“Release me,” he growled, jaw muscles wildly spasming. “And we’lltalk.” He twisted against the vines, eliciting further groans of pain.
Release him? Bummer. This was just starting to feelfun.
But on that note, I wasn’t sure how I retracted the vines the last two times they’d appeared. I thought back to when I’d lost control of my Soulsayer abilities.
Will it,Pogue had said. And I did. Maybe that tactic would work again.
“Fine,” I mumbled. But the authority in my voice slipped as I casually added, “Just—give me a second to figure this out.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake, Carwynn!” Lochlainn roared, red face blending into an impressive shade of purple now.
The vines elongated, like branch extensions of myself. I focused on that idea. Branch extensions—extensions ofme.
I closed my eyes and focused, coaxing them to retreat. A steady tingling went up my arms as they dislodged from Lochlainn, sliding back beneath my skin.
Lochlainn let out a breath of irritation. Angry lines battered his wrists where the shackles had been.
“You want to know how I unlocked your door?” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Simple. No idea!”
His brow twitched.
“I was upset and needed air. So I just—opened the door.” My hand waved in the air.
My confession shifted something in the room. From tension to an unsettling confusion. Lochlainn studied me like I were a riddle wrapped in poison ivy. He cautiously stepped around his desk, eyes not leaving my palms.
“I’ve never seen an ability like that,” he muttered.
“Floramancy,” Pogue whispered all too quickly, as if he hadn’t meant to say it at all.
“Floramancy?” Lochlainn echoed incredulously. “Some morbid Hallowborn gift, I presume. What exactly is that—death by flowers?” The derision in his voice couldn’t hide the edge behind it.
They looked at me like I was some experiment strapped to a lab table.
Lochlainn stroked his chin, the small shamrock tattoo between his thumb and forefinger shifting with the movement.
“Interesting. Very,veryinteresting . . .”
“It doesn’t matter right now!” I snapped, waving them off. I held up a finger. “Number one—dogs. Number two—get me in that competition.”
Lochlainn rubbed his lips together, a weak attempt to hold back the condescending smile.
“Youdoknow what a competition is, don’t ya? Years of training, honing your abilities, going head-to-head with some of the most powerful beings in Ferie. Fighting to thedeath. . . Ya know,thatkind of thing?”
To be honest, I hadn’t really thought that far ahead. Not like I’d had much time today to sit and strategize. But, fighting to the death? Yeah. I kind of pictured it as a colorful field day. Candy-filled scavenger hunts. Archery stations. Maybe some light-hearted bean-bag races.
Wishful fucking thinking.
My stomach knotted. Would I really be able to kill someone just to win?
Yesssssss, a sinful voice whispered deep inside.
Shhhh!I hissed back.
I pressed my fingers to my temples, drawing small relieving circles to ward offthe rage.
“Yes, thank you.Well aware.” I spat. “Let me rephrase this for you. Get me into the trials, or I become thebiggest pain in your assthis city’s ever seen. Maybe I’ll go hone my own skills around town, testing out all your precious little locks! Hell, maybe I’ll unlock your front door every night. How’sthatsound?”
Lochlainn’s forearms flexed as he folded them over each other. That goddamn grin slowly returned to his face.
