Page 28 of The Illuminated
The only reason I pulled it over my head was because I preferred it over being clad in underwear in front of Lucius. They each hugged me goodbye before we all stepped back into Lucius’s sprawling bedchamber.
“Was she cooperative?” Lucius asked from a leather chair next to the bed. An old, unmarked book lay in his lap.
“Yes, my Lord,” Amaya answered.
“Good. You both may take your leave.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m healed and clean. Can I go back to my own room now?”
Lucius laughed like I’d told him a joke. “So you can try to kill yourself again? Not likely. Not to mention, I can’t have anyone but me or Daelon knowing about any of this. Your mental instability would look like a weakness, and that would undermine the throne’s legitimacy. You’re stuck here for now so I can keep an eye on you.”
I rolled my eyes. “I won’t try to kill myself,” I promised. “And the effects of the dungeons are starting to wear off.”
“Just what a suicidal witch would say,” he said with a wag of his finger. “Sorry about the outfit. It was all I had. Though I must say you wear it well.”
Ew.
The look in his eyes made me want to teleport back to my room and deal with the consequences after. I clenched a fist, my power roaring to life.
“Don’t even think about it,” he snapped, his eyes icy.
It was unnerving his ability to read my thoughts at times. His strange, dark siren call was still in full swing, and I didn’t know how to tell him to cut it out without also admitting that I was vulnerable to it. Coupled with my mental exhaustion, the commanding force was just enough to keep me from running away.
“Still want to talk about your feelings?” he asked, and I shook my head. “That’s a relief. Maybe you are better. Are you tired?”
“I guess,” I said slowly.
He pointed to the bed. “In you go.”
I hesitated, and the look in his eyes sent a shiver down my spine.
“What are you so afraid of?” he asked with a deadly grin.
“Do you even sleep?” I blurted. He thought he was immortal, and though I wasn’t sure of the merit of that idea, sleeping didn’t seem like something he’d allow himself to do. He’d probably call it a weakness, and the thought of such a ridiculous notion nearly made me laugh.
“When I must,” he retorted, without skipping a beat. “Get in my bed, Áine. I’m not going to get in there with you, and I won’t touch you unless you beg. And probably not even then.”
“Stop talking before I throw up on another of your carpets.” I found myself inching toward the bed in spite of myself, and Lucius smiled smugly.
“Want me to tuck you in?”
“I’d rather you didn’t.” I crawled under the covers at the farthest end from him.
“Have any other needs you need fulfilling, or whatever it was that Daelon said?”
“Do youwantme to kill myself, Lucius?”
“I just think I deserve some credit. I think I did a fine job. Like you said, you’re better now. Just like I said you would be. And Daelon thought I couldn’t—”
I cut him off. “And you sayI’mannoying to listen to.”
“Well, yes, yes you are.” He paused. “I think you actually enjoy listening to me. At least to my commands,” he said, and at that, I turned away from him and pulled the covers up all around me.
I would never be able to fall asleep here. But at least this horrible conversation was distracting me from the grief that still lingered. Worst of all were the thoughts about Daelon and his lies by omission. The gap between us only continued to grow with each passing day, and I couldn’t even consider the possibility that the crevice was unbridgeable. He was one of the only things that tethered me to this plane.
“Áine. Go to sleep,” Lucius ordered. “I can nearly feel you thinking too hard from here.”
Soon a wave of his magick reached for me, and I could read its intent to subdue me to unconsciousness. I let it in, and my thoughts melted away. My muscles relaxed, and the peace I felt under this spell’s blanket of numbness was exactly what I needed.
