Page 37 of Heir of Illusion

“Perhaps your bark is louder than your bite? Your beloved king does refer to you as hispet, after all. That implies domestication.” His tone is light, but there’s something disapproving underneath it. Does he not care for the nickname?

“Try me and find out,” I challenge him. “Besides, it’s you who should be worried, given this new alliance.”

A wicked gleam enters his eyes. “Are you the one making threats now?”

I shrug. “Perhaps.”

“Oh please, continue.” His tongue darts across his bottom lip, drawing my gaze. “How would you ruin me, Angel?”

My heartbeat stutters as unwanted heat scalds my cheeks. I drag my attention away from him, ordering myself to stay focused. “Last week, you seemed more interested in thievery than politics. What a coincidence that thealmanovawas stolen so soon after you tried to blackmail me into stealing it for you.”

He blinks innocently. “I don’t believe I ever mentioned something called a—what did you say?” His head tilts to the side, his forehead creased with mock confusion. “Almanova?”

“Don’t insult my intelligence,” I snap. “Thealmanovaand yourwhispererare one and the same. Baylor confirmed it.”

He rolls his lips to hide a smile. “I believe this is called mutually assured destruction. But it would be a shame to destroy someone so lovely.”

“I wouldn’t know.” I shrug. “It’s not something I have to worry about.”

He clutches his heart once more. “Again, my lady? My ego can’t take much more abuse.”

“You’ll survive,” I mutter. “Unfortunately.”

He crosses his arms. “And here I was about to offer you a truce.”

“That would require me to trust you,” I say, moving ahead of him as I lead us into a narrow stairwell. “Which, to be clear, I don’t.”

He follows behind me since it’s too narrow to walk side by side, something I’m grateful for. I need a moment to refocus after the direction our conversation has taken. We walk in silence for several minutes, each lost in our thoughts until a footman comes upon us, carrying a large glass vase. We both move to the side, allowing him to pass through the tight quarters. Thorne’s brows pinch together as he glances around, noticing where we are for the first time.

“Do you always take the servants’ passages?” he asks.

“There are people I prefer to avoid.” My mind turns to the courtiers from this morning.

“You mean whoever left those bruises?” he asks, a dark edge entering his voice.

My head whips around so fast I nearly trip on the steep steps. He reaches out, steadying me with his gloved hand before pulling it away.

“If you tell me his name, I’ll make him regret ever laying a hand on you.”

I blink. Seconds pass as I wait for him to smile or laugh, to signal in some way that he’s joking. But he doesn’t. His offer is completely serious.

“Why do you assume it was a man?” I ask. “It might have been a woman?”

His expression doesn’t change. “Was it?”

I cross my arms. “Why do you care if someone hurts me? How does that impact you?”

Two lines appear in the center of his forehead. “I don’t have to be personally impacted by something to care about it.”

I suppose that’s true. I care about the strangers I help as the Angel of Mercy, despite never actually meeting any of them. They only deal with Della and her spies, none of them ever learning who killed their abuser. But still, I care about their pain. Everyone, mortal and fae, deserves to live a life free of senseless violence. My eyes flit back to Thorne’s, searching for the truth in his haunting gaze. Does he truly mean what he’s saying, or is this another tactic to gain my trust? I shake my head, reminding myself that either way, it doesn’t matter.

“Your imagination is concerning, Reaper.” I turn around and continue down the stairs. “If you must know, the bruises were a gift from my sparring partner.”

“Sparring?” He sounds shocked as he falls into step next to me, squeezing through the narrow passage.

I stiffen at his sudden closeness. “I trust you’re familiar with the concept.”

“That’s what these bruises are from?” His attention flits from the cut on my lip to the bruise on my arm.

---