Page 33 of A Realm of Fire and Ash

I hold open my hands, gesturing wildly. "I have nothing!"

His attention draws on the shadows coiled across me, and I cross my arms over my chest.

"You swallowed it, and I intend on getting it back."

My mouth hangs open, horrified, and find that I can't speak. Aggonid steps closer and I instinctively shrink away.

"You will stay here with us," he continues, his voice deep. "Until you can find a way to return that which you have taken."

The key to the manacles.

He stares down at me, a wicked smile on his face. His slightly elongated canines gleam in the firelight, and chills run down my spine.

"How do you anticipate I return it to you?" I squeak.

A grin takes over his entire face, and Caius shifts uncomfortably next to me, his knee brushing mine.

"I'll have a guard cut it out of—"

"No!" Caius interjects, his voice hard.

Aggonid spins on his heal and strides back to the table, calling over his shoulder for the servant to bring him an extra helping of ground gnomes.

I shriek, vaulting myself over the back of the couch, my nails extended. Just as I make to rake them across his face, he catches my wrist, and I fall into his lap. He digs his claws into me, drawing blood.

He hisses, yanking his hand back at the contact. "And you'll take off that fucking necklace!" He holds his hand, which oozes that sinister black oil that bleeds from him whenever he tries to injure me.

I snarl, pressing my free hand to the pendant around my neck. "Never."

He roars like an enraged beast, shoving me off him.

I tumble to the floor, scrambling away on all fours.

His eyes harden, and he moves towards me like a predator, the oil dripping to the floor from his wound as his shadows work to repair it.

I back away, shaking my head. "Please," I plead, tears spilling from my eyes. "Don't hurt me." Visions of my flesh tearing on the sharp grass assaults my mind. Drops of crimson, staining my clothes.

He stops, staring at me with a mix of pain and anguish in his eyes. His hand comes up as if to touch me, but then he draws it back, clenching his jaw.

Caius helps me up, turning my chin towards him. "Don’t be silly, he’s not going to hurt you. Here,” he threads his fingers through my hair. “In exchange for a kiss, a real one, I'll stop eating the ground gnomes. Alright?"

I hesitate, my gaze flicking between the two of them. Aggonid's no longer oozing that acidic oil, but his face looks guarded. I turn back to Caius and nod.

"Okay," I whisper.

I cower as Aggonid launches the platter across the room in an angry rage. It shatters into a thousand pieces, showering the room in a stream of gravy, meat, and bone. The servants stop and stare, unable to process the sudden outburst, until Aggonid storms out of the room, slamming a door with such force that the chain rattles and echoes through the hallway like a gunshot.

He can't have gone far because the chain is still slack, and I can feel his wrath linger in the air.

As soon as he's gone, Caius turns to me, his gaze smoldering with something primal. Heat radiates from his skin as his hand cups my face, and I succumb to the allure of his touch, desperate for the comfort it provides. He pulls me closer until our bodies are so close, I can feel his breath against my skin.

"Everything will be alright. Don't you worry." His words promise safety, yet there’s an underlying urgency in his voice that promises something far more than security. It promises something magical.

He crashes into me, his hands gripping my waist while his lips touch mine. His kiss is filled with passion, charged with electricity that spreads through my veins like wildfire. His grip tightens and his kiss deepens, and I can feel the weight of the walls I've built around my heart crumbling away. An emotional torrent overwhelms me, something that I never knew was still alive and hidden away in the corners of my soul. His kiss unlocks ancient parts of me, and I'm filled with a warmth that I thought was long gone.

My body slams into the wall, my back aching with the force of impact, and I'm suddenly aware of Caius's rough hand in my hair. I part my lips and surrender to the whirlwind of heat and desire that is Caius. I revel in his touch as he twists my locks in his fist, his tongue tasting me and sending shivers down my spine. I can't help but grind against him, seeking more of his heat. With a gasp I rip free of him, embarrassed by my own blind passion.

Wilder. I’m doing this for Wilder.

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