Page 21 of Avaritia

“Do not speak to him again.”

“That’s not an option and you know it. Don’t be so bossy.”

Wilder discreetly slipped out of the entryway, leaving the two of us alone. For a house this large, there was a surprising lack of staff. I’d only seen Wilder and Aderith so far.

Theon walked me backward, pinning me against the wall, tongue still playing with the raised skin of the bite.

“Did you tell him about this?”

“I thought it best we… not,” I replied lamely.

“Aderith mentioned as much.”

“What is your problem with Damen anyway?” I asked breathily, tilting my head back to give Theon better access. The Allerick thing I got—it had to be jealousy, right? Courtly intrigues and whatnot. And Allerick wasn’t exactly Mr. Friendly, but Theon could hardly judge on that front. Everyone liked Damen, though. He was the least scary Shade at court.

Was it just a power and prestige thing?

“I don’t have a problem with him. I don’t care about him at all.”

“Liar,” I breathed, trailing my hands up the sides of his face, desperate to touch those horns.

A knock at the door right next to me startled us both, and I banged my head on the wall at the sudden sound.

“Ow.” I rubbed the back of my head while Theon pulled me away from the wall, hands on my forearms, looking at me like I was about to collapse at any moment. “I’ll be fine, give me a minute.”

Aderith appeared, seemingly out of thin air, looking between Theon and the door as though silently asking if she should open it. He hesitated, and it was very clearly because of my presence.

“I’ll just be upstairs,” I said, excusing myself with what I hoped was a convincing smile. I didn’t want to get in his way. And I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to know what kind of visitors Theon had. Fellow treasonous plotters, presumably. Probably best to steer clear of those.

“Verity,” Theon called after me, his voice low and commanding. I paused midway up the stairs, looking back down at him. “I’m not done with you, my captive.”

That feeling was entirely mutual.

Chapter 7

The moment Verity’s door clicked shut behind her, Aderith opened the front door and I huffed out a frustrated breath to find Tanix standing on my porch again.

I dismissed Aderith with a wave of my hand, not wanting her to be subject to this nonsense.

“I thought I’d gotten rid of you.”

“We’re not giving up, Your Grace. We believe in you. In your vision for the realm.”

If it were anyone else, I’d have been thrilled at the show of support. But Meridia’s leaderless band of rebels was more hindrance than help. They craved trouble and lacked discipline.

I’d also heard about their confrontation with the captain and the queen’s sister, which made me more uneasy than ever before at Tanix’s presence. I didn’t want him near Verity.

“We heard you confronted the king in front of everyone at the Festival of Shadows. It gave us hope we’ve scarcely had since Meridia…”

“Don’t speak of her,” I snapped. I wanted to overthrow my little brother. I wanted to see him kneel at my feet and admit that I was stronger and wiser and better suited to rule, the way I’d had to when I’d lost his challenge all those years ago, in front of the whole court and our father, who hadn’t so much as looked at me since that day.

I’d been all but banished, a formerly beloved crown prince, now forgotten by everyone.

But that was the extent of the suffering I intended for Allerick. I didn’t want him dead. And I didn’t want to hear the name of his would-be assassin said in my presence.

“There is nothing for you here,” I reiterated. “I want order. You want chaos. Our views are not in alignment.”

“Your enemy is our enemy,” Tanix shot back, refusing to take the hint.

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