Snarling, I managed to wriggle out of his hold until we were back to a normal dance distant apart. But I didn’t answer his question. Instead, I reluctantly let him continue to parade me around the dance floor until my gaze landed on a certain dark-eyed queen. Then my blood really began to boil.
“So you are allowed to tell me who I cannot spend time with, but it is perfectly fine for you to enjoy the company of those who have gone out of their way to hurt me?” I shot a pointed look towards the King and Queen of Hallshire, who were gathered around a nearby buffet table while Arenn grinned eagerly.
“Ah, but you see that’s different,” he mused, amber eyes glinting.
“How is that possibly different?” I scowled.
Arenn chuckled. “Because when you saw me speaking with Queen Marigold, I was doing that foryou,” he almost purred, spinning me again.
“What?”
Catching me, he drew my hand back to his shoulder. “You see, human…” A slow grin pulled at his lips. “She hated you, and neither of us had any idea why, but now, after speaking with her and… gaining her trust,” he drifted closer to my ear, “I knowallher secrets.”
I blinked slowly. “Why does she hate me then?” My words were short.
“Because you’re standing in the way of quite an important marriage for her beloved daughter,” he explained, smirking.
“What?” I blinked again. “What marriage? Which daughter?”
Arenn’s smirk widened as my heart pounded in my chest.
“That daughter.” He spun us around before stopping to point at a young woman just metres away.
My breath caught. She was certainly beautiful. Her black hair had been piled high above her silver tiara, and I couldn’t help the envy painting my face as I took in her delicate crimson gown and the way it complimented her figure. But then all that envy churned into dread. Holding her hand and leading her around the dance floor were the same pair of hands that had touched me behind the palm trees just minutes ago.
“Apparently Marigold has been planning Princess Callie’s marriage to your dear Lukas for years now,” Arenn drawled behind me. “And you can see why.” I could almost hear the grin in his voice. “They do make a lovely couple, don’t they?”
I took a steadying breath. There was nothing romantic about the way he held her. Even she didn’t seem to be enjoying herself. Her expression was more nervous than anything else. But still, that didn’t stop the pain that slashed across my chest.
“He’s just dancing with her to be polite,” I said as I turned back to Arenn.
“Is he?” Arenn laughed. Then he leaned closer, his arms finding mine as we continued our dance. “Would you like me to kill her for you?”
I coughed on my gasp. “Ancients, no!”
“But it hurts you to see her.” He tilted his head. “I could kill her, then kill her lovely mother too.” His fingers found my chin, stroking my jaw tenderly. “Think of it as an earlywedding gift from your soon-to-be husband.”
My eyes narrowed. “No.”
My response made something glimmer across his playful expression. “Shall we make him jealous then?” His voice lowered, stirring up far too many feelings in my stomach. “Shall we remind everyone here who you really belong to?” His gaze left mine as my brow dipped. “We’ll make sure he’s watching… like now.”
Before I could process just what he was scheming, Arenn’s lips crashed against mine. Gasps echoed around us, mine included as he tugged me towards his hard chest.
“Stop,” I squealed against him, writhing in his hold. Disgust, desire, pain, unwanted heat all blended together into an awful mix that shot through my veins. I wanted him to get off me. I wanted him to leave me alone. But the hand closest to our crystal bond gripped his shirt like I needed him to breathe.
“With all that squirming you’re not making our performance very convincing,” Arenn’s voice rumbled through me. “Do I need to compel you to kiss me back?”
Bile rose in my throat. And it was then that I was finally able to gather enough strength to shove him off me. My lips tore away from his, but not before my palm shot through the air and struck him clean across the cheek. A loud crack echoed across the dance floor.
The musicians stopped playing. Dancers around us halted as if their feet had been glued to the floor. And all that could be heard between the distant crickets were Arenn’s heavy breaths as he held his cheek, surprise clouding his eyes.
“Maybe I deserved that,” he murmured.
“Don’t touch me ever again,” I yelled, fists clenched.Behind me, I heard someone frantically shoving their way through the crowd.
“Naria are you alright—” But I couldn’t bear to let Lukas help me. Instead of running to him, I dove through the crowds and charged back towards the palace.
Damn Arenn. Damn Queen Marigold and her perfect daughter.Even if the latter perhaps didn’t deserve my hate. I could barely see as I sprinted through the endless palace corridors. Anger stained my vision red. It was only when I collided with something big and coated with armour that I blinked away the rage on my face. A stunned-looking guard stared down at me.
