Page 211 of The Iron Flower

“Where should we take her, Commander Grey?” one of the guards asks him.

“She has my permission to go wherever she chooses,” Lukas snarls before storming out of the room.

CHAPTER SEVEN

REVENGE

Yvan is there when I stumble back to the North Tower.

The night is inky black, thunder rumbling in the distance. A weak flash of lightning pulses.

“Your uncle. How is he?” he asks, clearly thrown by my expression as I enter the bedroom. “Why are you back so soon?”

“He’s dead,” I reply, my voice flat and lifeless.

“Oh, Elloren...oh, no...”

“She killed him. My aunt good as killed him. Your mother’s right. My family is evil.You should stay far away from all of us. I’ll ruin your life.”

Yvan slides off the windowsill and comes to me, his face tensing with confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“Uncle Edwin’s heart gave out. He’s been sick for a long time. My aunt knew he couldn’t handle stress.” I stop. I can’t say any more.

Yvan wraps his arms around me as I stand there, limp and unresponsive.

My hands. How can I tell him about the fasting?

Grief and dark rebellion rear up within me like a vicious tide, and an even darker idea springs from it.

I’ll break the fasting.

Even though my body is numb from grief, unfeeling, uncaring, I reach up and twine my arms around Yvan. And then I bring my lips to his, my kiss soft and then deliberately teasing.

Yvan kisses me back at first, his fire rousing, but then he pulls away to look closely at me, seeming deeply confused by the dramatic change in my demeanor.

I ignore his hesitation, caressing his cheek. “Just kiss me,” I beg of him, my voice husky. “I need you to kiss me.” I bring my lips back to his, my fingers tracing up his warm neck, and as we kiss, I can feel him slowly giving up on his confusion, giving in to me.

Yvan’s breathing deepens, his body tensing in response to my suggestive embrace, his fire quickening and then shuddering into a blaze.

I skim my fingers languidly along his back, down and around his waist in a supple caress. Then still lower, my hands sliding over his hips, his fire coursing clear through me now, his hands gripping at my tunic.

Yvan’s fire intensifies as I kiss him more provocatively, his increasingly unbridled heat racing through my lines, his hands beginning to touch me boldly as he senses all the boundaries between us suddenly erased. A small groan escapes his lips as I pull his body aggressively toward mine.

Abruptly, Yvan’s body goes rigid, and he reaches around to grab my wrists, pushing away from me. “Elloren...” His eyes are on fire with equal parts desire and dawning suspicion. “What are you doing?”

I flash a sultry smile and move toward him. “Take me to bed.”

His hands reflexively tighten around my wrists as he maintains the distance between us, searching my face intently.

Then his gaze drops down, and he sees them.My hands.

He pulls in a hard breath, outrage flaring to a golden blaze in his eyes. “It’s Lukas Grey, isn’t it? They forced you to fast to him.”

“Please, Yvan,” I beg, desperate. “I want to break the fasting. Please, help me do it.”

His hands are tight on my arms, holding me back. “No, Elloren.”

I glare at him, suddenly furious. We stare at each other for a long, tortured moment.

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