Page 41 of Wolf Caged
His scowl and the sudden shadows that loomed behind him, sucking some of the light and warmth from the room, and turning those motes of magic near the ceiling into tiny shards of glittering darkness, halted my tongue.
I filed away that he didn’t like anyone mentioning the seelie and tried to think of a different topic of conversation. “You bespelled me so I can understand your language. Is that apermanent thing? You said it was easy to maintain. So you could stop renewing it and I wouldn’t be able to understand anyone?”
He inclined his head.
“So if I want to remain able to talk to you and Neve, I need to remain on your good side.”
He grinned, flashing straight white teeth. “I have no good side, little lamb. You simply need to remain obeisant to me.”
“Fine. This spell of yours, does it work both ways? Like… is what I’m saying coming out as fae rather than English?” I hadn’t considered it when I had been in the dungeon, but both the king and Neve, and my servants could understand me too.
“I speak your tongue, but for others, they would hear your words as if you spoke fae.”
Fascinating. “So it’s kind of like a universal translator?”
Chase had made me watch several different Star Trek series during oneverylong snowy winter and when I had asked how all the different species understood each other, he had explained about universal translators. I doubted this fae king knew about them, and secretly enjoyed knowing something he didn’t and idly bringing it up in conversation.
“I would suppose so.” He swilled his wine, watching it run around the glass, and then his eyes lifted to lock with mine, the corners of his lips curving. “Imagine what it might be like to have that taken from you.”
A chill skittered down my spine at the thought of being here in this strange world, unable to understand anyone or have anyone understand me.
Except for him.
“Do you like threatening people?” I pushed my plate away, my appetite gone, and leaned back in my seat, mimicking him.
“Threatening would insinuate it is done to intimidate. I merely state facts.”
“To keep me obedient. Feels like a threat to me.” I was half-tempted to hurl my wine glass at him as the air between us took a turn I didn’t like, but it seemed like a waste, so I drained the contents instead. “I’m tired. Are we done?”
“So curt.” He tapped the pitcher of wine and my glass refilled. “We are not done.”
“Fine.” I folded my arms across my chest and glared at him.
The fire crackled and popped, showering sparks up the chimney, and silence stretched between us. His gaze remained fixed on me, sharp and focused, as if he was attempting to slice and peel back my layers to discover how I ticked. Or he was waiting for me to break.
When I had been a pup, Chase had mocked me over something I could no longer remember but had cut me to my heart, and I had given him the silent treatment for close to five days. It had taken him apologising in front of my parents and half the pack for me to speak to him again.
Minutes ticked past, neither of us willing to break the heavy silence that began to feel oppressive the longer it went on and I realised why I had stuck to my guns with Chase as a pup. It was because this unnatural silence and battle of wills made it harder and harder to speak as it dragged on, as if it was a living thing that was wrapping around my body and constricting me.
“I intend to take a swim in the lake tomorrow.” Kaeleron pushed back his chair and rose to his feet, looming like a shadow at the other end of the table, his striking silver eyes as dark as storm clouds. His deep voice wrapped around me, more crushing than the silence had been as he stared me down, his handsome face cold and devoid of emotion. “You will join me.”
A clear-cut order rather than a suggestion.
Suspicion jangled those alarm bells in my mind again.
A swim in a lake.
The last time I had swum in a lake, I had been naked.
“I want a bathing suit,” I blurted.
His eyebrows pitched low. “A bathing suit?”
“It’s a covering mortals wear when bathing to protect their modesty.” And would probably require someone to make a trip to the human world to get me one judging by how confused he looked.
He inclined his head. “I will see to it. Your handmaidens will bring you one and you will meet me at the lake before the light reaches its brightest.”
So agreeable. Those alarm bells rang a little louder, but I muffled them, sure that a swim wouldn’t be the death of me and doubting he would try anything at the lake given the clause he had added to our contract for me.
