Page 88 of Of Thieves and Shadows

He has a dagger out too, pressing it to the tender spot on my chest, just below my heart.

“From the looks of things, that would be an effort in futility,” he says, still talking in his eerie monotone. “I wonder what Mother would think of your husband’s absence in your bed.”

His gaze rakes down my naked form before he tacks on, “Not that I can blame him.”

In spite of my feigned nonchalance, my heartbeat thuds in my ears, loud enough that I wonder if he can hear it. If he tells her I’ve been lying about this…

“We have plenty of time for Mother’s needs during the day,” I say evenly. “I suppose I could keep him by me every second, but he isn’t as fond of collars as you are,” I taunt.

He makes a growling sound like the feral animal that he is.

“Is that why you’re here? To check up on me?” I ask softly, taking back the upper hand in any way that I can while I’m naked in this bed and he is clothed, looming over me. “Relegated to running errands again until you prove yourself worthy of being more than just a uselessbastard.”

It’s an old insult, but it never fails to hit home, since that’s exactly what he is.

“I am doing whatever she asks of me, because I am loyal,” he hisses, finally losing a bit of his composure. “And whatever she believes, we both know that you are not.”

It’s interesting that he doesn’t admit that he’s The Flame. Has she told him to keep it from me, or does his pride prevent him from acknowledging that he only got the coveted role of her enforcer by default?

“I’ll be sure to pass along your high esteem of her intelligence,” I tell him, not having to force a smirk to my lips since we both know she would torture him for that.

His face goes pale, practically glowing in the moonlight with the force of his fury.

“I think when I finally present her with proof of what you are, I’ll ask for a gift in return.” His voice is deathly quiet now.

“Yes, yes.” I force an eye roll. “Your endless desire to torture me never gets tired.”

“Not you,” he corrects, his lips tilting up in a macabre imitation of a smile. “First, your prince. Then everyone and everything else you hold even a shred of affection for.”

The blood drains from my face, and it takes everything I have not to glance up to the canopy where Pumpkin is sleeping.

I hope he’s still sleeping.Surely, Damian would have gloated if he…

I push the thought away, fighting to keep the tremor from my voice when I respond. “Is that why you’re here, then? To deliver false threats?”

He shrugs, outwardly unbothered when the motion drags my blade along the skin of his neck.

“I’m in the palace to deliver a message, that she wants to see you just after midnight tomorrow. But I came to your bedroom, because I wanted you to know that I could,” he says, barely above a whisper. “That all your increased patrols and your palace security won’t save either of you when Mother decides she’s had enough.”

With that ominous threat, he sweeps back out of my room, sliding off the balcony and down the tower.

I’m out of my bed in one swift movement, reaching on top of the canopy. Pumpkin’s questioning chittering floods my veins with relief. I pull him into my arms, walking to the window to observe as Damian’s shadow moves through the palace grounds and over the wall.

My chest is tight, my skin is too hot, and my breaths are coming far too quickly.

He got in. He got in my room, and he could have killed me.

What if Remy had come back early?

I shove down my panic long enough to investigate how Damian managed to break in. The handle on the balcony door is loose, and two screws are missing. My eyes dart around the balcony until I see them, glinting in the moonlight just outside the door.

Within minutes, I have retrieved my thieves’ tools and thrown on a robe. I secure the doors, filing down the heads of the screws so that they can’t be removed again. Tomorrow, I will have several additional locks installed on our balcony and Zaina’s.

Seven Hells,what if Zaina had been here?

It isn’t likely, but not impossible. She’s come once before.

Anxiety swells in my chest until I make my way to the decanter, popping the lid and downing several long gulps of cinnamon sake.

---