“What the—” I rise again, but the sofa pulls me back down, its soft, dusty arms holding me tightly. “Let go.” I struggle to stand again, but it grips me, the embroidered fabric hiding a hardness underneath.
“It’s enchanted.” Varan walks in, his golden eyes perusing me. “You can’t get up unless I say so.” He takes a seat across from me.
“Let me go.”
“No.” He smiles without humor. Varan is handsome like all high fae. He prefers his hair close-cropped, and his dress is far more overdone than even the king’s. But there’s a coldness to his flickering golden eyes. I’ve seen it before, on the night I received my scars and from Gwenarie. He doesn’t consider me a person. I’m only a thing, a lesser creature created for him to use as he sees fit.
I kick my chin up and, with utterly false bravado, say, “Solano will come for me.”
“The king can’t set foot on my grounds.” He drums his fingers on the arm of his chair, sending little plumes of dust into the air. “They’re enchanted, too. It’s a skill I have. Solano received the gift of true magic.” His expression sours. “But my talent is quite handy.” He looks pointedly at the sofa that holds me prisoner.
“What’s the point of this?” I look around the room. “You don’t need a consort, you need a maid.”
He only smiles, so I continue, “I mean, this house is grimy and dusty. How do you consider yourself a lord when you live in filth like this? My tiny house in the Nightlands is cleaner than your mansion.” I don’t know why I’m going on and on about his dirty estate, because it’s not calming me. In fact, I grow more agitated. “And once again, why take the king’s consort? You’re just going to make him mad. Then he’ll send his army for you and smash you to bits. I’ll never stop trying to escape. I can be a real handful. And—”
“That’s enough,” he says viciously, the violence in his tone enough to steal my breath. “Tell me, has Eraldon broken yet?”
“What?” I have no idea what he’s talking about.
He sighs with irritation. “The seeker.”
“I don’t know.” It’s the truth, though I’m certain that if Solano had gotten what he’d wanted from the creature, he’d have come to me by now.
He laughs. “Of course he hasn’t shared a thing. Probably not even his name.”
“Wait.” A memory flits around my mind like an errant bat. “Eraldon. You mean King Sigrid’s heir? I thought he was dead.”
“Did he look dead inside Solano’s silver cage?”
I swallow hard. “The seeker is Eraldon?”
“Not just any seeker.” He smiles, his fangs long and sharp. “Eraldon is the king of their kind. He wanted to get captured, and that fool Solano has him confined in nothing more than a cage in the heart of his kingdom. The most dangerous seeker in all of Arin.” He shakes his head. “He’s only biding his time. Learning as much as he can before he strikes. Solano is a fool, and Eraldon will feast on his heart. Eventually, of course. No need to rush things.”
I can’t breathe, and not just because I’m nursing a broken rib. The seeker is a trap. Eraldon is there to kill Solano. I have to warn him.
“I have a theory about you.” Varan stands and turns his back to me so he can stare out the front window. “It’s one I’ve been toying with ever since I heard Solano foolishly took only one changeling.”
“You stole me from a king who could burn you to nothing based on atheory?” I shake my head but stop when my side stings even more. “Not smart.” I stare at the windows. Maybe I could bust through one and take off, steal a horse, or maybe—
“My theory is that you’re the king’s true mate.”
I gasp. Then laugh. Hard. Even though it hurts, even though my side feels like it’s ripping apart, even though this isnotthe time. I can’t stop, the giggles pealing out of me like bells ringing on Ancestors’ Day. “I’mmortal. I can’t be his mate.”
“Perhaps. Or perhaps the magic has faded on that particular edict. I don’t know.”
I shake my head. “We’ve been together for weeks and weeks. No mate bond. Not even a mate tickle. If it was there, it would’ve snapped into place by now. And magic doesn’t fade.” Even if I wish it were true, it can’t be.
“You don’t feel anything for him?” He seems genuinely curious in an evil sort of way.
“I don’t know.” It’s an honest answer. I’m turned every which way. Did he hurt Lysetta and Rana? Am I just a whore to him like Gwenarie says? If so, then I feel only revulsion. But if he’s been honest, I feel … I can’t put it into words. And either way, I have to warn him about Eraldon before thousands of innocents die. If the seekers take over the realm, no one will be safe. After that, I can flee back home and think it all over, though the idea of leaving him sends a jolt of pain through my heart.
“So, youdofeel it. Solano is special to you.” He nods to himself. “I think perhaps he’s cursed. Someone doesn’t want him joining with his fated mate.”
“Gwenarie?” It all comes together in my mind. She’s been trying to get rid of anyone who might take her place, especially me. Cursing Solano was just one part of her plan. “But that still doesn’t mean I’m his mate. I can’t be.”
“If Gwen cursed him, she’s just as big a fool as I thought.” He grins. “Now, I can’t be certain you’re Solano’s mate, but better safe than sorry.” He snaps his fingers, and his servants enter, both of them grabbing me and lifting me from the enchanted chair. “Take her to my chambers and prepare her. I’ll mate her within the hour.”
“What? No!” I struggle, my ribs burning as they drag me away.
