“You don’t have a fucking choice.”
They were nose to nose, eyes locked. Syrus could feel every ragged breath Eiri drew, each rise and fall of his chest where they were pressed together. Eiri’s pulse raced beneath Syrus’ hands, belying the mask of calm he wore. It called to something inside him, something dark and mean. He wanted to shatter that mask and find out what truly lay beneath it just as much as he wanted to never see Eiri C’Dari again.
“You can’t force me to become someone else, Syrus.” Eiri sneered his name, lips curled as though it’d left a foul taste in his mouth. “I won’t bend. Not about this.”
“Then I will break you.”
“You can certainly try.”
Syrus didn’t blink, didn’t break eye contact even for a moment. Eiri’s body still pressed against his, his wrists still held in Syrus’ hands, but even pinned, there was no submission in Eiri’s eyes. He notched his chin up, defiant even in defeat, refusing to back down to Syrus.
Hate, dark and ugly, pulsed up inside him, throttling the grudging respect Eiri’s audacity had earned. It’d been an empty threat, but now he wanted to. He wanted to see this stubborn, insolent, infuriating raider finally defeated.
“Oh, I’ll do more than try,” he growled. He held Eiri’s gaze a few seconds longer, letting the truth of his words shine through. Only then did he release him, stepping back and leaving Eiri staggering to regain his balance. Pausing only to grab both knives from the ground, he turned and walked out, leaving Eiri slumped against the wall, alone.
Chapter 12
Eiri
Syrus’threat lingered in Eiri’s mind long after the man was gone, locking Eiri in again as he left. A tremor suffused every limb and the bitter taste of fear wouldn’t leave him.
He’d lost control. Caught up in his anger, he’d lost control and attacked him. Not only that, but he’d let Syrus get the upper hand. Just remembering the feeling of the man’s body pressed against his made his stomach clench and twist. His wrists bore Syrus’ bruises, dark marks he’d have to hide for days. At least he’d made the bastard bleed before losing the knife he’d found in the back of the wardrobe.
Unfortunately, without that knife, he was right back where he’d started. The windows were sealed, but not warded, and the knife had been a handy tool to chip away at that seal, even if he’d cut into his own hand nearly as much as the window. It’d been worth it just for the pleasure of cutting up Syrus’ luxurious bedsheets to use as bandaging for the cuts.
They were several dozen feet in the air on the third level, making the windows a foolish choice for any would-be assassins. Still, not having the wards active was just arrogant. If Eiri cared even one whit about his husband’s safety, he’d berate himfor leaving them untended. Since he didn’t, he would use this to his advantage.
By taking away that knife, Syrus had likely believed he was leaving Eiri powerless. No one in Vaetreas knew he was a mage and even if they had known, none of them understood just how different Canjiri magic was. Generations of isolation on their island, with strong traditions passing down through generations, had changed their magic, allowing them to grow stronger while the rest of the world weakened.
His ability to control water would help him weaken the wood and stone holding the window in place, but it would take too long. Drawing too much magic at once would alert any strong mages in residence to what he was doing and likely result in Syrus locking him in a tourmaline-laced room. The stone was one of the few minerals that could block a mage’s access to their magic, and he had no desire to feel its effects.
The washroom window had seemed to be the best choice for his escape. It was out of sight, overlooking the gardens at the back of the palace. Instead of a sheer drop, there was a stone ledge outside and he could just make out the railing of a balcony below him, likely attached to the residence of someone on the second floor. From there, climbing down the rest of the way would be simple.
Now that plan was compromised. He’d let Syrus catch him there. He hadn’t even heard the door open, which made him doubly a fool. Every other window he’d examined opened to a three-story drop. At best, he’d break a leg, but at this point, he’d take his chances.
A knock at the door interrupted his search for a new escape route and he went still. Syrus wouldn’t knock, and no servant had come to the room since he’d taken up residence here.
“Eiri?”
Relief nearly sent him to his knees, his body still shakingwith the high of his fight with Syrus. He hurried to the door, trying the knob even though he’d heard Syrus lock it. Worse, the ward was active for once, a faint shimmer set into the wood only visible to those with magic.
“Kien.” He leaned against the door, tilting his head to hear his friend. “Do you have a key? The asshole locked me in and warded the door.”
“He did what?” Even through the heavy door, Eiri could hear the cold fury in Kien’s words. “I knew Vaetreans lacked honor, but this is appalling.”
“Is there anyone out there with you?”
“It would appear he sent the guard away, though there are several more further down the hall. They cannot hear us, but they can see me.”
It was better than nothing. Still, he lowered his voice as much as he dared. “I could get through the ward or out a window with enough time, but I don’t know that I have much of that. Syrus is furious that I won’t give up our ways.” He left out Syrus’ threats on the likely chance that some sort of ward in the hallway was listening to everything he said.
“We never should have come here,” Kien hissed and if Eiri had thought him furious before, it was nothing compared to the venom in his voice now.
“I agree. Is this grounds to annul the marriage?” An ember of hope flickered to life, quickly smothered by the silence that followed his words. “Kien?”
“It’s complicated to annul a royal marriage,” he said slowly, and his hesitation told Eiri everything he needed to know. Short of murder, he would be married to Syrus forever.
“I can’t stay here.” Hopelessness crept in and he slumped against the door, resting his forehead against the wood. “I can’t spend the rest of my life surrounded by people who despise me, trapped in a marriage with a husband who is determined tobreak me down and turn me into someone I hate. Please, Kien…”
