He dragged his eyes away from me, settling them back on the server, “And Blue, it isverygood to see you.”
“Will you require anything else?” She leant over, enough for her breasts to bounce with the motion.
“Stop eye fucking my brother and get our food. We are starved.” Cerilla sent Blue a tight-lipped smile. Blue’s eyes widened before dipping her head and muttering in Fae under her breath as she walked away. If I didn’t know any better, she seemed scared of Cerilla.
Solas chuckled under his breath, amusement dancing in his hazel eyes as the Commander turned to him. “You and Cerilla will head south to the castle. Prepare the court for a royal wedding and send invitation to the Mortal King.”
“Sorry but, how do you know your king will say yes?” I asked, trying to sound polite.
“Because the Fire Fates told you to unite the Kingdoms this way. TheHigh Lordwould be a fool to refuse fate.” The Commander said carefully, glaring at Cerilla as she scoffed.
My stomach sank. The thought of my father taking me made cold panic slither up my spine. But perhaps there was another way, where the Fae King would do as I wanted. My eyes darkened as I realised, I could sing to him until my magic curled around his mind, until his resistance softened and his eyes held that iridescent sheen. And once I held that power… nothing would ever be taken from me again.
“Can I go to the castle too?” I batted my eyelashes in a show. “I would like to meet the High Lord as soon as possible.”
“No,” the Commander said, not buying into my act. “You have a bargain to fulfil, Drownling. You will find theremainingSoul Relics.”
Annoyance prickled along my spine. The way his voicecaressed the word,remaining,made it obvious he knew I had somehow absorbed one.
“Brother, please do not separate us?—”
The Commander held up his hand, cutting his sister off.
“You will eat, then go with Solas. And hurry, I do not want you traveling in dark hours.” Cerilla crossed her arms over her chest and sat back in her chair. There was no room for argument in the Commander’s voice. Blue returned with three steaming plates of roast meat and vegetables smothered in a rich sauce. Another server set a glass of ale down in front of me, his hand brushing mine in a gentle caress. It was so fast I almost missed it. Almost. I looked up. A dark-haired Fae male flashed a mischievous grin at me, winking a storm-coloured eye at me before disappearing between patrons. I had never seen him before in my life. But there was something about that smirk that seemed so familiar.
We ate our meals in silence. The ale was bitter and strong. After downing the large glass, I felt light and warm. Cerilla and Solas left after we ate. Cerilla embraced the Commander, telling him to be careful. I embraced them both, surprised that I would miss them. Cerilla glanced over her shoulder one more time at her brother. It was obvious she loved him fiercely. I wondered what that felt like.
I followed the Commander through the crowded inn to the counter. He asked for a room.Oneroom. I wanted to protest. But I knew it would land of deaf ears. And the more I protested, the less relaxed he would be. No. I needed to bide my time. Smile pleasantly and make him lower his guard.
I followed him up the stairs like a good little prisoner, my heartbeat pounding in my chest. He shoved a key into one of the many doors that lined the hallway and opened the door with a creak. I followed him inside. Willingly. Twolanterns bathed the room in a dull, flickering light. I ran my hand across the green satin sheets of the large bed, nearly sighing at their softness. But my feet stilled when my eyes landed on a large free-standing bathtub, rose-scented steam rolling off its surfaces.
“I asked Blue to prepare this for you.” He watched me carefully, corded forearms crossing over his broad chest. Suddenly the room felt far too small. He inclined his head towards the bath and my breath caught in my throat. Did he expect me to bathe with him still in the room?
“May I have some privacy?” I asked sweetly, reining in the venom that wanted to leak into my voice.
His smirk sent a hot wave through my body.Of anger,I told myself.
“If the High Lord accepts your invitation, you will end a very long war. Your safety is now my responsibility. And you are far too self-destructive to leave alone.”
I gave him a long, pointed look. If I turned around to undress, he would see my scars. Every mark of imperfection that made my soul bleed.No.He could see everything else, but not my scars.
I stared into the abyss of his eyes and kicked my boots off. My shaky hand unbuttoned the front of my shirt, undoing them one by one. A faint buzz sunk into my skin, one that I had felt before. Was he aroused? I dropped my shirt to the floor, my pants quickly following. Standing in nothing but my underwear, I slowly reached for the clasp in my binder.
“As you wish, Commander,” I simpered, undoing the binder. My breasts sprang free and the lacy scrap fell to the floor.
The Commander no longer smirked. His muscles turned rigid, shadows digging into him without mercy. I ranmy hands down my body over the buzzing feeling. Slowly, I slipped my underwear down and stepped out of them. His eyes weren’t just on me now. They burnt into me. They were pure black, swallowing the whites. The eyes of a monster. A monster on a leash that could snap at any minute.
Gods, I wanted him to snap. The guards I slept with always fell asleep after spending themselves. The Commander was a monster, but he was still a male and I was willing to bet they were all the same.
I kept my eyes on him, taking slow steps backwards until the tub hit the back of my thighs. I glanced down at it and back up to him, biting my bottom lip.
“It’s too high for me to step into with dignity. Could you…” I trailed off, batting my eyelashes.
He grunted and pushed off the wall, taking slow, controlled steps towards me. His nostrils flared with every fast breath he took. When he was close enough, I tipped forward, purposefully losing my balance. My breasts pushed against the bare muscles of his upper abdomen as I looped my arms around his neck. I hated how warm he felt. His hands gripped my waist, and I hated the thrill that shot through my stomach as his bare skin touched mine.
“Oh. I am so sorry Commander, I don’t know what’s come over me.”
He didn’t shove me away, but he also didn’t drag me closer. He froze, as though one wrong breath would shatter the last of his restraint. His grip on my waist tightened, thumbs brushing the curve of my hip. His jaw clenched, like he hated himself for touching me. I hated myself just as much.
