Page 42 of Courting Envy
"How could you let her out of your sights?" I snarled, stepping closer to her.
"She told me to let her go," Kyveli said. "She told me to get you. Which I'm doing, aren't I?" She raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think it killed me to do as she asked? But she's right, Ragnar needs her to control this realm. He's not going to kill her outright."
I stalked away, pacing, thoughts whirling in my brain. How could I have been so stupid? Ragnar must have found out how important Rava's sister was to her, he would have known that this would lure me away. That I would do anything to keep my queen. How had I not seen it for what it was?
That said, her sister had been in critical condition, and my assistance meant she would live now. Not just live, but thrive – because I had known that was what Rava would want.
I turned back to the two of them, still furious that they had let her be stolen in my absence, furious with myself for not predicting this would happen. "Tell me where they are. I will go and deal with this myself."
Kyveli had the nerve to laugh. "No, you won't."
I lunged toward her and gripped her by her shoulders, but she simply melted into shadow.
"You might be the prince here, but we love her too. Don't think you get to ride in there all dark knight savior without us." Kyveli's voice echoed around me, and I wished there was something I could do to pin her to the corporeal so I could shake her senseless.
"She's right, my lord," Reon said.
I turned to him with surprise. "You dare suggest that your claim is as great as mine?"
He nodded once. "I don't need her for anything, my lord, no offence. So perhaps, mine is a purer love than yours." For once, he didn’t glance away, didn’t defer to my rulership over him.
I drew back, wings flapping hard, claws wanting to rend and tear. How fucking dare he?
And yet, I'd known this. Hadn't I? Known she cared for these others as much as she did for me.
I couldn't consider that she might care more. I couldn't cope with what that might mean.
"We want to protect her too, Lucien," Kyveli said, her shadows forming back into a body. Her voice was firm, but not without care. "And there are too many for you to take alone. We need to work as a team."
Everything inside me railed against that idea. Because Kyveli was right – I did want to swoop in and save Rava myself, claim all the glory and credit, have her shower me with love and affection because I'd been her hero.
But she was also right because I couldn't do this on my own. That ground against my ego so hard, but I knew I had to push through it. A more selfish reason for accepting their offer of help sprung to mind; if I came to save her with these others, maybe Rava would see that I could grow and change. I could be okay with her wanting more than just what I could offer.
Part of me wanted to reject that thought. Resist it entirely. I was the prince. I shouldn’t need help. Shouldn’t need to defend my position.
Should not need to convince Rava of anything.
And yet, I did. She wanted what she wanted, and I knew that I needed her. Have known that she was the one for me even before I’d taken her to bed.
"Okay," I said, flexing my claws. "Let's go."
Chapter twenty-seven
Rava
Thisroomwaslikenothing I'd seen in Envy to this point, and I didn't like it. It was so far underground that the air was dank and heavy. I could smell something else too, something I didn’t have any reference for. Stone walls curved upward creating a kind of dome, and in the middle a shaft went straight up. I could see light coming through it, so I had a feeling it opened to the air.
Why had Reon missed this on my tour?
Admittedly, I hadn't been in Hell for long and there was no doubt more to Envy than I could have seen even if I'd spent every minute touring this place, but this chamber... It had a purpose; I could feel it. Something malignant lingered in the air and in the very ground itself. I’d not felt this energy anywhere else in Envy. The sickness started here. My magic struggled to surface, warning me that things were not right.
One of his lackeys closed and bolted the door, and Ragnar released my arm once he’d pulled me into the main circle on the floor. There were several of them, and in the middle of the room was a chair that I knew was meant for me.
Hooded figures stood around the periphery of the room, adding to the ominous vibe.
"What are we doing here?" I asked, trying not to take my eyes off Ragnar while also scanning for another exit from this place.
"You want to break the curse, don't you?" He looked more intimidating now, and maybe it was because I knew that Lucien was on Earth, helping my sister, not here where he could save me. I could only hope that Kyveli had found a way to get in touch with him, or at least gather some forces.
