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I winced when Zor leveled that accusing gaze on me, the weight of it crushing me down to nothing. “How did you manage to claim a magic you were forbidden from ever touching?”
“The old-fashioned way.” I snapped, trying to figure out how Zor could stand to be in my bathing chamber. He was angry enough it didn’t matter, I decided.
“I gave up that which I held most dear. I didn’t have a firstborn son and I’m certainly not beautiful. But I had something no one ever managed to take away.”
“You don’t have anything…” For a moment Zor looked utterly confused, then his mouth fell open. “No.” He shook his head. “Youweren’t. You didn’t…did you?”
I glared right back.
Zor was still in his fancy general of the Solarys army uniform and the shadow he cast on the wall made me sink lower into the lukewarm water.
His shadow had wings.
Enormous, spiked wings that touched the ceiling.
“You chose Raz, didn’t you?” Zor’s face hardened before he shook his head. “You fucking chose Raz and he didn’t know why until it was too late. Not a surprise, I suppose. I wonder though…did you bother to think what would happen to him if you were caught?”
“Of course, I did.” I growled, “I’m not a fucking monster.” The water around me crackled, icing over and then melting just as quickly, my fingers gripping the edges of the porcelain tub as magic ebbed and flowed from me.
He stopped where he was, surprise flaring in his eyes, a cold smile on his lips. “I wondered how long before you stopped playing the meek little slave and started behaving like the princess you really are.”
“I’m no princess.” I bit off every hateful word.
“You are the Fae King’s daughter, the rightful heir to the Caladrian throne, which, if you live long enough, you might even get to sit on.”
The room had filled with a layer of thick fog and dancing starlight, which only grew brighter when I snapped, “That bastard is not my father, and I have no wish to sit on a throne, not in Caladrius or anywhere else.”
Zor narrowed his eyes. “There is nothing wrong with wanting power. So long as you don’t end up likehim.”
He was close enough he could see my nude body beneath the rising steam, and he didn’t so much as blink.
“I don’t like females, remember?” He reminded me, his face wrinkling in distaste. “Especially not High Fae females.”
“Then hand me a towel, commander.” I reached up my hand. “And turn around. Once I’m dressed, you can help me with my problem.”
* * *
I foughtto contain the magic, a towel wrapped around me, my hair dripping wet, magic dancing around us like glowbugs in the dead of summer, so thick you could barely see through them.
“This is…unexpected.” Zor noted drily as he batted specks of light away. “Do you have a plan for this?”
“You already know I do not.” I told him tartly, toweling my hair dry. “If I still had the collar, the iron would control my power, but right now…” I shrugged. “Right now, the magic wants to run rampant I have no idea how to contain this.”
I had been trying, but the magic slipped through my fingers like water. Zor was right, I had no plan and if he discovered what I’d done, the Shadow King would tear me apart to take this magic.
“I’ll find you iron.” Zorander scanned the room. “But binding the magic will only be a temporary fix. You’d still have to learn to control the magic yourself, because this will only grow stronger. You should have listened to Torin, she gave you that warning for a reason.”
“Does everyone else know? About Torin’s note?”
Why not give it to Tavion, then? Why bother giving me that kind of hope, like I was somehow special, instead of another pawn in this game?
“We all knew you weren’t supposed to try and touch the power. I suppose Torin wanted to make sure you got the message.” Zor leaned against the wall; arms crossed over his chest. “You’ve been here, what…a day? And none of us knew you were a…virgin.”
I snorted. “You thought I didn’t stand a chance at claiming the magic, did you?”Typical. They figured I had nothing of value to trade for power, so I was a safe enough bet.
I suppose the joke was on them.
Two spots of color bloomed in his face. “Did you tell Raziel…before you…?” His brow wrinkled when I shook my head, too humiliated to answer. I should have told Raziel everything, allowed him to make a choice. I’d wronged Raz badly. Wronged him in my rush to save myself, and I had to make this right, somehow.
