A flash of anger seared through my blood. He wouldn’t bleeding dare.
Before I could stop it, the prince spun my back to the wall of the palace, and flattened his palms beside my head. His broader body made a cage around me, trapping me, blocking me.
All I could do was hold his vicious stare.
“There it is.” His gaze bounced between my eyes. “The fire is in there.”
“I-I don’t know what you mean.” Gods, my voice wouldn’t stop trembling.
“How well you keep secrets, Princess. There is a stunning blaze you keep buried inside you.”
“You mistook my expressions, Prince.” Each word cut through my teeth like jagged glass. Harsh, annoyed, and riddled in emotion I did not want him to catch. “If I looked your way it was nothing more than memorizing the face of my future. I am in no place to oppose your alliance.”
“Liar.”
Arrogant bastard. The ruse grew too difficult to hold up, and my eyes narrowed. “What would you have me say? You wish for my compliance, you shall have it. I have no move to make, so that is what you will receive from me.”
“Here I thought I was getting a wife, not a captive.”
“Gods.” Unbidden, my palms shoved against his chest. It only made him chuckle again, and the heat of frustration boiled in my blood. “What else am I but a captive? I know why you are doing this.”
“Oh, and why is that?”
“You took an oath riddled in deep magic that compels you to protect your people, and I am the one you must bind to soothe that need.”
The prince’s eyes widened. “I did not realize you knew of the oath.”
“I’ve heard all the gossip in this palace. Tell me, do you crave the glory of being the hero, Prince?”
His grin twisted into something vicious. “That’s exactly it. You’ve unraveled everything there is to know about why I am here, Princess. Now, why don’t you tell me why you agreed if it is so repulsive?”
The way he looked at me, it was as though he saw the truth—I would do nearly anything to keep my fate untangled from Arion. Steeling against him, I straightened my shoulders. “Vows are all we must give each other. It is better not to think too much on it, wouldn’t you say?”
“I’m inclined to agree.”
I dipped my chin in a stiff nod. “Good. You’ll get a silent, docile wife who cannot harm your people. You’ve no need for anything more, so do not strive to find it.”
I thought he might be angry at my outburst. Instead, he gripped my jaw, drawing me close enough I could make out a faint scar just over the bridge of his nose.
“Wise to set out expectations, so let me tell you what you can anticipate,Wife: expect to interact with folk who do not fear darkness.”
He crowded me, as though he wanted me to cower beneath his nearness.
I had few choices in the match, but for a moment I chose defiance.
Chin lifted, I pressed closer, my body aligned with his, shoulders to hips. His eyes flashed, and I took a bit of satisfaction knowing I claimed back a bit of power.
“And what do I get from you,Husband? Your undying love and the whole of your heart?”
“Since it sounds so disgusting to you, you’ll be pleasedto know my heart is not part of the negotiations. This alliance achieves your desires, and now I have found whatItruly desire.”
I swallowed. “And . . . what is that?”
His white grin flashed in the night. “To unravel you piece by piece, until the flame inside you scorches through this façade you keep. Until that fire is mine every bleeding day.”
My lip curled. “You do not offer your heart, so expect the same from me.”
“As long as I get your fire. It speaks to me.” The tip of his nose brushed over my cheek. “So, I plan to make itmine.”
