Page 21 of Dare

Still, it was an easy retort for this man to decipher, simply by reading my lips. Two letters, which ignited two conflicting reactions across his face—amazement and resentment.

Those eyes thinned with aggravation, then glittered with inspiration. “In addition to you, I have procured an assortment of mad parasites from Rhys. Why? Because the more disposable ones I add to Winter’s pile, the more opportunities for testing, to treat the kingdom’s real citizens. Perhaps I should have selected your tower mates while I was at it, instead of deciding against them after you spat on me. Quite clever to divert my attention, however temporary.”

I barred my ivories. “I won’t let you take them.”

He arched a superior eyebrow. “So you’re protective.”

Instantly, we paused. With a few exceptions, it was rare for people to read my lips this effortlessly, and no one had ever caught on this fast. The prince appeared thunderstruck as well, yet it seemed like more than that. My reply struck this monster like a blow to the head, his features jerking as if the word had slammed into him.

As if he’d heard me.

But that couldn’t be. Only I had the ability to hear myself, so I must be imagining that part. Either way, him being a scientist and a physician had likely contributed to understanding me.

And shit. By comprehending my words, he’d also stoked my defenses and exposed a vulnerability.

I snapped out of it. “I care for people. You wouldn’t understand.”

He recovered from the moment too, the dark blue streaks under his lower lashes crinkling. “On the contrary. I care for the right people.”

Our breathing clashed, fuming with animosity.

“As accidents of the natural world, living plagues such as fools are meant for labor and research,” he said. “Or—if incompetent, untamable, or unfeasible to test—they’re discarded and used as decoys for hunting. Rather commonplace.”

The ruler feigned contemplation. “If I don’t bargain for your ilk, you’ll have peace of mind. But if I do, you’ll have company on the journey to Winter, which carries its own risks. Trapping allies in one place can lead to mutiny. Besides, it pleases me to see you alone. Defenseless. Isolated. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

I must be seeking an early grave. That explained this destructive urge to provoke him.

I replied, “Not that it lasted.”

“True,” the prince allowed. “But Poet and Briar are no longer around to unleash you.”

“Why?” I seethed, unable to stop myself.

For the hundredth time, why me? Why single me out? Why hunt me across two nations?

Those chilling eyes flickered. “Because you broke something that meant a great deal to me.”

Glancing at his tarnished vial, I scoffed. “This world took my freedom, yet a Royal can’t handle a small crack in a piece of jewelry.” The chain jangled as I got in his face. “Who’s the weak one?”

The question chewed through his facade. Like a veil dissolving, some type of fragility rose to the surface. Although I placed him at mid-twenties, he appeared younger for an instant, the candid look there and gone before I could dive in.

The fleeting reaction drilled a hollow into me. Of all people, I understood the value of sacred keepsakes. Also, it seemed as though he was referring to more than the pendant.

But what else could I have broken that mattered to this man? And when?

The decorative chains ornamenting his boots clattered like bones, while my own chain trembled. With my body stretched, the lone manacle choked my wrists. My breasts inflated against his pecs, the span of his limbs inching my thighs apart.

Air sliced through his teeth. “You tread on thin ice.”

“You’re playing with fire,” I threw back.

“Winter does not play.” His warning cut to the quick. “It probes.”

The temperature of this feud changed. My body fastened like a deadbolt. If he meant what I thought, I would attack until blood covered more than his fingers.

The prince registered my defensive stance with interest, realization glittering in his irises. “Ah. You think I would fuck you without your consent.” He looked repelled. “That is the barbarian’s way.” Then he leaned in—so far in, too far in—and let the contradiction graze my mouth the way his weapon had. “Winter would violate you differently.”

I kept vigilant, as much as possible with my arms braced to the ceiling.

---