Nevander’s thin lips narrowed, the movement almost imperceptible. He was clearly used to interrogating people with different methods, and for as long as he chose—leaving no stone unturned.
“No, that should be good for now,” he said, then excused himself from the room. Tarrin followed, giving no indication as to what he thought about the exchange.
I thanked the Mother silently. Sharing every detail about Endymion, and what the darkness had whispered to me, were things I wasn’t willing to divulge. I knew if Nevander continued, he’d whittle down my resolve—it had already begun slipping from my grasp as weariness fell over me.
Thaddeus sat next to me on the couch and pulled me into him, placing a kiss on my temple. I released a breath and nestled my head against his chest, listening to the steady heartbeat through his shirt.
A cloudless sky met us as we made our way out to the veranda off the study. Sitting beside each other, I tucked my feet beneath me.The petal pink of my skirt splashed across his light-gray slacks as I leaned into him, his arm wrapping around me.
Placing a kiss on my head, he said, “You did good, with Nevander. He can be…intense with these kinds of things.”
“I got the feeling that was the…toned-down version,” I said, focusing on the garden beyond.
Thaddeus chuckled. “It was the lover’s treatment. He would have been much more odious with anyone else.”
“And here I thought the only benefits of being your lover were free food and the occasional roll in the sack,” I teased.
“Occasional? Woman, I’d bed you day and night if you’d allow me.” My toes curled. He noted it and tipped my head up, kissing me deeply, unhurriedly.
A woman cleared her throat softly, announcing her presence. Thaddeus released the kiss, and we found Ava laying out food.
“Apologies for disturbing you, Your Majesty,” she said with a deep bow, leaving before Thaddeus could reply.
The formality with which she addressed him jolted me, reminding me that he was, in fact, a king.
The thought made me queasy, and I pulled away a fraction.
Beside me, holding me, stealing kisses from me, was Thaddeus Artemis Alton the Third, king of the human realm. And I was…what? Nyleeria Nobody from Nowhere?
My chest constricted as the weight of our disparities settled in. Slowly, I disentangled myself from him and sat up, reaching for food—not out of hunger but to mask the sudden urge to distance myself from him.
Thaddeus dished himself a plate and ate, while I merely shuffled the food around—my thoughts spiraling fast and hard.
“Nyleeria?” the king asked, a hint of wariness in his tone.
My gaze remained downcast.
“What is it?” he prodded, concern deepening.
When I didn’t answer, he relieved me of my plate and put itdown with his. He reached for me, but I pulled away, and he stiffened, his eyes widening in surprise.
“Nyleeria, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I finally said, but the quiver in my voice betrayed me.
Breathing became hard, my chest feeling as if a large stone now pressed upon it. I couldn’t stay here. I stood, unable to find words, and began walking away. An urgency resonated in his voice as the king called after me, but I continued forward, blood pounding in my ears.
Entering my suite, I closed the double doors behind me and locked them.
My heart pounded against my chest, and I bent over, trying to force in gulps of air, but I couldn’t.
The same rapacious thoughts kept repeating again and again. Faster and faster.
Nyleeria Nobody from Nowhere. Nyleeria…nobody…from nowhere. With a king. A bloody king. Who do you think you are? You’re not even good enough for an average village boy’s family to approve of you. You’re a poor, defiled, cursed waste of human flesh. Your family didn’t even want you. Your parents didn’t even love you. Eithan was only with you because of the bargain. And why not sleep with you when you made it so easy? Apparently, you spread your legs for anyone who smiles at you. Eithan never loved you. Nobody ever loved you. You poor, cursed nobody from nowhere. Don’t kid yourself—King Thaddeus is only fucking you because you’re the most convenient hole for him right now. What, like he was going to fuck a fae while in the Summer Court? You were the only one there. He doesn’t have feelings for you, you’re just a means to an end. And what a waste you are, at that—you can’t even use your powers. Spark, what a joke.Fizzleis more like it. You sparkless, useless waste of human flesh. Who the fuck do you think you are? A king, for gods’ sake. How exactly did you think this was going to play out? Nobodies from nowhere don’t marry kings, they only keep their beds warm until it no longer pleases them. How long until you no longer please His Royal Majesty? You better keep letting him ram hiscock into the back of your throat if you want him to keep warming your bed, Nyleeria Nobody from Nowhere. Too bad you didn’t die in the womb instead. Maybe your twin wouldn’t have been such a waste of breath.
“Stop it!”I screamed, falling to the ground, my knees protesting as they slammed against the hard tile.
“Stop it!”I sobbed as the thoughts kept pounding into me, becoming crueler and crueler with each pass.
