“I figured.”
“Still nothing you want to tell me?”
Her eyes seemed to search his, and for a breath Alobaz thought she might relent, share something of herself with him before the new visitors did, willingly, because she wanted to share with him.
“No.Nothing I haven’t already said.”
“You mean that you hate me and still intend to kill me…”
She tipped up her chin in defiance.It didn’t seem to matter one bit that she was the one chained and collared.Her internal fire burned hot and steady.
“That’s right.”
He frowned, sighed, then nodded.Turned his back to her and started for the door.
“How’d they get on the island?”
“Don’t know yet,” Moncho said.“Parvnit’s demanding to see you.Goblin’s glaring daggers at her.But they both look like the abyss did its best to shred them.However they made it here, Mauldrene hasn’t done them any favors.”
“Alright.”Baz wanted to glance back at her.By dragonfire, in truth, if he were to dare admit it to himself, he didn’t want to leave her side.
“Let’s go,” he told Moncho.
Without looking back, he told his enchantress, “I’ll have new clothes for you brought down.”Then he stalked through the door.
Moncho followed and pulled it shut behind him.
At the end of the hall, Baz turned.Moncho wasn’t behind him.
Moncho stood in front of the door, bulging arms crossed, mouth in a hard line.“I’m keeping guard.If she managed to get to you like this…” He shook his head.“Then she’s more dangerous than we thought.I’m not risking her getting loose.”
“There’s no chance of that.Her power’s dampened, and her shackles are shadole.”
“I know.Still.”
Baz wanted to argue, though, logically, he shouldn’t.Moncho was right.If Baz’s prisoner had proven anything, it was that she wielded an unnatural influence over him.
Problem was, deep down, where he’d never tell an essence, where the secret, he feared, would fester, he wanted her to tempt him.
Chapter38
Ready to Scream for Me, My Vicious Viper?
Since waking in my underwater tomb and discovering the connection to Teo severed, I’d been in motion.I’d had clear goals, relating either to my immediate survival or to punishing the man who’d stolen my twin from me.
Now, I had nothing better to do than to wait for Alobaz’s return.Even in the best of times, I was shit at waiting.Knowing Alobaz was even now meeting with that little bitch of a snitch Cosette, who was undoubtedly spilling every one of my secrets she knew, all to endear herself to the precious son of her high and mighty emperor, well, I couldn’t remain still.
Pacing wasn’t nearly as satisfying when I could only stretch my chain a body’s length, and then the heavy iron rattled with each of my steps.
I imagined this was what it would feel like to be a caged jagune, and just like the large jungle cat, I stalked back and forth, back and forth, snarling deep in my chest.
Maybe an hour ago, the door had opened.I’d been hopeful it would be Alobaz—not because I longed to see him again, of course not, because that would be fucking insane—but because I needed answers.I had to prepare to defend myself however I could.Once the second-in-command of the Rubor Dynasty knew I was a D’Arco, he would kill me.
There could be no doubt about it.Whenever a Rubor had a justifiable reason—practically any reason would do—to end a D’Arco, they always did.And D’Arcos relished in punishing a Rubor for any possible offense against their dynasty just as much.
A Rubor’s vengeance was swift and decisive.
If I didn’t find a way out of my shackles, and, much more importantly, my collar, I was dead.But the collar was as unbreakable as my fetters.I’d clawed at it and yanked on it until my fingers came away raw and bloody, and it hadn’t budged.
