The back of my head hit the cold powder and I opened my eyes to the waning moon against the dark sky.
Daigen’s voice cut over the wind. “So demanding and yet you don’t even know what you truly want.” His hooves crunched in the snow. “You don’t even know who you are asking, either.”
The snow pushed me back up to my feet. The frigid air wrapped around my neck, holding me in place while the snow gripped my ankles.
He canted his head. “I could suffocate you right now and you’re not even trying to get out of it.” His thick brows knitted. “What if I tried to turn you into a white bear to match your House emblem, Baron Serafina Bloodstone? Would you try to run then?”
I clenched my teeth as my blood turned dark, like Daigen had invaded my body and snuffed out the light. The golden blood bond pushed back, screaming through my muscles to fight the darkness.
Save Riyan. Save Riyan.
“Still no sense of self-preservation. How disappointing.” Daigen smirked. “Fine, you want my help…but what would you give me in exchange for my services?”
The gilded flare of the bond pushed my answer out of my strained throat. “Anything!”
His enchantment forced my arms against my sides and I dropped the dagger into the snow.
“What a predictable answer,” Daigen said cooly. “Anything? Would you tear down Hyton Palace brick by brick?”
The Hytons were monsters. “Yes.”
Daigen’s eyes flicked down to my skirt. “What about those two golden House pins? Would you give me control of the North?”
What good was ruling the North without Riyan to rule it with? “Yes.”
Daigen shook his head. “That doesn’t sound right, not after everything I have heard about you.”
I struggled against his hold. “What do you mean? Take the damn House pins and take me to Riyan!”
He slowly circled me. “The Serafina I heard of would have never let go of that power. She would have lied and squirmed until she could shelter in the cozy embrace of the Hyton bulls.”
The wind screamed through the craggy rocks and Daigen smiled. “I have my price.”
My chest rose and fell with my strained breath. “Name it.”
Suddenly the wind went still and Daigen’s eyes gleamed. “Your blood bond.”
His magic released me and I gasped. My feet staggered in the snow, but my hands flew to the center of my chest.
“Didn’t expect that?” Daigen lowered his hand. “I bet you’ve experienced a lot of things you didn’t expect over the past eight days. Sudden attraction to a stranger. Erasure of reasonable fear. An unexplained desire to touch.”
Daigen’s lies could not fool me. I had not known Riyan for long, but he was so handsome, of course I was attracted to him. I was afraid at first because he was nine feet tall, but I overcame that because I—
“Do you really love him?” Daigen’s wicked smile did not falter. “Or is Fraleigh’s enchantment doing exactly what it was supposed to do—push you to feeleverythingyou needed to consummate the union?”
I refused to believe him, but how did he know what I was thinking? I had heard Fraleigh’s voice in my mind before, but that would mean…
“Get out of my head!” I shouted.
“You let me in.”
His golden eyes flicked up and I followed them. An invisible rope that I sensed through my magic sprung out from between my eyes and connected me to Daigen. His eyes glittered like he had discovered treasure.
I swatted at that rope, but my hand just passed through the falling snowflakes.
Daigen clicked his tongue. “Can’t break the connection, not when the little Serafina in your head still wants help. Wants the truth. Wants—”
“Enough!” I just wanted his aid, not to be flayed open andseen.
