“I may be many things. King, conqueror, ambitious, wicked. Handsome,” he added with a wink. “But I am not a liar, love. They will remain safe.” He reached out and tucked the errant piece of hair behind her ear, his eyes dancing between blue and black once again.
She slapped his hand away, but not before feeling a tingle where his fingers brushed that traveled to her toes. “So, itisthe dagger you’re after,” she said.
“Of course.”
“Why?”
“Why? You know what it can do. Would you not want that kind of extraordinary weapon, one that can give you access to all manner of powers?”
“You mean, the power of the elementals? That’s what you want, isn’t it?” Isla responded heatedly. “I wouldn’t trust that much power in the hands of someone like you.”
He was before her in a flash, his dark eyes melting into hers. “And whatwouldyou trust in my hands, love?” His words cascaded across her lips, but they did not carry their usual violent undertones. Heat emanated from him, curiosity alighting in his gaze.
“Nothing.” She held her ground and stared him down, the wind whistling in the inches between their bodies.
His mouth slowly curved and he backed away, straightening his jacket. “Well, I hope you are willing to rethink your plans.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked, forcing her eyes away from his lips.
“You and your elementals”—his jaw twitched—“are preparing to search for the dagger to use it against me, yes?” He paused when her brow furrowed in confusion. “You forget, love, that it’s impossible to keep secrets from me. And I can promise you, your plan will not end well,” he purred.
She lifted her chin. “You don’t think I could do it?”
“On the contrary, I think you could do anything you wanted. But if what youwantis to see your dear father and brother again, I suggest you do as I say.” His eyes skated down the length of her, his next words coming out slow and commanding. “Bring me the dagger.”
Isla’s knees weakened, her resolve faltering. How had she and the elementals thought they could hide anything from someone with his kind of magic? He could spy on them whenever he wanted, could see any plan they devised. She might put on a brave face and pretend to stand up to him all she wanted, but at the end of the day, he had her back against the wall. She would make no move to thwart him, not if it meant risking those she loved. And Sebastian knew that. Her family and the desire to protect them was her greatest weakness.
He stepped closer so they were shoulder-to-shoulder, facing opposite directions. She met his gaze and held it for a moment before letting it fall and turning away, dejected.
“I don’t want to do this, Isla,” he said in such a low whisper she thought she’d imagined it.
She jerked her head to him. “What did you just say?”
Acting as if he hadn’t spoken, Sebastian cleared his throat and leaned back, a sliver of blue fading from his eyes. “I have something for you.” Brandishing a knife from its holder around his waist, he smirked. Isla’s whole body went rigid, expecting some sort of attack, but to her surprise, he swiftly lowered the blade to his own hand and sliced his palm open. Not even a wince crossed his face. He replaced the dagger and reached into the pocket of his black trousers, removing a small glass vial with a cork stopper. Isla watched in morbid fascination as he held his injured hand over the vial and let his blood drip until it was filled to the brim with the thick liquid. He put the stopper back on and stepped closer to her.
Instinctively, she backed up and scrunched her nose as he extended the small bottle.
“You can use this to contact me. Once you find the dagger, drink a drop of this and it will bring you to me.” When she made no move to grab it, he pressed the vial into her hand.
Isla looked down at the blood. “This is much more than a drop,” she said with a grimace.
“Then I suppose you can visit as often as you like.” His voice was dark and tempting, like the chocolate Aidan had brought to their caves.
“Don’t hold your breath.” She withdrew from his trance and stuck the bottle in the pocket of her cloak, sneaking one last look at the mesmerizing red liquid. When she raised her head again, all that remained in the clearing was the bright moon and the lingering scent of sweet wine and dangerous promises.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Isla
KaiandIsladecidedto ride through the night. After speaking with Sebastian, Isla had too much adrenaline to sleep before heading back to Aataran. The idea of resting in her home, messy and broken and void of Arden and her father’s presence, made her feel hollow. So, the two of them ate a quick dinner of dried meat and bread before readying the horses to head back south.
While they ate, Isla recounted her meeting with the king. Isla told Kai how Sebastian confirmed he had taken Papa and Arden but had not “technically” hurt them—per their agreement.
“He said he would keep them with him in case we planned to trick him in some way,” Isla relayed hesitantly. “He heard us talking about using the dagger against him. He’s been spying on us this whole time.”
“Gods, of course that’s what he’s after—it was bad enough when we thought a human king wanted it, but when it’shim? Someone who can control us and see into our conversations?”
The irritation and fear in Kai’s voice made Isla nervous to tell her the rest. “He’ll let them go, unharmed, after I—after I give him the dagger.” She bit her bottom lip. “He wants your powers.”
