Page 17 of Courting Envy
Windows as wide as the wall, stained glass in them all the hues of the rainbow.
And a huge orb of golden light that streamed down and blinded me with its intensity.
For a moment, anyway, until the world dissolved and faded to black.
Chapter ten
Lucien
IglaredatRagnaracross my desk. His bulky form barely fit in the oversize chair; it would have been comical if he didn't frustrate me so much.
"I need more, Prince." The sneer any time he used my title was so obvious, and I knew he was trying to get a rise from me. "Our people are suffering."
Our people. As if he had any ownership over them. As if he was the one in charge. I was well informed about the dismal state of my circle. Even the demonic denizens were suffering; not just the human souls who were here to be tortured.
Which was why it was so important to get Rava adjusted.
I just needed to keep her presence quiet until she could gain control of her power. Until I could make sure she wasmineand only mine. And figure out a way to break the curse. If anyone knew, then there would be an even bigger fight on my hands. One I wasn't prepared for.
So far, I'd done a good enough job of pretending I had things under control, but the truth of the matter was that my powers were diminished. I was less of a prince than I'd been a hundred years ago, and if even another decade went by without breaking the curse, then Ragnar might well claim the throne for himself.
It would grate on me so much to bow and scrape to this ghastly buffoon. He didn’t really care about keeping the balance, only about claiming more power than he already had.
"Lucien," he hissed. "We can take what we need from the human world. The barriers are weak, it would be nothing to rip through them and claim the resources we need. If you cannot provide for Envy-"
The room jolted, silencing Ragnar and freezing me to my core.
Rava.
Golden light flared through the windows, so bright that it was blinding, before it faded back to a softer amber hue. Definitely not the translucent green that normally shone here.
Ragnar shoved up from his seat and slammed his heavy fists against my desk. Meanwhile, I leaned back in my chair, not bothering to stand.
"You found her, didn't you." His breath was hot and his flamed wings shot out behind him, fanning me with the scorching energy he held.
I nodded once, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of more than that.
"I demand an audience. We all do. If she has arrived then now is the time to strike, more than ever. We could take the other circles, claim all of Hell as our own, and use the magic of Envy to invade the human realm. It could all be ours." He swept out an arm as if to demonstrate.
I let out a long, slow breath, layering it with all the boredom I could summon. "In good time, Ragnar. She's new here and I'd hate for your fearful visage to scare her."
Ragnar drew back, his flaming wings disappearing, and his countenance becoming less fierce, more human. Damnably appealing to mortal women no doubt. He was tall and broad, and his face was defined like one of the Greek gods depicted in the human artworks at a museum.
I didn’t want him anywhere near Rava before I could show her that I was sorry. That I had genuinely wanted her here.
"I can behave." Ragnar smirked, knowing full well that I wouldn't believe him, no matter what he said. "Besides, you know that this is your duty as our prince. You can't keep the queen away from her people. We need to see her."
Seeing was not all he would want to do. Of all my rivals in Envy, Ragnar was my biggest opponent. He'd shatter the boundaries, run rampant on earth for all the resources we needed if I'd let him. But I was still prince, and as long as I could find a way to break the curse with Rava by my side, I'd be able to hold him off.
I wasn't ready to share her. Couldn't risk him bulling in on my territory. I needed more time.
But I wasn't going to get it.
"Come back in a few hours. We'll host a dinner so you can greet the queen yourself. She is... Readying herself for it now." It was a blatant lie, but Ragnar knew better than to argue the point. He had, after all, gotten what he wanted from me.
"I'll see you soon then." Ragnar dipped his head, his horns getting dangerously close to me before he stood up straight and marched from the room.
"That one will be trouble," Slade said.
