“Good,” he whispered as he watched the tension leave me. “You aren’t obligated to stay. I will even walk you to your room if you wish.”
“I know.” Given how quiet my words were, I wasn’t sure if Sitri heard me at all.
He’d trapped me in his kingdom, in his mansion, but I knew damn well I wasn’t trapped here in this chair. The Prince hadn’t commanded my presence; he’d invited it, an important distinction when my soul depended on something as fickle as a demon’s whims.
Somewhere deep inside me, I knew why I still sat by his side. He wasmy only company in a dangerous, lonely world. I didn’t want to admit it—not to him, not to myself—but in the days we’d been apart, against my better judgment, I had missed him. I’d missed my warden, missed the demon Prince who kept me prisoner, and it made me feel sick.
As that thought surfaced, I pushed it aside. The alcohol did its work, muddling my mind, and the last thing I needed was to risk that secret coming out. I drank deeply from my chalice to wash it away.
What I didn’t do was leave.
“Another glass, then?” he asked, his face finally relaxing.
I bit my lip, weighing my options. Together, we’d drained one bottle, but two more remained unopened. The alcohol numbed my pain, soothed my anxiety, and I couldn’t turn it down. Not here, not now, not when I had no idea if I’d get another chance to drown my sorrows. I had already called my truce with the Prince. I would allow him to honor it.
I heaved a heavy sigh and offered my chalice to Sitri.
“Yes, please. Just one more.”
