Page 28 of Caged By the Lich

And found an empty sheath.

I don't know how to feel about the fact that I can actually trust her.

13

ASTRID

Ilean over the sprawling map, my eyes darting between the colored markers and the stack of reports at my elbow. V's presence looms beside me, his ethereal blue skin catching the candlelight as he gestures to a cluster of villages near the border.

"The lords did not waste any time," he murmurs. "We need to contain this."

I nod, chewing my bottom lip as I consider our options. It's been a few weeks of V letting me look over his daily reports with him. "What if we redirect some of the guard patrols from here?" I point at the map. "It's been quiet there for months."

V's eyes flicker to mine, a spark of approval in their depths. "Good thinking. But we'll need to maintain a presence to deter thieves."

"Split the unit," I suggest, reaching for a quill. "Half to quell the unrest, half to continue patrols. We can rotate them weekly to prevent fatigue."

A slow smile spreads across V's face, transforming his features. For a moment, I forget to breathe. It's a miracle I've kept my hands to myself…

And not begged for the punishment he offered.

"Clever girl," he purrs, and I hate the way my stomach flips at the praise. "Draft the orders. I want them ready by nightfall."

We work in tandem, pouring over intelligence reports and supply manifests. V's mind is a steel trap, recalling minute details from months-old meetings and weaving them into our strategies. I find myself racing to keep up, my own thoughts sparking and building off his ideas.

"If we reroute through here," V muses, tracing a path with his finger, "we can avoid the affected areas entirely."

I frown, considering the logistics. "We'd need to hire additional guards, maybe even some weather mages with the unpredictability this time of year."

V nods, already scribbling notes. "Good point. Make it happen."

And we spend all day like that. Most of it, I find myself staring at the demon that I can't bring myself to hate…or be angry at. The only thing I can feel is this need, my body practically begging to ride him every time he turns and looks at me.

It's…intense.

It's why I've helped bury myself in his work. I guess I like playing with fire because I can't distance myself but I also don't want to get burned.

"Astrid?" His eyes swirl, and his head cocks as he assesses me. I didn't even realize I was staring.

But I can't voice what I was thinking, so I just jerk my eyes back to the maps on the table before us. Soon he joins back in, and I can't help but feel a thrill of excitement as we piece together our strategy. It's exhilarating, this back-and-forth of ideas, the way our minds seem to sync up and build off each other.

"What if we..." I start, reaching for a marker.

V's hand brushes mine as he goes for the same piece. When we touch, I feel a jolt of electricity shoot up my arm, and I freeze, suddenly hyperaware of how close we are. I can smell the faint scent of spice and earth that clings to him, feel the heat radiating off his body.

I jerk back, my heart pounding. What am I doing?

The reality of my situation crashes over me like a bucket of ice water. This isn't a friendly strategy session. I'm not V's equal or his partner. I'm his prisoner, a pawn in his political games. The fact that I'd forgotten that, even for a moment, fills me with shame and self-loathing.

But I'm not sure if it's my own insanity — my own want for my captor — that is keeping me away anymore. Because every time we've gotten close to anything, he has pulled back.

It might be the rejection that's keeping me away. And I can't even begin to process what that means.

V raises an eyebrow at my sudden movement. "Everything alright, little rebel?"

I force a tight smile, hating the way his pet name for me only further confuses my mind. Why do I like it? Why does it hurt that he uses it and yet I seem to still mean nothing to him?

"Fine." I huff. "Just... tired, I guess."

---