Page 91 of The Curse of Golden Blood
She glared at me, her eyes bright with defiance. "There's always a choice."
"Not this time." I pressed one palm against the wall beside her head. "This time, there is only me."
"I don't believe you." Her voice stayed steady despite the way her pulse hammered against her throat. "And I don't trust you."
The words should have stung. Instead, they only made me want her more. "Smart girl."
"Don't patronize me."
"I'm not." I leaned closer, my mouth near her ear. "I'm simply appreciating how well you know me. How you see exactly what kind of creature stands before you and still dare to challenge me."
She turned her face toward mine, our lips almost touching. "What I see is a coward hiding behind pretty words and empty threats."
Something dark unfurled in my chest. "Empty threats?"
"Yes." Her chin lifted higher. "You talk about caging me, controlling me, but you haven't actually done anything. You're all bark and no bite."
I chuckled, low and dangerous. "Is that what you think? That I won't follow through?"
"I think you're afraid of what you might become if you truly let yourself want something."
The accusation hit deeper than it should have. My free hand moved to her hip, fingers digging into the soft flesh there. "Perhaps I should show you exactly how much I want you, little dove. Perhaps I should take you right here against this wall and prove just how empty my threats truly are."
The slap came fast and sharp, her palm connecting with my cheek with enough force to snap my head to the side. Thesting bloomed across my skin, and I felt my lips curve into a smile.
"There she is." I turned back to look at her, still grinning. "The fire I've been waiting to see."
Her eyes blazed with fury. "You arrogant prick."
The words washed over me like warm water. "Feel better now?"
"No." She glared at me, her hands clenched at her sides. She pushed past me, her shoulder knocking into my chest.
"Get out of my way."
"If you insist." I stepped aside, giving her a sweeping bow as she headed for the door.
She turned and stared at me for a long moment. Then she shook her head and disappeared into the hallway.
I sighed, rubbing a hand across my face. Her scent still lingered in the air, a blend of citrus and jasmine that made my mouth water.
I turned to head back to my chambers, already planning my next move, when pain lanced through my chest like a white-hot blade. The agony dropped me to one knee, my hand flying to press against my heart.
Something was wrong.Very wrong.
I looked down and froze.
Black veins spread across my skin like ink in water, dark tendrils that pulsed with each labored heartbeat. They originated from directly over my heart and snaked outward, visible even through the fabric of my shirt.
The mutilated creature. The one I'd fought in the lower chambers. The one whose claws had found their mark.
The Rot.
It had found me at last.
twenty-five
Storm Leaping
