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It would be too late, and I think he’s realizing he might not want to own someone like Kai. Someone who won’t fall in line. Someone who can overpower him with physical force.
Trying to act unaffected, Armand sniffs. “I would never stoop so low as to grapple and grunt with you, sir. You might be brute, but I am not.”
I suppress a scoff.
Armand likes to tout himself as some sophisticated sorcerer, but up until a few decades ago when a powerful witch crossed over to the Lost Land to help the dark fae, every single one of them had been living in squalor.
They were emaciated, disoriented, and covered in their own feces. Their powers were suppressed by the presence of a gem called Valonite, and without their magical abilities, they had no way to protect themselves from the hellish conditions of the Lost Land.
Merina changed that for them. As a troll, she wasn’t affected by the Valonite, and she was able to corral the gem so the dark fae could access their powers.
After they were rehabilitated, she gained them as allies. I have to admit it was a smart move on Merina’s part. She was the most-wanted fugitive in Valora, and she needed an escape and friends. She got both when she came to a universe where she couldn’t be found, and she banded with the soulless monsters who were more than happy to help her get revenge on all her enemies.
I’ve had a lot of time to think while I’ve been in the Lost Land, and on countless occasions, I’ve wished she were never born because so much suffering could’ve been prevented.
On the other hand, Merina’s actions have led to at least one positive outcome.
My son.
If she and her coven hadn’t started a plague curse in the Day Realm, the sickness wouldn’t have killed off ninety-five percent of the adult female population. And then maybe Zarid wouldn’t have ordered the kidnapping of human women to replace the ones they’d lost. And if I hadn’t been abducted and placed in Zarid’s harem, I wouldn’t have gotten pregnant.
No matter how Zander came to be, I can’t regret him.
He’s the best thing—the only thing—I’ve had to keep me going in my life. During my darkest times, he was my hope. My reason to survive.
He and I have a bond that’s stronger than mother and son. For over two thousand years, we defended each other from an abusive psycho who wanted to see us dead.
To this day, I still believe Zarid wouldn’t have hesitated to kill us both if he didn’t think it would start an uproar in his kingdom.
It wouldn’t have been the first time a king killed members of his own family, but Zarid was stuck in a hard spot—Zander was his only heir, and I’d made myself useful to the people. I knew it was in my best interest to be popular. If I was liked, I had a shred of security, so I gained favor with the Day Realm citizens by easing their burdens with gifts and kind gestures.
Of course, I’m certain if Zarid had been able to get someone else pregnant, he would’ve replaced us, regardless of the backlash he would’ve faced. But he failed in that aspect, despite his most rigorous efforts to do so.
“Kai, I feel as though we got off to a bad start,” Armand says diplomatically, backtracking. “If my manners are rusty, you’ll have to excuse me. I’ve been a resident of the Lost Land for so long, I barely remember my years in Valora before I was banished here.”
“Well, let me tell you how things work back in the civilized world.” Kai doesn’t let go of his sword. “We don’t kidnap innocent people and turn them into slaves. We don’t shackle them, starve them, and make them live in filth.”
“First, of all, the chains on our dear Ro are for her own safety.”
Dear Ro? What a joke. Armand has just been calling me ‘woman’ since I got here.
“Safety?” Kai repeats incredulously.
“They keep her from running away and getting herself into real danger out there in The Unknown.” Armand flicks a hand at the window. “Look closely at her ankles. The iron isn’t eating away at her flesh. She’s human, so she isn’t susceptible to the burns.”
A small mercy. The metal chafes and causes some redness, but it isn’t nearly as bad as it would be if I were fae.
“As for her emaciated state and her poor hygiene, I’m not to blame,” Armand claims. “She has chosen not to eat or bathe.”
Kai looks to me for confirmation, and I swallow hard and glance down with shame because it’s partially true.
“When he says eat,” I start to explain, “he means drink someone’s blood, which I refuse to do.” My face screws up with disgust at the thought of putting my lips on someone else’s dirty skin and sucking. “And the offer wasn’t one-sided. I would’ve had to agree to an even exchange and let them drink from me in return. Maybe someone smarter would’ve done it to survive, but—”
“Ro is strong for sticking to her convictions,” Kai cuts me off, praising me to Armand.
Blinking, I gape at him with surprise because he’s standing up for me. Here I was thinking he was going to scold me for not taking better care of myself, but he’s doing the opposite.
“Everyone has their limits,” he goes on. “You, for example, won’t enter physical combat with me because you’re afraid—”
