Tri'ot's eyes grow wide and glassy, but her mouth twists into a cruel frown.
“She doesn’t count.” Each syllable is strained through her clenched jaw. “She’s not even fi’len, she doesn’t belong here!”
“She is the only one who counts, and you’re going to tell me exactly where she is.”
The female’s face goes blank for a second, before I can actually see her decide which mask to roll out. Tri'ot presents me with a helpless face and crawls toward me.
“Why don’t I go get her, and I’ll let you keep her locked up with you. You can keep doing whatever you’re doing in private, I’ll allow it. I’ll keep your dirty little secret if you make me the duchess. We both know I deserve it. I would be the perfect female at your side.” Tri'ot strokes the back of her palm against my cheek. “No one has to know about your little embarrassment.”
She knows where Marta is, and if I don’t play her game, she won’t tell me.
Even though my stomach roils as I grab her hand and pull it against my lips, I do it.
“You would do that for me?” I soften my voice and try to suppress the urge to vomit.
“Of course, Duke Daddy, anything you want. Just think of how respected we’ll be, of the dynasty we’ll build together.” She clutches the back of my neck. “Think of how proud our people will be.”
There’s some wild flame behind her eyes as she waxes poetically aboutour dynasty.
“I can’t wait.” It takes everything in me to keep my mask up, to touch this betrayer.
When she kisses me, it’s just that. She kissesme, and I stay stock still, not able to muster that level of acting.
Her lips can’t leave mine fast enough, but she’s so hungry for power that she doesn’t realize I’m dead inside when she touches me.
She doesn’t realize that Marta is everything, and that it doesn’t matter anymore what everyone thinks—and maybe it never did.
Was this all just some convenient excuse to continue believing that I wasn’t worthy of love?
“I…I don’t want to ruin everything for us, but the mate bond is out of my control. I need her here, secret and safe. Where is she? We can bring her back, and I’ll lock her in the closet again.” My stomach roils while I try to placate the one person who knows where my mate is.
“I know it hurts, and I know it’s for the greater good to let you keep your little human pet… It’ll be worth the sacrifice.” She’s attempting to sound noble. “I gave her an e-breather and showed her the ancestral tunnels.”
The tunnels…oh goddess.
“You know they’re a labyrinth…she’ll never make it out of there on her own.” The jig is up, and I can’t act anymore.
Marta can barely swim.
Tri'ot thins her lips and crosses her arms in an annoyed fashion.
“Her getting lost in the tunnels was kind of the point,” she says, deadpan.
I pull the data pad from my pocket and hit the panic button. “Guards, now!”
Understanding flashes over Tri'ot’s face when she realizes she’s not getting what she wants—me.
”I hope the goddess curses you! I‘ll cut you from this world like an infected limb.“
“She’s probably dead already.” She stands quickly, dressing for her imminent arrest, like it’s going to matter if she’s in lingerie or not when she gets life in prison for attempted murder. “Who knows what kind of charge the e-breather had? I didn’t check.”
“You’re a parasite, beneath me in all ways.”
“You’re a disappointment.” She’s as cold as ice, a true psychopath.
As soon as I see the handle to the door of my chambers move, I sprint for the secret stairwell.
“Arrest her!” I order as I pray to the goddess to please let there be enough time, to keep Marta alive long enough for me to save her.
