“No. I could take them with my men, but I’d rather not risk my legions when I can sacrifice yours.”
“What makes you think our armies won’t turn against you once you give them magic?” I ask.
He grins, then extends his arm toward me, hand closed into a fist. When he opens his hand, flames rise from his palm, dancing and flickering.
I’m several feet away from him, but the temperature rises. Blue tongues blaze in the center of each flame. My jaw opens, and my eyes widen in surprise.
Shadows fill the room, obscuring all the windows. The only light is from the flames that still burn in his outstretched hand.
My mouth goes dry, and for the first time since I arrived, I’m afraid. I came here knowing I wasn’t likely to walk away, but I thought I’d take the prince and the emperor with me.
Suddenly, the flames go out, and we’re plunged into darkness. Something tightens around my waist, then around my legs and arms, binding me. I gasp, but my breath is stolen as my mouth is covered by something cold. I fight against the invisible bonds, and I fall to the ground in my struggles.
Light returns from the windows, and Caiden is looking down at me, a malicious grin on his lips. Shadows flow around him and slither across the floor. That’s what’s holding me in place. I’m bound by dark wisps of shadow. They’re getting tighter, constricting me, making it harder to breathe.
“First of all, if they try to defy me, I do hold something dear of theirs. You didn’t honestly think you were just here as the assurance of the treaty? You’re here because if your father or his armies cross me, I will kill you. You’re his only heir. Your people adore you. I did my research, too, Princess.”
The pressure around my ribs and stomach is so tight I can’t suck in air. Tears stream down my cheeks, and my vision blurs.
“So while we will give your father’s armies the same simple shadow magic we give our Night Legion, it isn’t true power. They can cast shadows. Obscure the light. It’s parlor tricks. Very few in our ranks can wield corporeal shadows. And none of them have more than one kind of magic.” He opens his hand, then as he closes it, he twirls his fingers. The binds around me tighten, and I scream against my restraints.
“But what the gods gave me is real. And I can do this to an entire army if I need to.” He crouches down in front of me. “Do you understand?”
I’m afraid of him. Real, true fear. Is this why nobody can get to the emperor? I knew they had magic, but I didn’t know it was like this. Nobody in the rebellion knows.
He grips my chin and lifts it so I’m looking up at him. “You will know your place, and you will play your role. Do you understand?”
I nod.
“Good girl.” He releases my chin, then the shadows ease and I roll to my stomach, resting my forehead against the cool stone floor, gasping for breath.
“Collect yourself so I can show you how to dance properly,” he says. “I can’t have you embarrassing me.”
As I catch my breath, something else rises alongside the fear. Rage. Pure and hot. It doesn’t matter if I’m afraid. It just means I have to change my tactics.
He doesn’t realize it, but he’s told me exactly how to beat him.
I sit up, careful to keep my expression neutral, then extend my hand. With a smile, he helps me up. I smooth my skirts and take my time making sure everything is in its correct place. When I’m finished, I lift my chin and stare at him defiantly.
“Shall we?” He points to the abandoned string instruments; they rise into the air and begin to play. He offers his hand, palm up.
I set my palm in his, my skin prickling with unease at the contact. I want nothing more than to watch him take his last breaths.
He guides me to position, then begins to move his feet to the rhythm of the music. I follow along as best I can, stumbling frequently.
He mutters a few corrections, and I listen and adjust. I learn quickly. I fake a smile. I memorize the steps, following him. Thankfully, it’s not a difficult dance and it’s not much different than the dancing we did growing up. Ours was with a group in a circle, this is with one other person. The similarities help me get the steps more easily.
When the music stops, I curtsy to him. As soon as I rise, he grabs my chin again. “It’s nice to know you can be taught.”
I smile. “Give me some time to learn what you like and how things work in your court. I think you’ll be surprised by all I can accomplish.”
“That’s what I want to hear,” he says. “I don’t think you need another lesson. You’ll stay in your rooms until the dinner. I can’t have anyone in my court getting a look at you before you’re officially introduced.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
He hums, then marches to the door and opens it. “Take the princess to her rooms. Nobody in or out without my permission. Understood?”
As I walk between the legionnaires, I can’t help but smile to myself. I got under his skin. He wants me to think him powerful because he worries he’s not seen that way. There’s an insecurity there. A weakness.
