“Do you think that frightens me any longer?” she hissed. “Threats of fire and rape? You have done what you will to me to the point I am numb of it. You cannot hurt me.”
He managed to pick himself up to his knees then, wiping his face of the blood trickling down his cheek. “No. But I can sedate you.”
Her brows raised. “Sedate me?”
“You want to no longer be in charge of this kingdom’s security?” he growled, getting to his feet. “I tire of your games, sister. I have done nothing but try and protect you from yourself. If you would just…behave. Your duties to this throne can be stripped to nothing more than the hand of the king at banquet. I implore you. Sit in your dresses and keep your mouth shut.”
“Or what?” she almost mocked. “What will you do? I just told you. You cannot hurt me.”
“No,” he agreed, eyes flickering over her figure again. “But if you’d like your sister to remain oblivious—”
The raven shrieked off her shoulder as she lunged at him.
Her hands curled around his throat and she shoved him onto the floor. Her knees sat on his hands over his waist. “If youdaretouch her—”
Blue flames engulfed her hands. She made herself stay there for as long as she could stand it, willing him to burn and burn her to the point that she could not feel her hand any longer. But the flames wrapped themselves down his body and curled around her legs, and she was forced backwards.
She fell on her back, but pushed herself up to a seat immediately, shaking the agony of the blisters on her hands and thighs. Her eyes pricked tears, but they did not fall as the chills ran down her spine, and she did a double-take at the look of satisfaction on his face.
“What happened to you?” she whispered. “What wronged you? You were not like this. We used to love one another, play, fight, laugh… And now… now you’re nothing more than amonsterundeserving of his crown. You promised me. You promised to be better than them.”
He straightened the collar on his shirt and shifted the weight on his feet before beginning to tug at his sleeves. “It is your choice, sister,” he said in a level tone.
Her jaw clenched, and she swallowed hard, feeling her nostrils flare just slightly at his threat. “Don’t touch her,” she pleaded. “Don’t you dare.”
“Then I suggest—” he took two steps forward, and his hand wrapped around her jaw “—you get on your knees.”
Her hands trembled, and she noticed as the noise of the room silenced to a ringing. Her pull on the birds let go, and they flew out the window… all but her raven, who sat on the windowsill with its back to her as she was forced up onto her knees.
She’d have rather been burned.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
IT WAS TWICE more in the month before the next Council meeting that she was forced into his study and given the choice of he taking her on her knees or he taking Nyssa.
She would protect her sister at any cost.
Both mornings on which Lex found her lying atop her covers, she argued with her about what he was doing.
“Lex, please. There is nothing we can do,” Aydra hissed at her on the second morning.
“There is,” Lex argued. “Do you think the people would stand it if they knew what he was doing to you—”
“The people love him,” Aydra interjected. “They think he is fair, that he takes care of them, merciful… they think him to be perfect. The greatest of the Promised Kings so far.”
“Do you believe Dorian and Nyssa would stand for this?”
“I will not be dragging them into it,” Aydra argued. “This is my fight. They cannot know anything about it.”
“And Draven?”
Aydra almost balked. “What about him?”
“You two—”
“Had sex?” Aydra said incredulously. “I have sex with a lot of people. Draven is no different from any other.”
She knew it was a lie. But she wasn’t sure why it was a lie or what made it any different from her other conquests.
