Page 76 of Enslaved

Ivor smiles dangerously. “Do I not have everything I want already? A kingdom in the palm of my hand. A beautiful bride to warm my bed and increase my power across the realms? More than enough pretty playthings to keep me occupied.” He leans in, licks blood off Danny’s cheek. “Human blood, like human screams, has its own distinct flavor. I’d forgotten how delicious it can be.”

“Leave him alone.” My voice has gone cold, hard.

“Why should I?” Ivor tips Danny’s head from one side to the other, as though toying with the idea of snapping his neck.

“I’ll . . . I’ll give you what you want.”

Those predatory eyes of his flash to mine once more. “And what is it you think I want?”

“My service. I’ll do . . . I’ll do what you ask.”

“AnythingI ask?”

A pit opens in my soul, yawning and endless. “Anything.”

“Of your own free will? You must say it. You must say it for the law to be satisfied.”

“Of my own free will.”

Ivor lets go. Danny gasps an agonized breath, his chest expanding. I collapse on my knees before him, cradling his face, trying to catch his eye. He shudders, groaning. His bloodied lips move. “Clara . . . Clara . . .”

Ivor growls. When I look up, he juts his chin, indicating a door across the chamber. “In there.”

Danny shakes his head. “Clara, no . . .”

I stroke his cheek, wiping away the wetness of both tears and blood. My own face is wet as well; I don’t know when I’d begun to weep. “It’s all right, Danny,” I whisper. “I said I would save you. I’ll get you home to Kitty. I swear it.”

Then I rise, deafening myself to Danny’s continued protest of, “no, no, no!” which turns into a wordless moan. Gathering my skirts, I march across the room to the door. Take the latch in my hand. Open it. Step through.

The inner chamber is large and shrouded in gloom. Not at all like one would expect to find in Aurelis. Gold cushions and animal-skin rugs mound the enormous bed in the center of the space. A massive skylight arches overhead, revealing the dancing stars of Summit Night. Candles lit and placed on every spare surface emit a spicy, seductive scent that stings my nostrils.

Danny lets out one last guttural cry. His voice cuts off abruptly as Ivor steps into the room behind me and shuts the door.

Unhurried, the fae lord moves through the shadows until he stands before me. His gaze is lingering, lascivious. “Of your own free will.” His tongue runs along the line of his teeth. Then he reaches out, grips my jaw, forces my face up. “Look at me.”

The Obligation quickens. I lift my gaze to his.

“Say my name.” He stares into my eyes, hypnotic and dreadful. “Say it how I want to hear it.”

I swallow. My lips part.

A breath of sound eases from my throat.

A whisper, a sigh.

Ivor frowns. His grip on my chin tightens. “What did you say?”

Something jolts in my chest—a surge, a bolt of lightning shooting out from my core. I scream . . . but not from pain. No, this sensation does not hurt. Itoverwhelms.Every sense, every thought. Every memory, fear, or desire. My arms fling wide, fine hairs standing up across my body, scalp prickling, fingertips sparking. My eyes are blinded by pure, shining light which glows inside my head, bursts from inside me, and lances across the worlds, burning as it goes.

Then it passes.

The light fades.

Darkness creeps in, tunneling my vision, bringing with it an awareness of the world around me.

I blink. The figure of Ivor resolves into clarity. He stands back from me several paces, his eyes wide. I watch his expression slowly morph from shock toterror.

“What was that?” he demands. Then, breathing hard: “What have you done?”

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