Page 23 of Consume Me
I back away, slamming the door shut with shaking hands.
Then I whirl on my captor, the infuriating fae male before me. “Where the hell did you bring me?” I demand.
He’s standing in the middle of a massive stone foyer, calm as ever and way too hot for his own good in that suit. It’s a little strange on him, like he’s not someone who normally dresses up. But damn, he fills it out just fine.
“It’s called Sanctum,” he says, and I force myself to stop checking him out. “You’re safe here.”
I cross my arms. “You mean I’mtrappedhere.”
He lifts a brow. “You want to go back to your world with a cursed dagger still clinging to your soul?”
I scowl, refusing to talk about that. Especially with him. Did he really destroy one of them between his massive canines like the thing was made of plastic?
“Let me go.”
“I will. After we break its hold on you.”
I open my mouth to argue. But I can’t. The fact that we’re dealing with a singular blade now instead of two is enough to steal what’s left of my temper. My voice is quieter when I say, “You destroyed one of them like it was nothing.”
“The rune did,” he replies.
“How?” I ask, breath catching.
“That magic is part of the vow I took for vengeance.”
“Vengeance for what?” I ask.
But his gaze drops—to my shoulder. Then lower. And the interest—no, desire—that flares to life in his dark gaze startles me. I look down and note the torn strap of my gown. The remaining fabric has slipped, revealing too much skin. My collarbone. My chest. The curve of my breast. Nearly my nipple.
When I look up again, his eyes meet mine and darken, and my entire body lights up like a fuse.
His voice is low and rough now, raking over the exposed parts of me. “Why don’t you get cleaned up. Then we’ll talk.”
I open my mouth to tell him absolutely not; we cantalk now. But I catch the edge of a mirror hanging near the door and wince at the sight of my reflection. Makeup smudged. Hair fallen and tangled. Gown torn. I look like I’ve been dragged across a battlefield—and in a way, I have.
“Lead the way,” I mutter.
He turns and heads down the hallway. I follow, grudgingly, taking in the house as I go.
It’s… impressive.
Vaulted ceilings. Smooth black stone beneath my feet. Walls inlaid with veins of glowing silver. Magic hums through everything—quiet, pulsing, alive. It’s not like the mansion where the party was held. Despite its vastness, this place feels cozier. More lived in. Remote as hell, though, considering its closest neighbor is a freaking galaxy of stars.
We turn down another short hall, and a wall of glass reveals a dense, mist-drenched forest outside. The trees look ancient, their massive trunks and twisted limbs pressed close to the glass like they’re watching. Listening.
Confusion needles through me. “Wait. All I saw out the front door was outer space. Now it’s a forest?”
He glances at me. “The view can be whatever I want.”
My steps slow then stop. “Excuse me?”
“I designed Sanctum to be a safe haven. A secret place the rest of the realms cannot breach. It exists completely unto itself.”
Hold up. HedesignedSanctum?
Gods, the amount of power it would take to create and maintain a place like this… I can’t even imagine. Stunned, I stare out at the trees. The gloom. The eerie stillness.
“Yeah,” I mutter. “That choice makes sense for you.”
