Page 56 of Break Her Heart
Winnie ate like she hadn’t been fed in weeks—savoring every bite like it might be her last. I couldn’t look away from the way her lips curved around a spoon of honey-glazed figs or the smug glint in her eyes when she caught me staring. She didn’t care that she was the only witch in a vampire castle. She owned it.
It made my hunger worse.
After dinner, the castle stirred again. Distant music filtered through the halls, laughter drifting from the great room.
Halston met us as soon as we stepped inside the great room, stepping a little too close. “What have you done?”
I could smell the human blood on him and I pinched the bridge of my nose to stop my eyes from turning red. I needed to feed soon. Desperately. The scraps of animal blood weren’t enough.
Not when the one I craved was standing right next to me.
“We had dinner if that’s what you’re asking.”
He scoffed. “No—I am talking about yourvisitto town.”
Now I understood why he wasn’t in the dining hall. He was upset and wanted an audience. I shrugged my shoulders. “Oh, that.”
“You.” He pointed a finger at Winnie, his face flushed with fury. “Have you found a way to spell him into obedience? Just know that Carrow will not be happy with this when he returns.”
Who the fuck did he think he was talking to her like that? I considered ripping that finger off of his hand so he could never point at her like that again. But instead I kept my composure, adjusting my coat and trying to look as unbothered as possible.
Winnie wasn’t as good at hiding her emotions. Her hand flinched like she was considering grabbing him.
I think I’d let her.
But I didn’t know if that was the smartest thing to do right now. We had enough eyes on us as it was. Me bringing a witch home wasn’t normal and I could smell the suspicion on some of the vampires.
Halston was one of them.
“Careful, Halston,” I said smoothly. “You’re speaking to your queen.”
He turned to me, disbelief etched across his face. “You made a decree legalizing witches! In front of the humans. In front of the Legion. Are you trying to disobey Carrow?”
Oh yeah, the decree wasn’t helping either.
“Did you really expect me to go down easy?” I asked as I stepped closer. “You know me better than that.”
He’d been at my birth. Been around me when I disobeyed Carrow constantly. I had run through the halls and destroyed everything in my path even as a child, only caring for my mother. Is he truly so dim that he thought I would let this be an easy transition?
I planned on stopping Carrow, but if I couldn’t, I was going to mess up everything that he had done before he came back.
His mouth opened, then closed. He looked at Winnie again, as if trying to decide whether she was the source of the madness or simply the match that lit it.
A crowd had begun to form.
I started to speak, but Winnie’s smile stopped me. She stepped closer to Halston and lifted her chin. Halston tensed. I held my breath.
“I don’t need a spell to make him obey.”
Her eyes flicked toward me, something sharp and amused passing through them.
Halston scoffed. “You’re throwing centuries of order into chaos. Carrow—”
“Carrow is not here.Iam. And I will not be asking your permission to rule Joveryn.”
Halston’s jaw tensed. “You’re playing with fire.”
“Good,” I said coldly. “I’ve always liked fire.”
