“If she is not hungry, I’ll not force her to eat.”
“It is rather bad manners, isn’t it? She must have a taste.” Mara turned and looked at Morgan. “Try some of mine. It’s perfectly safe, but you have never tasted the likes of it.”
Rylo had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Morgan didn’t need to taste the likes of her foul fish.
He could see Morgan didn’t want to eat something that he fed her. Smart girl. He could have her spilling her secrets, including her thoughts on the taste of this disgusting fish. Her intense stare at him made him feel like she was weighing and measuring him, deciding if she truly could trust him with her secrets.
He wished he could get into her mind, tell her that she didn’t need to fear. They were a team, they had the same goals, and he wouldn’t jeopardize her secrets for these folk. Instead, he tried to reassure her with his face, letting it soften from his typical bored expression.
“Okay. I’ll try a bit,” Morgan said, looking at him in a way that told him that she was trusting him. When had someone outside of possibly Selene or Elio even truly trusted him on a personal level?
Rylo tugged on the leash, pulling Morgan close. She was close enough for him to smell. Her scent of crisp winter air and oranges dulled the scent of murky fish from his senses. He took a small portion of the fish on his fork and lifted it up to her rosy lips. She opened for him, and he slid the food into her mouth.
Her eyes widened as he watched her swallow. Was she going to keep it down?
“Can I have a drink, please?” Morgan asked and he didn’t hesitate to lift his goblet to her mouth, letting her drink deeply.
Mara’s crystalline eyes sparkled and Maglar pressed the flat of his palms together in a slow rhythm. “Now,” Maglar broke the silence that had descended on the room. “How did you travel to our realm?”
Maglar looked at Morgan with hard, dark eyes, but she stared back at his unrelenting gaze. A sense of pride welled in Rylo’s cold, black heart.
“I don’t know how I got here. It’s not something I planned,” Morgan replied.
Mara frowned. “Do you have information on your side of the portal that led you to King Rylo specifically?”
“No, of course not.”
Mara’s lips pursed. “Rylo, give your little witch another sip of that wine, please.”
“Of course, Queen Mara,” Rylo said, holding the cup to Morgan’s lips.
“Now, what does the Goddess want with you? Why would she chooseyouto be branded with her stars?”
Morgan frowned, but didn’t back down from Mara’s words. “I don’t know. I’m held against my will by King Rylo. He’s locked me in his torture tower and has now forced me to join him here.”
Rylo kept his face a cold mask, but inside he was laughing. How he loved hearing her lies mingled with truth slide off her tongue, watching her play the King and Queen of Goldoth for fools. These two actually thought they could force the truth out of her just with a bit of food and drink. How did they not know that only the one who shared the meal could draw the truth out of a human?
“If you are kept against your will, why would he dress you in such finery?” Maglar asked, tipping his chin to her dress.
Morgan looked down, the picture of a demure slave. “He does it to shame me. He says that he likes seeing something so scarred and ugly dressed as she shouldn’t be. It’s a game for him.” She paused and her voice shook as she said, “He likes to call me Scar when we’re alone.”
Rylo nearly spit out his wine as Maglar let out a cackle. “Rylo, we’ll do well together. Now, I have something I’d like to share with you. Can one of your folk bring your witch back to your rooms? I’d suggest she not be present.”
Rylo could hardly hear Maglar’s words over the ringing in his ears from what Morgan said. Did she believe what she said, or was it another one of her lies? He didn’t consider heruglyand hadn’t cared that her face was damaged. There was such loveliness to her intelligent green eyes, her full lips, and pale skin against her black hair.
“Yes, of course. Elio can see her securely back to my chambers. I don’t trust her with another.”
Elio stood, their eyes met, and Rylo felt assured that he knew what his task would be as he walked away with Morgan’s leash in his hands.
When they were out of the room, Mara turned to him and said, “I was wondering why you chose to keep her scars in place. She’s difficult to look at. Such a waste, I’m sure she was once a true beauty. Now I understand your choice.”
Rylo gave a quick nod and took another drink of his wine. Goddess alive, he wanted this supper to be over soon.
He noticed Maglar call a slave over and whisper something into his ear. The slave turned and quickly left the room. Other slaves came forward and cleared the table of the cave fish. Shortly after, a runny pudding dessert was brought in. Topped with flakes of gold, Rylo took a tenuous bite. To his surprise, the flavor was better than he expected.
He was beginning to wonder why they’d called Morgan out of the room, when he heard a bone chilling wail in the corridor. Rylo looked to Maglar, who once again rubbed his hands together. Mara’s face was unreadable as she continued eating her dessert.
“Are you unconcerned about that sound?” Rylo asked with genuine curiosity.
