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I pinch my lips, my cheeks reddening in renewed contempt. Regardless of his pretty ice palace and his “Once Upon a December” Lake that can rival a hundred Olympic-sized rinks or his frost gown…or those fingers injecting their frost patterns to stem the lusty inferno—
“Stop fucking swooning!” I chastise myself in the Infinity Wardrobe mirror, digging my nails into my scalp before pointing my finger at my reflection. “Neo never had this effect on you. Now, get your inner goddess on, and go and claim your vamp Prince.”Which one?My thoughts stray. My stomach tightens, and I’m aware of the longing ache in the back of my throat, a knot burning there. Somehow, I steady myself, change, and emerge from the wardrobe in a gown worthy of royalty.
Just as I depart from the wardrobe, Thanatos’ shade presence lurks through the portal wall, freezing me in my tracks. I stiffen. Those powerful shades tease the air around my face while his frost forms a rose to hover in midair—a token of appreciation. No trace of that Death voice slithering into my mind as he did before.
At first, I lift my trembling fingers toward the icy bloom, yearning to accept. Until that voice in the back of my mind nags at me, and the sickle mark from where he bit me with his claim seems to sting like needle ice. It’s all a game. I’m nothing but a temptation to him. My bond is with Neo—myhusband—and I must focus on reclaiming his heart first and foremost. Refusing to be Thanatos’ pretty salvation, I ball my hands into fists, turn, and forsake the rose because I’ll be damned if I give him anything beyond that strand of hair. But I still flinch when the rose shatters into crystal smithereens behind me. Regret stings my throat.
On my way out, I rub my hellcat’s head. Spitfire barely flicks his ears since I’d fulfilled my promise to reward him with a flaming steak half the size of his body.
A few minutes later, I descend the staircase to the Commons, the familiar speech in the breakfast hall drifting into the Commons.
“Oh, look who decided to grace us with her presence,” Neo mutters upon my arrival, not bothering to rise from the head of the table. I smile at him even when he fetches Lux’s fingers and proceeds to suck on them one by one. If not for Quillion and Amanita, I’d likely wrinkle my nose in disgust.
Ever the gentleman, Quillion rises, clears his throat, offers me a gracious bow, and extends his hand. “Yes, she comes bearing grace from the heavens. Princess, ravishing as always!” he fawns over the deep, royal purple gown that hugs my figure down to my hips, then cascades to the floor in a dark violet A-line waterfall. “Fully admire your lacy Queen Anne neckline.”
After giving Quillion his moment, Nita sets her blood-filled teacup down on her saucer, scoots out of her chair, and approaches me to lean in and kiss each of my cheeks. Just then, Kitty bobs her brows up and down and bounces one hip against me before thumbing my exposed skin between my breasts. “I like the open keyhole at the bustline the best.” She licks her lips right before she blinks and shrugs. “What? She said I could hit on her once a day. I’m saving my twerk for later.”
After I peck Kitty on the cheek, I take my seat at Nita’s right across from Quillion and refrain from scorning Lux’s outfit, from the birdcage veil falling over her eyes to the transparent white chemise and gold body paint of stars speckling her skin. She wears no lingerie. Countless fang marks riddle her skin as if Neo enjoys displaying her trauma as if it’shisglory. I swallow the bitter taste in my mouth.
The Prince finishes sucking on Lux’s pinky on her second hand, eyes glinting upon her when he nips the pinky tip. “What think you, Lux? If we can expect a late arrival from Elysia from now on, shall I have the staff hold a plate of food so she may lick it clean on the floor like the bitch she is?”
This time, it’s Nita’s turn to throw something, except in her case, it’s a scythe that lands right in Neo’s shoulder.
“Nita!” he growls, ascending from the chair and digging the baby scythe blade out.
Despite his offense, I can’t help but wince at the sight of the silver blood oozing from the wound. Empath Elysia pokes her head out of her cage while the Halo warms my chest. My fingers tingle with the need to heal, even if it’s just a flesh wound. And Nita will have her moment.
After wrapping his shades around the wound to heal it faster, Neo charges toward his sister. I battle the grin that longs to stalk my face from my sister-in-law’s defense. Not to be dominated by the Prince of Destruction, Nita swoops out of her chair and gnashes her teeth at him. “We both know who is acting like a dog, Neo.” They prowl around the table: the Dragon matching eyes with the Hydra.
Quillion nudges me. “I’m betting on Nita.”
I flutter a hand and whisper in his ear, “I’m betting on me.” I hasten to my feet and pick up the ends of my gown to catch up to Nita and loop my arm around hers, leaning on her for strength. “It’s okay, Nita. Neo must be trulysoresince my red sun hasn’t begun its descent yet.” I wink at him and pucker my lips in a gesture of a kiss. “Perhaps next, I’ll stop shaving, and we can see who is the beauty and who is thebitchof a beast.”
Quillion sing-songs and opens the chart as I grant Neo a mocking bow and turn on my heel until he reaches for me, gripping my arm through the violet sleeve.
“Neo…” Nita warns darkly as if she’s ready to use his neck for her throne, but I lift a hand and shake my head.
“No, Nita.” I prevent her from acting when Neo jerks me to himself until I knock against his hard body. “No matter how much he tries to drag me down, I’ll always behigherthan him.”
Just then, Lux interrupts our conversation by wandering to our circle and invading our triumvirate. I wince when she presses her breasts against Neo’s side and plays him like the harpy she is. He releases me as she pleads, “Please, Neo, I just want all of this to be over.”
When she buries her head in the crook of his arm, I roll my eyes, considering how she had her hands all overmelast night, and ridicule her, “Bitch please, you’re so fake, Barbie herself would carve an idol in your likeness.”
Nita coils an arm around my waist and kisses the side of my head, wondering, “Tell me, my angel, does your diabolical mind ever pause to process, or do you just blurt it all out?”
I shrug, smile sweetly at her, and take my seat next to Quillion as Neo escorts a weeping Lux back to her seat. “Beats living with my head up my ass all the time.” I thrust my chin to Neo.
“Your ass will be quiteredlater tonight, Elysia,” he purrs the threat.
“Hmm…your hand might be a little slippery on my red sun,” I counter with a wink and roll right into my next words, “Perhaps I’ll tell you all about the demoness I chained up in the Soul Plane last night.” I drum my fingers along the table. Heat stirs within me at the thought of Syn.
“Or…” I continue, unhindered with my diabolical mind, “how I conquered the Gates of Death, ice skated on the Lake of Souls, and your brother was a perfect gentleman the whole time. Or how his souls knelt at my feet, but their corpses are begging for a proper burial. Not that you care about the affairs of humans unless they can warm your bed and sate your destructive thirst, isn’t that right,Neoptolemus?” My eyes burn against his to mirror the pain in the back of my throat.
With a low growl, Neo digs the point of his scythe into the table, but one touch from Lux, and she tames him as if she holds his very heart tethers. Thankfully, his soul is still preserved in my Halo ring. But that night, when I’d clung to his tether through blood and tears and pain, I claimed my husband and captured a Dragon—commanding him to bite me until I pulled his soul back from the dead. It feels little more than a memory. A dream so lovely dark and deep. Heart heavy and aching, my Halo dims while goosebumps pebble on my skin.
Lux doesn’t bring up the corpses, the Scourge, but she does tell him, “I’m rather tired, my Prince. I still haven’t recovered from our honeymoon. Will you please excuse me from Court today?”
“Of course, my love.” He touches his lips to her brow. My kiss.Ourkiss.
