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Carita stepped forward and silenced them with a sharp look. “Prince Theron, if you please.”
He moved closer, and I made the mistake of looking up. His gaze locked on me and I froze, my heart thudding against my ribcage. I knew that expression. It was the same one he’d given me in the canyon. The same predatory glare that had been on his face as he cut off Haemir’s hand.
Theron stepped toward me, his head tilted as he looked down into my eyes. His bronze stare was intense yet unreadable and something stirred inside of me I refused to acknowledge. My pulse fluttered wildly, but I didn’t look away even though I knew hatred filled my gaze.
His expression hardened, and he nodded curtly to Carita, who smiled, her teeth sharp in the twilight.
“The Desert Lily is yours.” She announced, clapping her hands together in delight as Theron motioned for me to step forward. I squeezed Aella’s hand before gently disentangling our fingers, feeling like a monster for abandoning her. Carita snapped her fingers to a servant and a young girl hurried to her, carrying a silk sack.
“For your safety, your highness. This will prevent her from harming you.” Carita handed the Marshal a strange object, and I realized with horror that it was an electrum torque collar with an onyx stone; a beautiful necklace that proclaimed me to be owned by another.
My body shivered as he stepped closer, his body heat radiating off him in waves, and my mind raced with thoughts I shouldn’t be having about him; he smelled like leather and citrus and something else indescribable, something that made my skin flush with warmth despite myself.
I closed my eyes for a moment, almost forgetting what we were here for before opening them again when I felt cold metal against my throat. His fingers trailed against my throat as he clasped the torque and I forced myself to remain still, not to move away and break the trance of his touch. His eyes flooded black as they held mine, the collar on my neck heating as he marked me as his.
I turned my eyes away from his as he stepped back, my skin still pulsing as the power activated. The crowd erupted into cheers and a voice inside me whispered that I’d made a terrible mistake.
“Come.”
“She will later,” the noble behind him snickered, and turned to glare at them. They were sick, twisted beings. I couldn’t wait to rid Adraedor of all of them.
I held my head high as I followed the Marshal, my mind racing as he led me past the gathered Elves. A hand squeezed my ass, and I smacked it hard without thinking.
“Remnant bitch—“ The Elf began when Theron turned, his expression thunderous. He grabbed the male by the throat, lifting him to his toes despite the weight of his armor.
“Touch what’s mine again and you’ll lose your fingers.” He growled, dropping him. The other Elf wilted under his glare. I almost missed it as Aella, her face so pale she looked as if she was about to faint, was chosen by Rhazien.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“My lord, wait a moment,” Carita called, hurrying over. “Her clitoral piercing hasn’t been activated yet. You’ll need to heal it and set your intention for her desire.”
He studied her for a beat before nodding. “Thank you for informing me.”
How didn’t he know? Surely, he had a massive harem. He’d been here long enough to accrue one. I cast a backward glance, locking stares with a scared Aella as he took me away. I couldn’t just leave her... What should I do? Try to kill him first and then go for the Beast? I’d never make it. The best warriors the empire offered surrounded me. One of them would likely wound me, if not slaughter me outright, and I wouldn’t be able to complete my mission. I didn’t have a choice. Silently, I sent a prayer up to Ydonja, promising that I’d come for Aella once I’d escaped the Marshal and killed his brother.
I just had to play along for a few hours until I could slip away and kill the Beast. I’d survived worse; I could do this.
Probably.
The Marshal eyed me as I followed him through the colosseum, as if he wasn’t sure what he was doing and was angry with himself for it.
“What’s your name?” He demanded, his voice hard as he surveyed me.
Yeah, right.“Lily.”
The corner of his mouth tipped up.“Sure it is.”
He led me to a vast darkened room, the only light coming from a distant doorway, and gestured towards a giant spider creature that crouched over a bundle of webbing. The spider’s legs made soft shuffling sounds as it walked, the chitinous plates on its belly clanking against each other as it approached him.
My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the vanira, its dark eyes watching me hungrily as he grinned, patting her on the side before saddling the wretched creature.
“Climb up,” he commanded, stepping closer. His body was mere inches away from mine, our arms almost touching. His breath ghosted over my skin and my body hummed as our eyes connected.
“No way,” I said, keeping my voice steady despite the fear coursing through my veins as I eyed its menacing form.
“Vaernix won’t hurt you. I’ve raised her since the day she left her mother’s brood sack.”
“That means nothing to me,” I protested, accidentally backing up into him as I tried to move away. He pressed his body close to my back as his lips brushed my ear.
