My face slackens as I stare at him, blinking rapidly. “And why would I allow that? You have done nothing but lie to me since I stepped foot through the crossing. Why would I believe anything you tell or show me now?”
He stops watching his hand and looks up at me, shaking his head. “All of this is for you, for what we can do together. I may have brought you through the crossing, but I wasn’t lying when I said you would go home. I do not intend to keep you in Selen indefinitely.” He combs a hand through his hair and sighs. “I hoped that once you discovered your magic, you would willingly work with me, seeing as you have as much to gain in what’s coming as I do.”
My lips form a hard line. “I wish I could believe you, that you will let me go home. But your actions and words don’t match. So no, I don’t think I will help you. Whatever you are here to do, just get it over with.” I brace myself for what might come, but nothing happens.
He shifts on the bed, moving closer until he’s only an arm’s length away. He holds my gaze, and I’m unable to drop it. A slow-moving fog muddles my thoughts, and a whisper rattles inside my brain. “I—I…” My mind struggles to form a coherent sentence.
Confused, I stare at him and watch as bold rings of silver surrounds his irises and pulse.
The fog slithers deeper, and the murmurs grow louder.“Trust the king. He has only ever had the best intentions for you. Trust him, Grace.”The voice trails off the end of my name like a hissing snake.
I stumble through the fog to find words.
Yes, it feels like I can trust him. Why wouldn’t I? He has only ever been kind to me. Though his methods may be flawed, he has always had the best intentions for me.
The deepest recesses of my mind rebel against the voice but are smothered by the fog—darkness skirts around the haze, curling and extending tendrils of shadow in every direction.
Niethal’s weight shifts on the bed, leaning closer to me with a furrowed brow. The gray and silver of his eyes swirl more violently, and the fog inside my mind intensifies. “So, will you work with me?” he asks again.
Just as I am about to answer, the darkness turns into an abyss, engulfing the fog.
My senses return, and I finally find the word I desperately searched for. “No.”
He stares at me for a moment longer, eyes still swirling, when without warning, he leans forward, inches from my face. I stop breathing as he closes his eyes and he inhales deeply.
Seconds pass, and when his eyes open, they are back to their usual color.
The tension in my body releases with his retreat and my lips part on an exhale, shifting his gaze to my mouth.
He slowly leans away and smirks. “Fine, Grace, be stubborn. But don’t think you are free of this. You will see things my way, eventually.” The arrogance in his tone deflates my hope.
What chance do I have of escaping? I don’t know how to use my magic, and even if I could, what would I do? Burn down the stone castle?
Niethal pushes from the bed and strides to the door but stops with his hand on the knob. “I will see you again soon, my dear.”
When he leaves, the click of a lock turning is all it takes to open the floodgates.
So much has happened tonight that I’ve yet even to process. I am a human-fae hybrid with fire magic, heir to a lost kingdom, and I have a strange connection to a fae prince. It sounds so absurd that I choke on a nervous laugh and wipe my eyes.
Lying here won’t get me home. I need to do something, plan something. I won’t accept that there’s no way out.
My skull throbs as I sit up. The forced magic must have wreaked havoc on my body. Not to mention my brain is sluggish from the mental attack. Niethal must have psychic magic because I’m certain he put those thoughts in my head. The shadows, though—they stopped him.
I stand and discover I’m still in my gold gown. Reagan must have carried me here and tucked me straight into bed. The urge to tear it in two out of pure frustration hits, but I not so gracefully slither out of it and hang it back up—no need to ruin a gorgeous dress over an arrogant male.
I put on a cotton top and black leggings from the armoire and, with nothing else to do, sit in front of the fireplace, staring at the flames.
I wish I knew what to do next. There isn’t anyone I can trust in Niethal’s court. Delphina is the closest I have to a friend at the castle, but aside from her kindness, I’m not sure if I can trust her with escape plans. There’s Isiah, but now that the ball is over, he may be gone. I hope not. Not before I can explain myself better.
There is a knock at the door, and Delphina’s voice sounds on the other side. “Grace, may I come in? I have food. I thought you might be hungry.”
“Yes, come in.”
The lock clicks, and she enters with a small tray of food in hand and a frown on her face. The stationed guard and lock are troubling to me as well.
“I brought chicken and mashed potatoes. There wasn’t much left, but it’s what the kitchen staff made themselves for dinner. It’s warm and filling.” She puts the plate on the table in front of me, which smellsincredible.My stomach growls loudly, but before I can eat, there are things we need to talk about.
“Did you know what would happen at the ball tonight?” I wait, hoping she was unaware, but guilt shines through her eyes.