“He could still hide from us.”
With a wave of his hand, the Prince dismisses his father’s concern. “I have two magic-bearers bound to me. They will follow the dragon, and as soon as he is out of Lia’s sight, they will trap him and return him to the castle. She will never know, and even if one day, I decide to punish her and show her how we have destroyed everything he is, there is no lie. Nothing that nullifies our bargain.”
“And by then…” the King adds, “you will have broken her as I have broken my human toy.”
Tears burn my eyes, but I will not let them fall. Anger flares white hot, and I am about to creep closer when strong arms grab me and propel me forward.
“My liege, I found her in the hall,” the guard says as I struggle to escape his hold.
The King and the Prince leap up, and the hatred in the Prince’s eyes...it terrifies me more than anything he has done to me thus far. The dagger is still strapped to my thigh, and I tore a slit in the white silk gown to allow myself easy access to the blade, but the guard has my hands pinned behind my back, and he is crushing my broken fingers. The pain is almost too much for me to remain standing.
“Well, well, sweet Lia. How did you free yourself from those chains?” the Prince asks as he grabs my chin and forces me to meet his gaze. I will my mind to go blank, but I must not be quick enough, because he snorts and arches a brow at his father. “My whore mother released her.”
“Guards!” The King’s call echoes throughout the room, and three more Fae rush in. “Find my consort and bring her to me. Do not be gentle.”
“No! Do not punish her!” I cry, and the guard holding me squeezes my wrists and hands tighter. My knees buckle, and I hit the ground, hard.
“Do you think you have any power here, Lia?” the Prince asks. “Hardly. You do not demand. You do not even ask for athingin my presence. I own you.”
“Take me to see Roarke,” I sob as fat tears spill down my cheeks. “I beg you. One kindness. I will never ask for another.”
I need him to see that I have broken completely. That he has won. Only then will he let down his defenses at all. The guard no longer holds me, and I crawl towards the Prince’s feet, lowering my head to the ground and kissing his soft slipper. “I will be yours. I could have run. Instead, I came to find you. I only wish to say goodbye.”
His laugh makes my blood run cold. “I would have liked to see you try and escape. You are bound to this castle. Or have you forgotten?”
“There are hundreds of places to hide within these walls,” I say, peering up at him through my curtain of black hair.
He considers this, then glances at his father. I fill my mind with images of a binding ceremony. I stand at the Prince’s side, not smiling, but not fighting as the King loops a piece of black silk around our joined hands. The thoughts make me want to vomit, but I have to hold my true feelings in check.
“Very well. I suppose if we wed now, I will not have to wait so long to have you. But you will be punished thoroughly for what you have done this day.”
“Thank you,” I choke out, then hold out my left hand, hoping he will help me to my feet. If I kill him, the bargain will be null and void, and I will be able to escape this place. Once I find Roarke. At least...I hope.
As the Prince grabs my elbow, I hear his thoughts. He’s practically singing to himself.
“Such games I play. Clever, clever, Rumpelstiltskin. I will have endless fun with her. And when she is mine, I will make her say my name over and over and over again, just so I can torture her with it. Once we are bound, it will do her no good.”
I only have a second to revel in the joy of my new-found powers before the Prince—Rumpelstiltskin—shoves me at his father. I reach for the blade strapped to my thigh. The shock of the iron in my hand throws me off balance, but I manage to drive the dagger into the King’s side. He lets out a hoarse cry, and as his body starts to fall, he grabs me around the waist and takes me down with him.
“Iron,” he manages as I twist the dagger and try to wrench it free, but his hold on me is too strong. I have no leverage.
The Prince spits out a few words in his native tongue, and the air leaves the room with a greatwhoosh. I start to choke and panic, but keep my fingers tight around the hilt of the weapon as the guard grabs my hair and yanks me back. With what might be my last act before I pass out, I slash at the tall, lanky Fae and open a cut on his thigh.
“Stop!”
Roarke. His voice in my head gives me a burst of strength, though when I look up, he clutches his throat, the Prince’s charm extending far enough to affect him as well.
“You can do this, Aurelia. Call for air.”
I concentrate on that one word. Air. The breath I draw is too thin, too small. But it is not nothing. Holding onto that thought as long as I can, I manage another. Then another, but a dozen guards rush the man I love, tackling him and sending him to the ground. The Prince releases his charm, flooding the room with so much air, it stings my eyes and cheeks, blistering my skin.
I stagger to my feet as a great roar comes from under the pile of Fae. The sound turns into a growl, and then a burst of fire hits the ceiling. I hear a muffled voice in my head.“Aurelia, get down…”
Hitting the floor and taking the guard with me, I struggle as flames shoot across the room and singe the Prince’s tunic.
He’s distracted, even angrier now as he drops and rolls around to dampen the fire, and I drag my blade across the guard’s balls, kick him off of me, and lunge for my tormentor. The dagger sinks deep into the Prince’s shoulder. I lie on top of him, grinning.
“Rumplestiltskin, I do not want you. I will never love—“
