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“I hate you,” I say, staring at the king across from me, even though I’m speaking to him.
“As you should. I’d be more worried if you didn’t.” Asmo taps his fork on my plate. “Eat. You must be starving.”
“I certainly hope so, because I’ll die before I let your insidious king anywhere near me.” I lean forward across the table, getting closer to the man with the razor sharp smile. It’s almost as if he gets a kick out of my anger. “Let me get one thing straight. You’ll never touch me, just as I’ll never bear your children, because should you get close enough to try, I’ll rip your heart out of your chest with my bare hands.”
He giggles like a little schoolgirl, twirling his fork in the air. “Such fire, suchpassion, this one. She’ll be fun to break.” The king stands, pushing back his seat. “I’ll be in the observatory. Bring her up once you’ve managed to force some food down her throat.
“Yes, my king,” Asmo nods, bowing his head in a manner of respect. “I will see to it.”
Once the high king is gone, I still don’t eat. I slump in my chair, glaring at the scarred side of Asmo’s face. “I hope it was worth it,” I say, making him freeze in place for a split second before he resumes eating.
“Eat your food.” The command behind his words sweeps over me, in the delicious way power does, spinning my middle into knots.
“No.” He flinches as if I’ve stuck him, then slowly turns toward me with a fire in his eyes I’ve yet to see burn. Not on the battlefield. Not ever. It’s a hatred so pure, it rattles me to my bones.
“Eat… your…fucking…food.” His command sets flames burning within me, searing its way through my blood as I try to fight it. Even with his cuff, his power is… astonishing, and without mine, I’m helpless against it beyond sheer will. I won’t give him the pleasure of caving.
“Not until you tell me why,” I offer, bargaining a compromise. The answers to my grueling questions in exchange for obedience. Even if it’s short lived.
“Because it was the only way, Alice. No one besides the king can get the cuffs off. I would’ve been blown to bits the moment the king pressed the trigger, and you and your friends would’ve gotten away. But it all would’ve been in vain. He would’ve taken Hell Hold within the week and you wouldn’t be dining at his table. You would’ve been locked in his fucking dungeon and tortured. At least this way, you’ll get some shred of civility.”
“Civility?” I don’t bother to hide the humor in my tone. “You call being shackled and chained like a fucking animal civility?” Barring my smile in a toothy grin, I lean forward, as if the smaller distance between us will help him understand.
“You’re in over your head, Alice. I did what was best for both of us.” He returns to eating his food without a second glance in my direction.
“You asked me to trust you, then you killed my best friend and enslaved me to some lunatic king. You didn’t do what was best for me. The only person you thought of was yourself and your freedom. Don’t pretend to play the hero, Asmo. It’s unbecoming on you.”
I lift my fork, but before I take a bite, I reach across the table, my chains dragging across the wooden top as I switch our plates. For a moment, he remains frozen, then resumes eating like he was never disturbed. Taking a bite, I finish my plate, swallowing down every morsel I can. Who knows when I’ll be able to eat again and when it will be pleasant?
When I’m finished, I wipe my mouth on the cloth napkin. “You’re wrong, you know.”
“What could I possibly be wrong about?” Asmo pushes his plate away from him so he can balance his elbows on the table. The only shred of resemblance reflecting the rebellious man I met in the woods, even if he is stuffy and wearing a shirt.
“The king won’t win when he marches on Hell Hold. I know Kai and I know his people. They won’t go down unless every single one of them is dead.”
“I’ve seen it. He will.”
I stand from my seat, but Asmo’s hand latches onto my forearm and yanks me back down.
“Aren’t you supposed to take me to the observatory?”
“I will soon, but I’m in no rush to hand you over to him. Believe it or not, I did this for you.” His thumbs twirl together, his fingers lanced into a zipper. “Now, sit down.” There’s that power again.
“Make me.”
He chuckles darkly for a moment, shaking his head as if I’ve told a joke. “Sit down, Alice.” The strength of his command nearly steals my breath, coiling up my throat as if his hands were placed there, closing off my airway.
“No.” I squeeze out my response, even though it feels as if I’ve swallowed glass shards.
Asmo stands, his face inches from mine. “Your beloved prince isn’t going to save you, Alice. You let him believe you’re dead.” Tears rise in my eyes, thinking about Kai and how I left him. Asmo is trying to hit a sore spot, anything to weaken my will and get me to listen. “For the love of all that’s unholy, listen to me.”
His power weakens for a moment, wavering, like a short in an electrical circuit. I gasp in an inhale, straightening my shoulders at the slightest sense of reprieve.
“Thanks for the reminder.”
“You’re insufferable.”
“No. I’m a witch.” I step closer, lifting the shackles up to poke him in the chest, watching my finger trace the seam of his formal suit jacket. “Mark my words. Add them to your collection of scars if you must, but know this…” I return my stare to his, letting every ounce of anger raging within me reflect in my soul.“Nothingandno oneis more powerful than a witch with a broken heart. Regardless of where you stand, your king will die. He’ll pay for what he’s taken from me… for what he plans to take from me.”
