Her tongue flicked over the smooth spot where her tooth had been. All the while, the rats scratched and scurried, bolts rattling in their moorings.
“But I can’t believe it is as impossible to resist as I’ve been told,” he said.
She glanced at him. “You’ve never experienced it? You’ve never even seen a Rae who’s been claimed during her Shine?”
“I’d never met any Rae before Lavana.”
“Well, no wonder you have such a poor opinion of them,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s impossible to resist or not. I’ve never met a Prince who’s tried.”
Though hooded, she could feel the weight of his gaze on her. “You’re not in your Shine now, are you?”
She snorted. “No.”
One of the bolts clattered loose and rolled towards her, tapping against the toe of her sneaker, but she didn’t move right away. She remained in the middle of her cell, feeling the pressing presence of the iron without being sapped by it in any way. Whatever Kaelan had done, it seemed almost as good as ichor-gold. But she’d never heard of a Prince who was able to give his Rae protection against iron, not even temporarily. Her thumbs skimmed over her fingers as she gazed down at the bolt. She had the strangest urge to pick it up. Was it possible he’d lent her so much protection that she could actually touch the stuff with her bare hands?
She met Kaelan’s gaze again. “Why don’t you wish to be claimed?” she asked.
“I told you—”
“Yes, you don’t wish to be owned. I know,” she said. “Is that all?”
His face darkened, which was to his benefit, hardening all the lines to chiseled perfection. “Is that not enough?” he asked.
She didn’t believe him. There was something more to it, but it wasn’t her business to pry, though it was difficult not to interrogate him further. How could such a beautiful, powerful Prince be so willing to forsake everything he could gain by being claimed on principle alone? It was just unheard of.
“Well, I have to say,”—she inched closer to the door of the cell, attempting to hear over teeth scraping and softly breaking stone—“you are the most unusual Prince I’ve ever met. And I’ve met my fair share.”
“And do you have one?” he asked.
“I did,” she said, “but I never claimed him.”
“Why not?”
“I met him in exile. I had no intention of returning here. What was the point? And... I promised my mother I wouldn’t claim a Prince until after I became Radiant.”
“You did?”
“Yes, and I keep my promises.”
“You lived in the human world?”
She nodded.
“Did you like it there?”
“I liked not being tortured, not having to kill, or worry about being killed. I liked pizza.”
“What’s pizza?”
She smiled. “Flat bread with a tomato sauce and cheese, lots of it. You can put other things on it, olives and peppers... it’s delicious.”
“And will you go back there if we escape?”
“I don’t know where the nearest portal is,” she said. “Besides, there’s someone in this world I need to find before Lavana does.”
“You’re not going to return to your Prince?”
“Assuming he’s not dead?” She shrugged.
