Then his gaze went straight to the pulse fluttering in her throat, and his irises turned impossible dark.
Everything in her froze at the look. At thehunger.
Her core clenched, her body locking up at his gaze. Fear like she’d never known threw itself against her rib cage.
Cassius noted the change immediately.
He jerked his head back, grip loosening. “Thalia—”
“Let go of me. Let go of me right now.” Thalia couldn’t keep the panic from her voice. Her whole body started trembling uncontrollably.
Cassius let go, taking a step back as Thalia shrank against the bed. “What happened?”
“Leave,” Thalia choked out.
“Thalia—”
“Leave!”
Cassius stared at her, too many emotions flashing across his face for her to decipher. But, finally, he left, closing the door behind him.
Thalia sank to the ground, pulling her knees up to her chest as the image of Cassius ripping out her throat flashed over and over in her mind.
She did not move for some time.
Chapter Ten
“Good morning,” Thalia said as she entered a drawing room in the west wing of the castle.
Cassius, Camilla, Lord Damien, and Keegan all sat around a small breakfast table with stacks of what must be reports strewn about the dark surface. A few empty silver goblets stood next to them, their contents drained yet the interiors still stained red.
Thalia sank down into an empty wingback chair, the wood groaning as she looked at the three of them. “Am I interrupting anything?”
Keegan and Camilla both glanced at Cassius, who leaned back in his seat, fiddling with the quill in his fingers. “You’re up early,” he said cautiously.
Thalia forced herself to shrug as a servant appeared with her breakfast tray. They removed the lid. Thalia was surprised the food wasn’t bland, given the circumstances. She dug into her porridge, ripe with honey and berries.
“You didn’t wish to take breakfast in your room?” he added.
Thalia glanced up.
She could practically see the memories replaying in his mind. How she’d have a servant send up a tray so she could eat quickly and be gone from the castle before her mother had even roused. That or she’d find a way to have breakfast while he was on duty. They’d find themselves in the guards’ barracks with Reina—Marcus joining themwhen he could escape the library. She had a feeling her tray would have been sent up, no doubt ordered by Cassius himself. But she had other plans in mind for the day other than hiding in her room.
“Should I not greet the day with the prince’s council? Seems more productive than lying around waiting for something to happen.” The Vampyrs and Camilla all watched with various degrees of unease as she took a long sip from her herbal tea.
“Speaking of, any news on my husband?” Thalia said, and the words immediately soured the berries in her stomach.
The four exchanged a glance, but it was Lord Damien who cleared his throat. “He is still holed up in the north, but he sent these.” The pale Vampyr slid over a cream letter similar to the one Camilla had given her the day before, along with a rectangular box wrapped with silver string.
Thalia felt the weight of their stares as she popped open the seal, this time noting the emblem on the wax crest was a raven with three eyes.
Princess,
I have heard you are an admirer of beautiful, deadly things.
His Royal Highness
Thalia frowned before opening the gift.
