“You’ve injured him so badly, he’s barely conscious,” Arenn complained, crossing his arms across his chest. “That wasn’t part of the deal, Lyssi.”
She stiffened at the sound of her name. “It’s Lyssandra,” she corrected. “Lyssi died eighteen years ago, thanks to that scum.” She jabbed her finger across the dining table, and it was only then that I realised just how many people there were.
Sitting on either side of Lyssandra were the Faery King and Queen, both looking equally uncomfortable. The Queen fidgeted nervously with her wine goblet, and even the King was sitting far too rigidly in his seat. Next to Queen Amabel was Erissa. Her gown was dirty, and she’d been stripped of any jewels, but still, she didn’t seem too concerned with the situation. She watched Lukas with a bored expression, twirling her fork in circles on her empty silver plate. Opposite her was Ikelos. His entire body was so thin and frail, he could barely keep upright in his seat. The cream tunic he wore had been ruined by thick streaks of mud,as if he’d been dragged straight from his bedchamber and then all the way through the forest to get here. And his eyes, though heavy with cobwebs, darted around anxiously as Lyssandra aimed her slender finger directly at him.
“You’re the real reason for all of this, aren’t you,Ikelos?” she hissed viciously. “Actually, don’t answer that. I’ve already decided if I hear another word from you, I’ll cut out your tongue!” She laughed, her high pitched cackle sending a visible ripple of fear through the guests around the table – everyone except for Erissa who was still absentmindedly twirling her fork.
“A deal was a deal though, brother. You’ll get your moment.” Lyssandra pushed up from her seat, letting it scrape loudly across the marble floor. She marched over to where Ikelos was hunched, placing one hand on his forehead and the other on Lukas’s chest. A breath of silence passed before she scrunched up her face and began muttering foreign words. Then, Ikelos groaned in pain while Lukas gasped, arching his back and writhing.
“What are you doing?” I demanded. “Stop it! You’re hurting them!”
She ignored me, continuing to mutter the strange phrases. Tears clouded my vision. This couldn’t be the end. There had to be a way to stop this. I was debating smashing a plate against Lyssandra’s head when I noticed the strangest thing – the red and purple blemishes on Lukas’s skin were beginning to fade.
My mouth fell open. Any scrapes sealed themselves, and his skin returned to a healthy glow. Even the dark circles under his lashes were fading, too.
“You’re healing him?” I breathed.
“Not healing, just transferring some of Ikelos’s lifeforce,” Lyssandra grumbled. “It’s not as if he’ll have much use for it later anyway.” She then stepped back, swaying a little as Lukas’s eyes snapped open. He sat bolt upright on the table, gasping forbreath, and immediately I reached for him.
“Lukas?” I panicked. “How do you feel? Please tell me you’re alright.”
He struggled to catch his breath as he turned to face me. “Naria, I-I thought you were a dream.”
My hands cupped his jaw again, and for a few small moments, there was peace – until I noticed his gaze catch on something else as his entire body stiffened.
“You!” he snarled, glaring at Lyssandra. “You’re a traitor! You betrayed us.” Twisting away from her, he grabbed my shoulders urgently. “You need to get out of here now, Naria. That woman, that… thing, whatever she is, she’s insane.”
Suddenly, I was yanked away when another, much colder hand clamped down on my wrist.
“Andshe’salso the least of your problems now, princeling,” Arenn threatened, forcing me close to his chest. I tried to break free, but his grip was too strong. “If you touch my betrothed again, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”
Lukas was speechless. But only for a few heartbeats. “Betrothed?” he echoed, as if he hadn’t quite heard him correctly.
Tears made rivers in my cheeks while I quietly mouthed the words, “I’m sorry.”
“Yes, little princeling,” Arenn purred, running his fingers down my exposed arms. “Now you know you should’ve married her when you had the chance.” He gripped my cheeks, nuzzling his face into my hair. “I’m so looking forward to our wedding night. Although, now she’s here, it’ll be hard to wait. She smells so… sweet.”
“Don’t you dare touch her!” Lukas roared, slamming his fist down onto the table. He leapt at Arenn. And was barely inches away when suddenly he was forced backwards, landing roughly in the chair beside Ikelos. Desperately, he fought againstthe invisible chains, but they were too strong. No amount of thrashing let him move even a little from the chair he was pinned to.
“There’ll be no fighting at the dinner table, boys,” Lyssandra chided, waggling her finger as though they were just two misbehaving children. “And you,” she shot a glare at Arenn, “stop causing trouble and sit down. Don’t make me use magic on my own family.”
“Of course, dear sister.” Arenn smiled sweetly, leading me over to a chair opposite Lukas. I went to reach for the chair, but he smoothly sat down first and pulled me into his lap instead. “You can sit right here,fiancée.” The faery prince’s arm curled around my waist before I even had a chance to push myself away.
“Now we’re all seated, we should eat!” Lyssandra announced with an excited grin, clapping her hands together as though this was a perfectly normal family dinner.
While the servants poured in with plates of steaming food, I risked a glance at Lukas. His steel eyes were fixed on Arenn, with a burning rage like I’d never seen before.
CHAPTER 40
An hour later, most of the food still remained uneaten in the centre of the dining table. Huge stacks of bread rolls, plates piled high with meat slices, and bowls filled with brightly coloured fruits and vegetables were all left untouched, as if someone had dipped one of the carrots in poison and none of us were brave enough to take the first bite. Only Arenn and Lyssandra seemed to enjoy the meal. They eagerly helped themselves to several slices of meat and sauces, while the rest of us sat in silence… All except for Erissa, who spent at least fifteen minutes lazily chewing on a dry bread roll.
“Aren’t you hungry, little human?” Arenn lips hovered by my ear, the fabric of his tunic feeling rough against the exposed skin on my back. “You should eat something.”
He plucked a strawberry from a nearby bowl and waved it in front of my lips.
“Open wide,” he commanded, his voice echoing in my ears. I tensed my jaw, but my resistance was no match forhis compulsion. The second my lips parted, he slipped the strawberry in, using his other fingers to push up on my jaw, forcing me to bite.
“Good girl,” he praised as the fruit juices trickled down my chin, “but you’re so messy.” Shamelessly, he gripped my face in his hands and leaned closer. At first, I thought he was going to kiss me, until his tongue stroked up from the bottom of my chin. Immediately I flinched and tried to break free of his grasp, but his hand kept my wrists pinned behind my back. Slowly and repeatedly, as if my skin was covered in the sweetest sugar, he licked up to the corners of my mouth – while I just accepted it, helplessly trapped.
