“The name I gave to the gargoyle… never mind. If you didn’t enchant the castle, who did?”
Instead of answering my question, Oren submerged himself in the water. When he came back up, his hair was slicked down his head and dripped on his broad shoulders. Water droplets clung like dewdrops to his eyelashes, and my stomach twisted at the sight of his full, wet lips and the idea of another heated kiss.
“I don’t know, Tanith,” he said. “I’ve been asleep for a long time and left this castle empty. We might not be the only ones living here.”
The idea that we weren’t alone sent a chill through me. “What about your servants? You mentioned them?”
“Yes, but none of them have magic that can enchant the castle.”
He stood shamelessly, water streaming off him as he stepped out of the tub. I shielded my eyes with my hand. “You could have warned me,” I complained.
His dark laugh vibrated through me. “I like to see your reactions. Besides, we’re married. There’s nothing to hide.”
My mouth went dry, but he wasn’t propositioning me, not yet at least. I had to be careful before he tricked me out of my clothes.
He toweled off quickly, leaving puddles of water across the stone as he strode into the room. I tried not to look, but couldn’t help a glimpse of his bare backside, the muscles of his back, and the dimples just above his bottom. Shifting uneasily on the stool, I was aware of the flush of warmth on my skin, tingling with lust.
I waited a little longer to ensure he’d had time to dress before leaving the washroom. I found him on the balcony, eating the remnants of lunch, licking his fingers after each bite. The politeness of our first breakfast together was lost under his ravenous appetite.
“What are you?” I inquired once he’d finished eating and wiped his hands and mouth on a napkin. “You’re not human, not mortal.”
His sudden grin made me realize he’d completely recovered from whatever magical ordeal he’d put himself through. “And what will I get for answering your questions?”
“The satisfaction of answering.”
A wolfish laugh came out of his mouth and his sharp teeth looked like fangs. “Do you always say unexpected things like this?”
“If you expect me to beg and cry and grovel, that’s not who I am. My parents raised me to stand up for myself and to be independent. You are trying to take both those things away by making me your wife and forcing me to serve your interests.” I fisted my hands to keep from slapping them over my mouth at that bold statement, but I wouldn’t take back my sharp words. He’d abandoned me for a day and a half, and I was no closer to figuring out who he was, nor how to get back to Solynn.
He stepped closer, smelling of pine with faint hints of cinnamon and cloves. Spicy. Dangerous. Tantalizing. My insides fluttered as he took my fist, fingers brushing over the delicate skin of my wrist. Slowly, he undid the bandage around my hand, and my pulse throbbed in response to his touch. I instinctively shifted closer, tilting my head to glare up at him, aware of my hair falling down my shoulders, leaving my neck bare. I thought of his lips, his teeth against my throat, and a surge of feelings betrayed my desire to escape.
“We all pay the price for our mistakes. I’m one of the Fallen, one of the Others, and you’re right to believe I’m not human. Otherwise, you could not have woken me up. I’m inhuman.”
I struggled to tug my hand away, but his grip tightened.
“What does inhuman mean?” I demanded.
“I can’t die, if that’s what you’re asking. At least, no one has found a way to kill me.”
“But how long were you asleep in the crypt?”
“In my coffin? I don’t know, fifty years, a hundred years? I haven’t taken the time to calculate it. It didn’t seem important.”
“Then why did you attack the palace? The people who put you to sleep are long dead.”
His jaw tightened. “I haven’t forgotten what they did to me. That alone I could forgive, but not what your uncle and his sorcerers do. One thing you must learn, Tanith, is that, given the opportunity to change, most people would rather keep things as they are, keep the status quo. Because change is frightening, it tears down all defenses and forces one to begin anew, to rebuild, and that takes work. No one wants to do the work or deal with the repercussions of their actions and deeds, just as you’re angry with me for punishing you for your crime.”
I jerked away from his grasp. “It’s not the same.”
“No? How is it different?”
My ears burned. “You’re comparing me to my uncle, to things that happened to you a lifetime ago. But you’re looking at everything the wrong way, from your own perspective. Do you ever consider anyone else’s perspective? The night you set bats loose in the palace, women and children and servants were terrified. Did you think about how your actions might affect them? And there was a reason I was in the crypt. You didn’t ask, didn’t consider how unhappy this city makes me, how desperate I must have been to escape that I would have done anything, even commit a crime.”
My voice rose with each word, bringing me close to tears, even though I hadn’t cried since my parents died. Blinking, I stared past him, scowling at the lush scenery as I hugged my arms around my waist.
“No,” he admitted at last. “I did not consider each person’s personal demons, but I am aware of the impact I have, the fear my name instills. And I will take my fury out on those who do wrong. You’d be wise to remember that, for it was your ignorance that led you astray. If you’d known the legend that haunts this city, you’d understand the crypt is sacred, off limits for a reason. When you stepped inside, you disturbed a magical barrier. You keep blaming me, but you did this. When you woke me up, you made yourself mine.”
I flinched, wanting to stalk away, but there was nowhere to go. Besides, it was rather childish to run away in the middle of a disagreement. A laughable thought came to mind. I was having a spat with the Devil of Dowler, and aside from his blazing eyes, he hadn’t lifted a finger to harm me. If it had been my uncle, I’d be holding my cheek, waiting for the pain from a slap to subside. “You understand magic. Why don’t you change the rules?”
