Page 11 of A Kingdom of Death & Darkness
“Seven’s been hurt,” he finally says.
I pause, and the seriousness of his words sinks into me. But I can’t stop myself from asking...
“Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. Healthier even. Well-rested it seems. A fucking princess in his realm where we couldn’t even understand how to properly feed her in ours.” Rage pulses at his jawline, and I hate how much it hurts the deepest part of my chest to hear the news of her wellbeing.
Fuck. She’s doing great. Fucking great.
“Does she seem happy?”What? Who the fuck am I right now? Is she happy? When have I ever cared about a woman being happy?
“Not particularly,” he answers.
A smile pulls at my lips.
“Good,” I whisper.
“What?”
“I mean, it’s good that she’s safe.” I fold my arms and force myself not to let out the manic happiness again.
I scrub my palm down my face and peer back at the council room door, knowing I should go back but not finding the steps to lead me there.
I mean it, honestly. As long as she’s there, far away from my father, Crymson Vaine will always be safe. So long as I let her go.
...IfI can let her go, that is.
SEVEN
Crymson
The next morning,Thorn appears at my door with his usual air of arrogance and lack of shirt to ask me to go on a walk with him. As strange as that request is to me when I’m essentially a prisoner in this place, I accept, if only because I’m curious about my cage and the man that holds the key. My acceptance doesn’t come without a bit of grumpiness, however. I’m still annoyed, and he knocked on my door early. I’d gotten used to being up later in the evening in the Blood Court, but here, the days are early. Painfully early. So, I’m a little disheveled, a little tired from a night of restless sleep, and Thorn is the easiest one to take my annoyance out on.
“Are your accommodations to your liking?” he asks as we walk at a leisurely pace through what I can only call the gardens. There are flowers, but they’re not any sort of flowers I’ve ever seen before. Black petals that drip with stardust, red flowers that seem to open wider as we draw near, purple flowers that close up and hide when they sense our movement. It’s alien to me butstill somehow devastatingly beautiful. Just like the man walking at my side.
“It’s a pretty cage,” I admit, staring at the red flowers that seem tobreathe. “The bed is soft.”
“You’re not my prisoner, Crymson,” he reminds me.
“You keep saying that,” I growl, glancing at him. “And yet I can’t leave.”
He stops and turns toward me, his eyes bright with challenge. “And where would you go?” he demands. “If you were to leave?”
I bite my lip. He’s calling my bluff. I know that. I also know he knows that I have nowhere to go. The human world isn’t exactly a home for me. And with Boris still alive and well, the Blood Court isn’t safe either. I really am trapped here, and not just by his own hand.
Still, I’m a stubborn bitch when I wanna be. “Hawaii,” I say. “I’ve never been, and it seems nice.”
He blinks. “Hawaii?”
I realize he probably doesn’t know what that is, but I don’t care to explain. Instead, I just shrug and continue walking, taking note of a patch of vines that seem to undulate beneath the sunshine.
He sighs. “I’d appreciate it if we were able to come to an understanding.”
“An understanding of what?” I ask seriously. “That you’re not really related to me? That you lied to Christian? To the Blood King? To me?”
“And what if I did?” Thorn growls a rumbling of possessiveness, his careful poise breaking. “You’re safe now, are you not?”
I swirl and meet his eyes. “But you’re still making decisions for me!” I spit. “Everyone is making decisions for me!”
