“Don’t be afraid.” I allow my smile to soften and my left hand to rise, both placating gestures. “There’s no need to fear me.”
She takes a heartbeat to chew on her response, long enough for me to raise my voice to the fae in the room. “I assure you, Galla Vividari, I won’t hurt you.”
Galla gasps. “I’m not afraid of you!”
“Well, that’s good.” I allow a bright smile to break across my face before it vanishes. “But sadly, you should be.”
With a quick exhalation, I flick my hand in her direction. It’s the smallest movement, and I’m not sure if the dress will obey my wishes, but it does.
A single thread spears across the air, unraveling from my forefinger.
Its loose end shoots toward Galla’s heart, and her reflexes are fast enough that she attempts to bat it away.
Which is exactly what I wanted her to do because the thread wraps around her wrist instead, chaining her to me just as I’m chained to Antony.
“How dare you!” she screams.
At the same time, I whisper, “Only a narrow path will keep you alive.”
Her scream ends, and all she must hear is:willkeep you alive.
She freezes. Glances at the thread. Her shoulders are so tense that it looks like her bones could snap. She must now wonder what she didn’t hear—whatwill keep her alive.
Could it be the thread, or me, or something else entirely?
I’m sure she’ll ask her lords and ladies once I leave, but I doubt they heard me over her shriek.
“I’m surprised you’re punishing this one.” I gesture at Rohan, switching tactics and ignoring the way Galla clenches the fist of her restrained arm.
Maybe she wants to scream at her lords to cut the thread. She might even consider pulling on it to try to take more of it. After all, she wanted this dress.
“He was the only one who came close to capturing me.” I point at Quintus and the other four. “Those others… Dear Goddess, what an embarrassment they were to you. I’m not sure how you can bear it.”
Her face drains white again, her fury flashing hot and cold, but I sense she’s already reaching her limit. She’s done with me.
Tugging sharply on the thread, I retract it so fast that it cuts across her skin.
She cries out. “How?”
I arch my eyebrows at her, waiting for a single drop of her blood to fall to the floor before I seek clarification. “How what?”
“How do I die?”
I don’t imagine for a moment that she’s actually afraid, but she’s playing my game now, and that’s all I want.
I suck in my breath before I grimace. “Badly, I’m afraid.”
“How do I stop it?”
I press my finger to my lips as the thread finishes winding back around it, fully returned to me once more. “Well… nothing comes without a cost. How much is your life worth?”
“Whatever you want,” she spits, but again, I have no illusion that she’ll give me anything.
I harden my features and point at Rohan. “Kill him.”
Galla blinks at me. Behind her, several of the ladies gasp. Only one sounds horrified; the others are high-pitched with excitement.
In my periphery, Cassia lurches toward me, but Antony’s arm smacks into her chest, and his snarl keeps her back. He stands on my right while Cassia is now behind me.
