My eyes dip to his mouth, the slight baring of his teeth. Then I meet his furious gaze. He brings his face closer to mine, tone as dark as a storm cloud. “You’ve got to be fantastically stupid, little nemesis.”
31
BRIONY
Itug my chin out of his grip and slam my palms into his chest. He releases me and I clumsily scramble to my feet. Holding my gaze without wavering, he rises in a far more fluid motion. His horns shrink back into his skull, leaving no sign that they were ever there, as do his wings. He’s still dressed in his riding ensemble, his wings having manifested without any impact on his clothes. Fae who can shift forms can do that, altering their bodies and their clothing as one.
My chest heaves as I stare at him, the man who saved me, the man who called me stupid. My anger outweighs my gratitude, but mostly because of the shame filling my heart. Betty is nowhere to be seen, which means she reached the woods by now. It also means Thorne was right.
Glittering stars above.
He wasright.
As he glares at me—eyes devoid of his spectacles—hands on his hips, I imagine he’s waiting for an apology. Or athank you, perhaps.
My jaw shifts side to side as I prepare to speak through my rage, my shame, my guilt, and say the words that burn like razors on my tongue—
“Let’s call it off,” Thorne says before I can utter a sound. “The bargain. Let’s call it off.”
I’m too dumbfounded to reply. He wants to…call off our bargain?
He shakes his head, jaw tight. “This is getting dangerous. You could have died, Briony. You could have been stomped to a pulp, leaving no part of you intact to heal, regardless of the fae magic in your blood.”
I manage a scoff. “Careful, Thorny. I might start to think you care.”
His expression darkens and he takes a menacing step closer, the move so sudden I flinch back. “Don’t you fucking dare suggest I don’t. I’m clearly the only one who does.”
My heart hammers an echo of his words, of the rage in his eyes—rage that isn’t reserved for me. Or maybe it is, but not in the way I originally thought.
He speaks again. “I don’t know what game Monty’s truly playing, but he doesn’t have your best interest at heart. Whether he’s trying to scare you away, force you to lose the game, or simply play with you without a care in the world, you can’t participate anymore. It’s only going to get worse from here. Let’s call it off.”
There’s that phrase again.Let’s call it off. As if it can be so simple. “We can’t do that. It’s the only way to break the curse—”
“Like hell it is. We can do something else. Find another task that fulfills the terms. Anything is better than this. You can’t lie, not even to yourself. You know what I say is true.”
My stomach sinks, but it almost feels like relief. What would happen if we gave up? We could sever our bargain. As the creator of its terms, all it would take is for me to state out loud that I release him from our bargain and consider every term null and void. How would I feel if I let my plans go? If I stopped catering to Monty’s whims? If I not only forfeited his game but refused to marry him?
I inhale a deep breath and feel my lungs expand, feel the tension leave my muscles. Stars above, I want that. So badly do I want that. I want…freedom. I want to never see Monty’s face for the rest of my life. I want to choose who I love. Who I marry. I want—
The dining room at Nocturnus Palace flashes before my eyes, filling my mind with the sight of my family lying lifeless on the floor, limbs limp, eyes closed in deathlike sleep.
My relief hardens into remorse. It’s my fault my family fell under the sleeping spell. Thorne may have been in control, but my hand swung the blade. My hand drew his blood. My hand put my father’s throne in jeopardy.
I turn partially away from him. “The bargain remains.”
“Then let us at least alter it. Leave room for another task. As our bargain stands, it isn’t fulfilled unless you marry Monty.”
“Which I’ll do.”
“Why?” Thorne’s question is edged with iron. His eyes bore into the side of my face but I refuse to meet his eyes. “Why are you so determined to see this plan through?”
“You know why. We need to break the curse on our families.”
“Yes, but why your marriage to Monty? Why is that the only task you’re willing to consider?”
I assess my words before I speak, careful to state only truth. “Because it suits our purposes. It benefits both families and fulfills the terms required to break the curse.”
“Perhaps, but there must be something else we could do—”
