Page 34 of Beneath the Flames
Instead of looking at the boy in front of me, her fierce gaze went straight to mine.
“What do you want?”she asked, partially covering herself with the door.
But before I could speak a word, my cousin stepped forward and into her line of sight.I watched as every ounce of the pink tint in her cheeks drained away, her tan skin going pale as a ghost.Her reaction was warranted—Carrow was terrifying, especially to someone like her, who didn’t have magic to protect her.Though it was faint, I felt the spike of her fear.It was good that she was afraid of him.It was better for her to be on her guard.
“Maren,” I began, wishing I didn’t have to do this.“This is Carrow.He requested to meet you.”
Her brows lowered over her eyes, and I could feel the unease radiating from her.“I thought you said there was no one else here.”
Carrow’s unamused laugh was a serrated knife on my skin.“Oh, I’m not from Eroth, pet.”His lips curled into a snake-like smile as he looked her over, his eyes resting on her for far too long.
Much to her credit, when I expected her to balk and runaway, the only sign of her nerves was a bob of her throat as she swallowed.But still, she lifted her chin.Even in the face of a monster.
Of course, she had no idea what Carrow was.
I could tell she wanted to ask more of her inane questions, but instead of voicing any of them, she simply looked at me and waited.
With a sigh, I gestured at him and opened my mouth.
“Allow me, Rhydian,” he interrupted before I could say anything.Then he shoved me out of the way and stepped far too close to her.Her gray eyes grew wide, a pulse of fear quickening her heart.
“Hello, Maren.I am Carrow.Prince of Nefaroth—the Land of Dust and Decay.”
Carrow’s words themselves made my nerves prickle, but it was nothing compared to the unmistakable feeling of danger that constricted all my muscles when I looked into those eerie eyes.Rhydian had a sense of danger about him too, but this guy…he personified death.
Carrow was tall—freakishly so—with the palest skin I’d ever seen.I was surprised veins weren’t visible beneath the surface.It was exacerbated by the fact that he wore all black, a long silver necklace with a big amulet hanging from the end.He looked like a skeleton with the way the clothes hung off him.
His hair was like ice, pure white and slicked back, but what really made my nerves kick into high gear were the cold, silver eyes ringed in violet—similar to the gold rings around Rhydian’s—and the ragged scar that ran from one temple down to the opposite side of his face.No one would dareto call him handsome, but he was so terrifying that it was difficult to look away.
I lifted my chin, trying not to cower in front of this Fae like I would have with my father.It was an effort to keep the quiver out of my voice as I asked, “Is that supposed to impress me?”
Prince Carrow blinked once.Twice.
Rhydian cleared his throat and out of the corner of my eye it seemed like he was holding back a laugh.
“Impress?No,” he said after a moment, cocking his head as if he couldn’t figure me out.“Terrify?Make you drop to your knees in awe and wonder?Yes.”
The words were out of my mouth far too quickly.“Well you’ve accomplished neither.”
Insert foot in mouth, Maren!Do you want this guy to kill you?
I dared a glance at Rhydian and was surprised to find a faint glimmer in his eyes—approval, maybe?Or just amusement that this human he dragged here was about to die because she couldn’t control her mouth?Would he even bother to stop him if Carrow tried to hurt me?Or would he be more than happy to rid himself of me altogether?
Rhydian’s lips tilted into a frown, those gold-ringed eyes studying me, as if he sensed my distrust.I forced my focus back on the true danger in the room.
Prince Carrow glared at me as he looked me over from head to toe.For a long, heavy moment no one spoke.The hair on my arms stood on end.Was this the moment before a predator sprung toward his prey?
When Carrow finally broke the silence, I flinched, barely keeping my arms from rising in defense.“Where did you find her, Rhydian?”His eyes never left mine, never missed a single movement.
He then had the audacity to reach out and cup my chinbetween frigid fingers that were deceivingly strong.A zing of fear shot down my spine, and my mind flashed back to when my father would do the same thing whenever I made the mistake of defending myself.It was usually followed by a fist to the face.
Prince Carrow’s lips curled in disgust as he turned my head one way and then the other.I despised that these Fae people treated me like I was a plaything.Like I was meant to be used and discarded, like I wasn’t a real person.It took everything in me not to snap my teeth at his fingers and control my breathing.
I was considering risking a swat at his fingers to get him to let go of me when another hand knocked Carrow backward.Rhydian stepped between us.
“She’s none of your concern, and I would strongly advise you keep your hands to yourself while you’re inmyhome,” Rhydian said in a low voice that made goosebumps rise on my skin.
Prince Carrow’s brow arched, either surprised or annoyed at his defense of me.Honestly, I was surprised myself.
