Page 15 of A Bond in Blood

I tucked my knees under my chin keeping my eyes on the doors he’d gone through, trying to gather the courage to enact my revenge.

I’d planned on waiting to watch his movements. To learn him and understand him. Now my hands were being forced. I couldn’t allow him anywhere close to me. I wouldn’t risk the chance of his skin touching mine.

While I thought, the air in the room shifted. I didn’t have to look up to know he approached once more. The cold that encompassed him came at me, like a wall of evil.

To my surprise, the curtains shut and the candles went out again, layering the room in total darkness. I hadn’t gotten a single glimpse at the face I was now forbidden to look upon. I cursed the mortal blood in my body for not giving me the keen fae eyesight in the dark.

The bed shifted with the weight of him and my skin crawled. I uncurled around myself, moving closer to the edge. Trying to create as much space between us as I possibly could.

“I’m going to sleep on the floor,” I finally said, grabbing the pillows behind me.

His body moved in an instant, ripping the pillow from my hand. “That’s not part of the deal, Brenna. You must sleepbesideme for the entirety of your service,” he whispered.

“Fuck the Gods,” I muttered.

“What?”

“Nothing,” I snapped, leaning back against the headboard.

“Are you scared?” he asked with a laugh.

“No,” I replied with a squeak.

His laugh chilled my bones, and the bed shifted once more. “Go to sleep, princess.” His voice lowered to an order.

I turned my head, trying to find an outline of the curtains covering the windows I’d been admiring before. My eyes became heavy with the shifting of his breathing, the sound of rest and exhaustion tugging at my tired body. I couldn’t sleep, though. I refused to do as he ordered; that hadn’t been listed on his requirements for my service.

I only had to stay where I was until I was sure his large body was asleep beside me.

My hands fidgeted in my lap, wringing against the nightgown I now realized was far too thin to be wearing with him beside me.

His breathing grew heavier, at an agonizing speed. As if my fear were calming this madman.

Eventually, however, I became confident he was indeed asleep. Slowly, I slipped off the bed, creeping through the dark room with my hands out to guide me.

To some miracle graced by the Gods, I made it to the bathing room.

I closed the door behind me and scanned the dark space, realizing he hadn’t covered the frosted skylight above. My eyes quickly took in the room. If this was his room, this meant his personal belongings would be in the washroom.

All I had to do was find them and hopefully—a razor.

I couldn’t logically remove his head with one like he’d removed Leif’s, but it would slit his throat.

I searched through the cupboards, trying to be as silent as I could, cursing when I found each one lacking a sharp weapon. My eyes lined with frustrated tears and I’d almost given up when my eyes laid upon a high shelf above the sink.

Sitting just out of my line of sight was a glass cup, with a razor sticking out of the top.

I pulled the small stool beside the tub to the vanity, climbing on top as quietly as I could. My hands shook while I pulled my weapon down, careful not to slice myself. Once my hand was grasped around the handle, I let out a breath of relief and held it to my chest.

“You can do this,” I whispered to myself.

I hadn’t taken a life before. Gods, I hadn’t thought about doing anything this violent. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and I would end this deal even if it resulted in death.

I just hoped it wouldn’t be my own.

While keeping the razor clasped in my palm, I made my way back to the room. I nearly tripped when I returned to the pitch-black space, so dark I couldn’t have adjusted my eyes if I’d tried.

Holding out a hand again, I blindly felt the space, hoping I wouldn’t knock my shins against the bed frame. Or fall and slice my own neck in an unfortunate accident.

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