Page 15 of To Sway a Prince
Ramiel did not act as if he noticed my reaction. His long silver hair was a sleek curtain pushed over one side as if he combed his fingers from right to left while thinking. "This is my home, and I have many serious tasks which require my attention. I couldn't waste more time babysitting you."
I lifted my chin. In the past hours, I had exhausted every angle of reaching Zephyrus except going under. Absent digging a tunnel beneath the cell and finding a way to create a line of sight, that wasn't going to happen. So…I was going to learn more and uncover the weaknesses in another way. "I get the impression I'm annoying you."
"Whatever gave you that idea?" He asked it in such a flat tone that a younger me might have thought he was genuinely asking.
"There's a very simple way to fix all of this. Let Zephyrus go and let both of us leave." I spread my hands wide as if making some grand new point.
"Your bargaining position is poor," he said.
"I have offered to pay a ransom for him if that is what you require. I'm sure we can come up with something. And just know that if you refuse, I will find a way to break this spell. So save us all some time and let us go."
"You can't break the binding spell," he said as evenly as if he told me the sun rose in the east.
"No spell is impervious," I responded. Not entirely true, but I didn't really want to go into those exceptions. The suggestion that he might love me even a little was preposterous, and just saying that reminded me that most likely no one except Zephyrus would ever care about me. Who would want the reason for the successful razing of Theodas City? I had to steel myself so that the tears did not rise to the backs of my eyes.
Except for Zephyrus, everyone who loved me died that day, and all because of me.
"No. I just know how to seal it so you can't break it," he said. His lips pressed in a cold, faint smile. "You are not as clever as you think you are, little gnat."
"Go ahead and think that." I strode closer, staying on the opposite side of the spindle. "You will have to kill me if you want to stop me from rescuing Zephyrus. And a Sentinel like you should have no trouble with that." Rage flashed sharper in me, and I spread my arms wide. "Is that what you want? Do you want to kill me now? Just go ahead and get it over with, rune fiend!"
He slammed his hand down on the desktop, and a great force slammed into me. I lurched backwards, striking the shelf. I barely drew a breath before he was on me, his arms caging me in.
7
NOT WHAT I THOUGHT
My mouth went dry as I found myself staring up into those fierce, unblinking violet eyes. For a moment, I didn't know whether he wanted to kiss me or kill me.
My insides twisted.
What was wrong with me?
I glared right back at him though, my heart racing. His fingers flexed against the wooden shelf, the board creaking beneath his grip. "That is more than enough," he growled. "I vowed I would not harm you."
"A strange statement from the man pinning me to the shelf," I said. I hated the little tremor in my voice as much as I despised the way my skin prickled at the nearness of his touch.
He drew back and squared his shoulders, though he kept one hand against the shelf. His jaw worked. That scent of frosted silver and warm cedar filled my lungs. "If I was going to hurt or kill you, I would have done so already. You are a terror. And I cannot keep wasting time on you."
"Then throw me out." I lifted my chin. "Those are your options. Kill me or throw me out."
"Or imprison you."
"I'll get out. I'll find a way around your binding spell."
He shook his head, fury flashing in his eyes. "Why are you so stubborn? This matter is settled!" Drawing back, he flung one arm up in the air. He turned and paced to the far side of the library.
"You bound me to keep me from reaching my dragon. My best friend! Even knowing he may be injured and die! I will not abandon him."
"I am doing this for the good of all this realm and for you. He belongs here. You do not, Astraia."
Again my stomach tightened. Something about the way he said my name…I shook my head, trying to dislodge the thought. "You have a dozen dragons down there. You yourself said that it might not take all of them."
His jaw clenched. Emotion flashed in those violet eyes of his. Pain? "It is dangerous work," he said quietly. "It isourcalling."
Part of me wanted to now set all the dragons free. Commonsense warned me that that was a fool's quest. I didn't know these dragons. And they were at their core deadly predators who apparently played a role here. I had heard of the Sentinels and their work in the Chasm, but it was such a different matter when it was involving someone I cared about. Maybe it was selfish to want to spare Zephyrus that. Asking the others to be more at risk because he was not there? And yet the thought of sacrificing him broke my heart. It all confused me so much. "Will you at least remove the bond then and let him choose?"
He stared at me in somber silence for a moment so heavy I could not breathe. Then he shook his head. "I know what you are, and I cannot. He has bonded with you. He knows you, and he will want to make you happy. And at least keep you safe. He knows you should not be here, and he knows you are inno danger from me. So he is likely just to leave with you if he believes that's what you want."
