Page 38 of A Kingdom of Destruction

“There. You’re safe now.”

Safe?

Her ears rang when the panel slid closed behind them. A small light sunk into the wall illuminated the small closet space, hardly enough room for the two of them to sit with their legs out without touching each other.

No, she wasn’t safe.

He’d trapped her inside.

“Why did you bring me here?” Aven swiped the dust and blood from her arms, her fingers caught on the ripped fabric.

“That is a strange question to ask when you should be thanking me. It’s a safe spot. And it’s not like we’re going anywhere for quite some time. Not until my brother clears the palace from the vermin who infected it.”

She spun on him. “Those weremymen. They came here forme.”

“Then you’ll be responsible for their deaths, won’t you? I’m sure I couldn’t keep you from those feelings, anyway.” Roran scrunched his nose and made an ugly face. “Very mortal of you.”

“You have a lot of nerve.” Her chest shuddered. He struck a chord with her. He was right, too. She would carry the weight of all those deaths on her the same way she had from the beginning.

Roran, unbothered, drew out his dagger and began to clean the blade against his pants. The movement flexed his wrist slightly, the tendons shifting with the kind of quiet control she couldn’t help but notice.

“Do I?” he drawled. “Seems to me you’re the one with the nerve because you have no idea what’s really going on with things. You’re so interested in escaping you didn’t even stop tothink.”

“I know you’re a bastard.”

Her hand shifted to her pocket, her body angled so Roran wouldn’t see her move. Good. Her wand was still there. It hadn’t been lost in the jostle.

“Yes, well, some things are obvious.” He smiled at her. “I’ve never seen anyone so determined to kill themselves the way that you do, Aven. Well done.”

“Oh, I do love it when you talk pretty to me.” She banged her fists against the wall. Seamless, strong. The door had disappeared and sealed the two of them inside. They were trapped like rats, in a cage inside a cage, and her only company was the cocky brute who delighted in tormenting her.

The bruise in her side ached.

“Oh, stop with the pounding. We’re not getting out of here until Cillian comes for us. It’s his blood that will unlock the door. He made sure of it in this particular room.”

Sweat formed along her hairline. “And if he dies?”

Roran’s smile twisted into a smirk. “He won’t.”

“You seem awfully sure of the fact.”

“Because it’s the truth.” Roran tapped the handle of the blade on his knee and held the dagger by the point. “Why do you hate me so much?”

She finally lowered her arms to her sides before she sat cross-legged in front of him with her back to the door. “What is there to like? You’re a walking ball of insults, you’re arrogant, and you believe people should fall to their knees in front of you. Grateful for your presence,” she snapped.

“You’ve done none of those things.”

“I find nothing in you to like,” she corrected. “For the aforementioned reasons and a host of others.”

Roran blinked at her. “But I saved your life.”

“You killed my men. Those are my people out there, like you said.”

“Those mortals wanted tokillyou.”

“No. They came here for me. You should have just let me go with them. Instead you manhandled me and brought me to this tiny chamber I’m forced to breathe the same air as you for who knows how long.”

“You think this is any better for me?” he retorted. “You’re not exactly a picture of mental health, little princess. You’re brash, you’re insulting, and you have a ridiculously bloated sense of entitlement for someone so fragile.”

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