Page 12 of Masked Fate

Fuck.

I can’t keep up with his mood swings. One second, he’s looking at me like I’m worthless, and the next, he’s calling me a good girl.

What does he want from me?

I don’t know how to handle it when he’s nice to me.

I know he’s going to hate me the second we walk out of here. He will remember who I am and go back to ignoring my existence, and yeah, it fucking hurts. How sad is it that I’m happy with the tiny crumbs of kindness he’s feeding me tonight?

Just him looking into my eyes and treating me like a female instead of an evil witch is progress.

I eat a sandwich, then pass him the plate. He finishes what’s left and then nods to the door. “Rave will be glad when I’ve brought you home in one piece.”

Of course.

He’s only putting up with me because his king commanded it.

What other reason would there be?

Because at the end of the day, I’m merely the daughter of the monster who hurt him.

CHAPTER SIX

Soren

“Declan has agreed to Milana marrying Axe, becoming the next Incubus Queen,” I tell Rave and Astrid. We’re sitting outside at one of the outdoor tables, eating dinner and drinking a glass of wine. “Apparently, Zython owed Declan a life debt, and the only thing he wanted was your hand in marriage, Astrid.”

“Is that a nice way of saying he wanted me to have his children for his bloodline?” she replies in a dry tone, sadness flickering in her hazel eyes at the mention of her father.

“Yes,” I say, leaning back in my chair. “And that’s without him knowing about your angel blood. But Zython didn’t want to agree to that, Milana said. In the end, he told Zython that if he didn’t hand you over, he was going to kill you and Axe.”

“Why does this Declan hold so much power?” Rave asks, his gaze gently tracing over his mate. “We should kill him, just like I told you. Anyone who is a threat to what’s mine needs to die.”

Ah, Rave. He’s a simple male.

And very violent.

“Well, there’s the army of misfits he commands, warriors all from different kingdoms. We wouldn’t exactly know what we’d be up against, but I think we could pull it off,” I admit, tapping my finger against the glass in my hand. “I asked Milana what magic her father holds. Apparently, this is a big secret because it’s not common knowledge.”

“And?” Rave presses, leaning forward.

“He has mind manipulation,” I tell him, studying Astrid. “And I think he got into Zython’s head. I don’t think he would willingly betray his only daughter. And from what Milana said, Declan is extremely strong. We need to make sure our mind barriers areready before we go up against him.”

Her eyes widen and spark with something that looks like hope. “So you think that maybe he didn’t betray me?”

“I don’t know,” I admit, not wanting her to get ahead of herself before we have all the facts. “But it’s something for us to consider.”

“Pandora said Salem was there,” she muses, studying me. “How did that go?”

As soon as we zipped back to Aravelle, the witch spoke with Astrid and returned to Allyria, the Witch Kingdom. She couldn’t seem to get away from me fast enough, which is fine by me.

“He tried to pull some possessive shit, but Saylor distracted him, and we got out of there,” I explain, smirking at the narrow-eyed look Astrid sends Rave. “Don’t worry, your precious little witch is fine.”

“Saylor? Isn’t that Salem’s sister you slept with?” she asks Rave, wrinkling her nose.

A muscle feathers in his jaw, and I know the second we are alone, he’s going to kill me for bringing this up. “One time. I slept with herone time, and it was a long time ago.”

He took her virginity, but there’s no way in hell I’m bringing that up. I like to tease and stir shit sometimes, but I don’t have a death wish. With the tension suddenly rising, I decide to excuse myself and head back to my room, where I have a little surprise waiting for me for dessert. I’d chosen the largest room on the first floor for a reason—I can easily sneak women in and out without anyone seeing. Using magic to unlock my door, I step inside my dimly lit room to find the fae exactly where I left her, hands tied to the headboard, her creamy legs spread and waiting for me. A little whimper escapes her lips when she notices me, and she spreads her thighs even farther apart.

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