Page 24 of Beneath the Cursed Veil

“Hello, Meera, darling.”

Chapter 9

Vareck

Meera stilled, her skin warm against my palm. I held her tighter, breathing her in. She smelled like blood oranges and vanilla. The same as she did in our dreams.

The ones she tried to deny.

Fury coursed through me when I thought about that.

Her device buzzed against the floor, its light casting eerie shadows. It’s how I learned her name, reading the texts as they came in. We didn’t have phones in Faerie, but I understood how they worked well enough from my travels to this realm.

“Don’t move. I’m going to let you go, but you will not compel me. Understood?” Unfortunately, I had to use my own compulsion to ensure she didn't do anything crazy. The minx had already proven herself powerful and it would be a mistake to underestimate her again. A beat passed, then she nodded.

I released her mouth slowly, instead grabbing her chin and turning her head to the side so she looked at me. Fire burned inher hazel eyes.

“Are you armed?” It wasn’t the question I wanted to ask, but it was the one I needed. She’d restrained Damon with a pair of handcuffs that I could only assume were enchanted—otherwise he would have fought back with his own magic. My nephew might be useless in almost every aspect, but self-preservation ran strong with that one. “Answer me.”

“Yes,” she hissed, clearly not thrilled to be on the other end of compulsion.

“Where?”

Her eyes flicked downward, then met mine again, sparking with defiance.

My free hand slid down her thigh, fingers grazing warm, smooth skin. She stiffened, trying to mask both her fear and desire. I found the dagger strapped to her leg, pulling it free. With a flick of my wrist, I embedded the blade into the wall.

“Anything else? Where’s the handcuffs?”

“Gone and no.”

“Good. You were impressive earlier. If I could trust you not to run, I wouldn’t have to do this. Your persuasion is . . . unusually strong.”

“Because that makes it so much better,” she muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“You compelled me first,” I pointed out.

“Would you have let me go otherwise?”

“Before you kidnapped my nephew, yes. I wanted to talk to you. Not . . . this.”

Guilt flashed across her features before she could bury the emotion behind a mask of indifference. “How do you know I kidnapped him?”

“I heard you compel him. Not to mention the smalldetail that guards saw you push him through the portal. Your exit wasn’t exactly subtle.”

Her lips twisted. “I can’t tell you where he is, even if you compel me. My job was to snatch the prince and get him to the drop location. Nothing more, nothing less.”

My brows drew together. “Do you know who hired you?”

“No.” Something flashed behind her eyes, making me wonder if I was missing something.

“You do know that taking the crown prince of Faerie is a crime, correct?” I didn’t use persuasion. I didn’t need to.

Her lips thinned. “I’m aware.”

“But you still did it anyway,” I said. “Why?”

Her expression shuddered. “Because I’m a fucking idiot and took a job from a broker that I shouldn’t have.”

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