Page 15 of The Evernight Court

Fuck his magic. Fuck his power.

I laughed and it came out even more bitter than what I felt. “You’re fucking delusional. He saved my life, and you know it!”

“Now, now, Fall. Don’t be naughty,” Emil said.

“Or do. It’ll give us a reason to punish you,” said Tristian, and my heart fell all the way to my heels.

Romin smiled. “Like I said—you’re in mourning, so I will be patient with you. I will be understanding. Just know that my generosity has its limits, too.”

Generosity.This man was actually serious.

Blood in my mouth again from my tongue. I bit it so hard it hurt.

“I am not feeling well. I need to—” I said because there really was no point in arguing with these men. They were going to think and believe and say what they wanted, and nothing was going to change that.

“Stay,” Romin said, and this time his magic was less heavy. “You are obligated to stay until you’ve received all the gifts that the Isles have brought for you.”

Gifts.I remembered the brides saying something about gifts at one point, but he was delusional if he thought I cared about their gifts.

“They can send them to my door,” I said, knowing he wasn’t going to budge.

“No. You will receive them here, in this very room.”

“But—”

“And when you do, you’ll be free to leave,” he cut me off. I clamped my mouth shut and leaned back on the chair. “Good. Now, drink. Enjoy the music. Enjoy the attention. I promise you they won’t hate you forever.”

I would have laughed again had I had the energy. “You think I care about whether they hate me?”

“Everyone cares,” Tristian said.

“I don’t.” I really, truly didn’t.

In fact, I didn’t care about anything or anyone anymore. Grey was gone, out there where the curse would suck the life out of him until he was no more. Nothing much about any of this mattered after the fact.

“Oh, but you’re a woman! Women are all made a certain way. How easy it is tobribethem, to make them submit, to make them fall in love,” Tristian said with a sharp laugh.

You disgust me.

The words were at the tip of my tongue, but I held back. Instead, I grabbed the wine and took a sip, and I kept my eyes on the band, knowing that Mama Si was looking at me. Knowing that Sedelis and the remaining siren sisters were looking at me, too.

And I just wanted tonot seeany of them until this goddamn night was over.

Time seemed to crawl,the minutes stretching to infinity just to spite me. I felt like I was sitting on needles, surrounded by fire—and snakes. Those big snakes with fangs the size of my fingers that could eat me whole with a single bite. I was sitting right in their midst, and their attention on me was suffocating me slowly.

The worst part was that I couldn’t even drink to forget, to ease the pain and the discomfort. I couldn’t drink for fear I wouldn’t be able to run as fast as I needed when this was over and they tried to come for me.

No, I had to sip on my water and pretend to drink the wine and keep my eyes ahead without allowing myself to focus on anyone. Not the witches or the sirens—or Mama Si, who seemed to have her eyes permanently glued to my face.

At least she wasn’t smiling that I could tell.

But then,hecame.

I didn’t even notice the doors opening, and the band didn’t slow down the music, but everyone saw him coming through with his arms at his sides and his chin raised.

Valentine Evernight in all his glory came toward us like he hadn’t ruined my life just days ago. Like he hadn’t killed his own brother. Like he hadn’t tried to kill me, too.

And his eyes locked on mine.

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