“That’s right. People needrulesbetween them if they want to play power games, Itissa.”
“Itissa, even.” I do my best to sound unimpressed, but I’m riveted.
She advances me backward in the small space until I hit the cold rock wall. Planting her left hand by my head, nose inches away from mine, she croons, “Do you know why the dynamic between me and Bibi works so well?”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“It works because it’s based on mutual trust, respect, and balance.” She uses her right hand to tap my chin, nose, and forehead, punctuatingtrust,respect, andbalance.
I swat the hand away, fury gathering in my belly.
She catches my wrist and pins it to the wall by my left ear. The pulling sensation goes taut at the same moment, and a gasp leaves my throat.
“She was free to fly off if she didn’t like how I was offering treats. She’s not leashed. I’d never tether or hood her.She’sthe one who chose to stay. She also chose to show off and misbehave when she’s well aware of the etiquette for taking food from my hand. She decided she was going to be abratabout it.” And the way Elodie says it, her needle-pointed glare boring right through me, I know that she’s callingmea brat, too.
The layers of arrogance and condescension in her unsolicited lecture rankle me. I struggle against her grip, grunting and swearing at her to let me go. But she redoubles her efforts, trapping my legs with her knees. “Youdounderstand what I’m saying, right, Tiss?”
With a growl, my free hand rises to shove her away.
Calmly and unblinking, she catches it. Before I realize what’s happening, both of my wrists are pinned uncompromisingly to the cold rock on either side of my head.
“Passive-aggressive behavior won’t move me. I’m not going to lose my temper.”
“Fuck off,” I spit, wrestling against her grip. “Is that moredirectfor you?” But it’s no use. She’s taller and stronger than me, and her body is as solid as the rock that’s digging into my shoulders.
“That’s fine,” she murmurs, her relentless control rage-inducing. “Get it out of your system, if you must.” She flashes a cocky half-grin, gazing down at me as if she’s having the time of her damn life.
Heat courses through my chest, and air hisses between my teeth.Why is the thread between uspulsingright now?
Struggling again, I heave a frustrated huff when I register how thoroughly I’m trapped, my breath erupting in clouds between us. But I have no recourse.
There’s no choice but to listen.
“You see, Tiss,” she sighs, her eyes roaming my lips and nose and chin—trembling with indignation—and her gaze feels like a caress. “Sometimes our feelings can be difficult to deal with. Sometimes they’re so big and tangled up, they can cause us to act out.”
“Act out?”
“Mm-hmm. Test clear expectations and push reasonable boundaries. Often just to get a reaction. To try and get attention. Provoke others to lose their temper first so there’s an excuse to react. When we’re bratty like that, we get punished.”
Punished. A sharp thrill blossoms in my rib cage. Completely at odds with my anger, it shoots down, traveling between my legs.
“Reminded how to behave,” she whispers, leaning in to brush her cheek against mine. “By getting ignored”—she kisses my cheek, catching me off guard—“or having privileges revoked.” A kiss is pressed to my other cheek, eliciting a gasp before she pulls back. Her voice drops an octave: “Being disciplined.”
Disciplined. My stomach falls out of me.That’s precisely what’s happening now.
I can’t hold her deep eye contact and glance at the shadowy ceiling, my heart threatening to rupture. The echoing impressions of her kisses throb on my skin, filling me with an intense longing that wars with my outrage.
I want to claw her eyes out. I want to spit in her face. I want to run away, back to the orrery and Sadrie, and cry my heart out, but I don’t knowwhy.
Well, other than the horrid realization that I might be inneedof this lesson the imperious priestess is set on teaching.
“Just so you know,” she says, “power games are generally more enjoyable when all parties can regulate their emotions. Everyone stays on equal footing that way.”
For shit’s sake.Suddenly, I can see us both with sharp precision, and I’m embarrassed.
Not only has she been provoking me to show me how it feels, but her focused attention isexactlywhat I’ve been craving all along. Then there’s the fact that I’m infuriatingly turned on by her impeccable control over me. Especially by being put,literally, in my place.
Unable to juggle so many intense feelings, the anger trickles out of me. Like a fever breaking, the relief is astounding. I heave a sigh.
