Draven sounded stung.
“Well, at least in Camelot, no one ever called me a whore and I wasn’t forced to become some man’s mistress. I would have joined the temple. I would have had an honorable role.”
“If Arthur had ever let you join the temple in the first place. You’re naiver than I gave you credit for if you really believe he would have let you go and become the new High Priestess. He would never have let his own sister hold that much power.”
I suddenly remembered Vesper’s words. His claim that Draven was supposed to kill me in the end.
Well, he had been wrong about that. Draven had certainly had the chance. But he hadn’t taken it.
Then my own words rang out in my mind. What had I told Vesper about Draven? That Vesper was wrong about him.
He’s nothing like you, I had said. He’s a thousand times better.
I looked at Draven and felt a deep sadness that I was loathe to show.
“I hate you,” I said slowly and distinctly. “I think I really hate you now. You believe you’re a better man than Arthur? You claim to have saved me, but I’m still locked in a prison. You say you’ll take me home but first you’ll see to your own interests. And besides, I don’t believe you have any intention of returning me. You’ll use me for your own ends, won’t you? Whatever those are. That’s your real plan.”
Draven’s face was impassive. “That’s not true. But I’m sorry you feel that way. This isn’t how I want things. I swear it. I had no other choice.”
I took a step towards him. “If you think I’m going to fall into line and become your fucking royal mistress in actuality, then you have another thing coming.”
“I would never have expected that. The thought of an unwilling woman... It’s a horror to me. You should know me better than that by now.” He seemed to realize his mistake.
“I thought I did,” I said softly, my eyes locked on him. “I was wrong.”
I pointed to the door. “Now get the hell out of my room.”
He hesitated, then nodded slowly. “I’ll leave.”
“Good.” Secretly, I was surprised it had been so easy. Then my stomach growled and I wondered where I was going to find some food. Well, one thing at a time. “Go then.”
He started towards the door. “Unfortunately, I’ll have to return come nightfall.”
My mouth fell open. “Excuse me? What the hell is that supposed to mean? You just said...”
“I know what I said,” he assured me. “You won’t like this, but we’re sharing this room. If you’re trapped with me, well, then I’m trapped with you, too, Morgan.”
“What. Do. You. Mean.” My jaw felt so tight I was surprised I could get the words out at all.
“I mean we need to be convincing. The court must believe that this is real, even if you and I know that it isn’t.” He touched his hand to the door. “I’ll be returning here every night to sleep. And only sleep. We’ll share a bed to keep up appearances.”
He hesitated, then his lips twitched. “After all...”
I wanted to punch the hint of the smirk from his handsome horned face. I looked back at the bed. There was a table beside it with a large, expensive-looking porcelain vase. “No. Don’t say it. I’m warning you.”
“After all,” he finished, ignoring me and opening the door. “It’s not like it’s going to be the first time.”
By the time I managed to reach the table, he had already closed the door.
