Page 78 of Reign of Betrayal

My body grows heavy, and I collapse back onto the couch. Panic surges, heart thundering, sweat beading on my brow. I try to fight, but I’m frozen. My last memory is of Vanna standing over me, her smile malicious, before everything goes dark.

The sun streams brightlyinto my room as I wake. Rolling over, I glance out the window and notice the sun is already high, nearly midday. The clock on the mantle confirms it. Sitting up, I feel a strange disorientation, like I drank heavily the night before. Trying to recall last night, I come up blank. Nothing. I remember showering, but did I simply fall asleep?

All the hairs stand up on the back of my neck as I break out in a cold sweat. My memory was tampered with. It had to be. This isn’t the first time my memory was messed with. That means it was Vanna or a blood wielder. Vanna is an Infinity with mind magic, and some of the blood wielders here have mind magic as well. I swallow down the tightness that is working its way from my throat to my chest.

A knock interrupts my spiraling thoughts. Odd... my shadows usually alert me when someone is approaching. Getting up, I answer the door.

Reign stands there, her hair pulled back from her beautiful face. She’s wearing a tight tunic top, once again a few buttons undone, and a pair of slacks.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you would be ready,” she says, quickly diverting her eyes.

I realize I’m only wearing my sleeping pants, which are hanging low off my hips. “Ready for what exactly, Reckless?” I say as I reach over and start to button up her tunic, covering her exposed skin.

She scoffs but lets me finish. “Is that always necessary?”

“Yes, always. No one gets to see them. No one.” I open the door wider, letting her in.

“Well, what if I want to show them to someone, Prince?” Defiance laces her tone as she puts her hands on her hips and cocks her head. She’s adorable.

“Go ahead, try to show someone my treasures, and see what happens to them,” I say, stepping closer until I’m right in front of her. “I beg you to do that. I’ll gravely injure them and love every twisted second of it.” I stare into her pools of lavender, with a heated intensity. “Then I’ll have a healer patch them up so I can do it over and over until they beg the gods for death. Then and only then will I grant them that mercy.”

She swallows hard. “I am not yours, Prince.”

Throwing my head back, I laugh loudly, then trail my knuckles down her face before gripping her chin—hard, pulling her in front of my face until our noses almost touch. “But you are, Reckless.” I inhale deeply, savoring her scent. “You aremine.” Her chest begins rising and falling rapidly.

I release her chin and walk to my armoire, grabbing an outfit. “Now, why are you here?”

“We need to head to the blood wielder’s. I was informed by Raymon that we need to leave shortly.” I watch her eyes trail from my head to my toes, taking in my exposed chest and abs.

“I can dress later if you have other plans in mind, Reckless. Because the way those sparkling lavender gems are looking at me…” I grin wickedly.

She clears her throat, though a smirk tugs at her lips. “Your flirting could use some work, Prince. You just seem desperate.”

I pull on my shirt, smiling. “I am desperate… for you.”

She lets out a soft chuckle, a sound like music to my ears. “Are you always such an unashamed charmer?”

“Oh, Reckless, as long as I’m charming you, I’ll always be unashamed.” I drop my pants to change, and she gasps, immediately turning around.

“Does that work on all the ladies, Prince? Your charming words and… nudeness?”

“Hmm, I never tried it before. Never cared for anyone enough to—until you. Is it working?”

“Not at all.” There’s a playful lilt in her voice.

I laugh deeply. “I’m dressed. You can look at me with those innocent eyes.” She turns around to face me, cheeks painted pink.

“Now, onto the important stuff... How do you want to kill the blood wielder? Have you thought about it?” She fidgets, grabbing the bottom of her tunic while biting her bottom lip. It’s distracting me. “Reign?”

“Poison… If I can gather what I need, I can poison them.”

I nod as I put on my boots. “Very well, let’s head to the healer’s supply room.”

Reign hasthe leather book she took from her childhood home. She has it open to a page with a recipe for The Silent Surrender. She has been making it for the last hour. It’s amazing to watch her work. She is concentrating on making her poison, while I’m transfixed on her every movement. The tucking of a loose strand behind her ear, her grinding leaves, her licking her plump lips—everything she does is like its own little show just for me, and I am standing for an ovation. I don’t want to watch anything else. So, I sit there on the edge of the work bench, intently watching her.

It’s amazing that when Reign is around, I can think of nothing but her. I need to figure out what happened to me last night. I’m trepidatious—not sure if I want to go down that road, but I will.

Reign finally finishes, and she has a vial filled with brown liquid, taking up the entirety of the vessel, like Reign takes up all the spaces in my mind.

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