“There were better ways—”
“Were there?” He closed in, invading the wide breadth of personal space she maintained at all times with men. “Death-Summoner, have you never wanted something so powerful in your hands that the whole world willfinallysit up and take notice of what you say?”
Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.
Silver eyes pried into hers, a subtle knife unlike the swallowing black of Kadra’s gaze. “Are you not tired of screaming into a void, begging a foolish populace to listen? Don’t you weary of listening to their infighting and petty prejudices? I can make them behave. Lives were lost, yes, but that’s the nature of war. Drenevan would say no different. At least,Ihave been honest with you.”
The hand that touched her face held curiosity. Her skin crawled, but Noceo ignored her visible shuddering.
“Tell me that you’ve never wanted to press a knife to a Guildmaster’s throat and shut them up. Tell me that you’ve never wanted to control their very limbs to force them to do as you bid. Isn’t it all because you know you have no power?”
He may as well have skewered her. She was in Arsamea again, seeing Marus loom before her. She was surrounded by the dead in Komis and Edessa. And painfully aware that she could donothing.
“I can make youmore,” he vowed. “I was a Seventh-Tier too, prior to my newfound strength. I’d share it with you. Drenevan can only offeranguish under the guise of independence. He acts like he’s supporting you, but really, you’re carrying it all alone.”
“That isn’t true,” she said tightly, trying to pull away from his grip.
“Isn’t it?” His eyes narrowed to silver slits. “Has thislovemade your life simpler or worse? Has it not subjected you to ridicule? Death-Summoner, have you truly never wanted power?”
The pressure in her veins shot up dangerously. “I don’t wantyourpower.”
His smile held a terrible glee. “Thank you for admitting the converse.”
The hand on her shoulder slid down to find her palm. She jerked away, but he locked a hand around her waist and forced her still.
“You crave conquest.” He bent to her ear. “I can give that to you every day. I’ll show you who Drenevan truly is. I don’t need you to profess undying love. I have no use for that. But we could be honest with each other, Death-Summoner. I find that a vastly underrated quality.” He eyed the fearful pulse at the base of her neck with amusement. “Now, will you join me?”
There it is.The same question Kadra had asked her eleven months ago. She gave the same answer she had given him then.
She laughed. Long, loud, and with a touch of fury. She laughed until her throat ran hoarse. And his eyes altered.
Fury bled into silver. Goose bumps peaked her flesh as his fingers tightened. A breath, and he let her go with a short laugh, clasping his hands behind his back and walking a few paces away.
He stopped. “Kneel.”
Magic slammed into her like a hammer and wrapped invisible vines around her limbs. She staggered.
“You can’t breathe,” he observed. “You won’t unless you kneel.”
The air rushed from her lungs. Straining, she fought the compulsion, managing only a thin stream before the world darkened. She fell to her knees. Her lungs suddenly expanded again.
Noceo took a seat and plucked a sheaf of parchment from a nearby table. His voice seemed to come from far away. “Crawl here.”
“You fucking—” She grit her teeth as her body tried to comply, biting her lip until it bled.
This is not your will, she reminded her body.This is not your will. She repeated it until she realized that she had begun saying it aloud. Strength ebbed from her, muscles cramping with tension. She raked her fingernails over the stone floor, dug them into her palms.
The tightening at Noceo’s temples told her that he hadn’t seen anyone fight back before, that Telmar had been right about her having some immunity to the magic. But it wasn’t absolute.
“Crawl.”
Noceo watched the precise moment she broke. Her left hand moved first, then her right hand and knee. She couldn’t comprehend what she was doing, moving like an animal. She would have rather he hit her, broke a limb or a cheekbone, but he didn’t have to raise a finger as she crawled, silent screams ringing in her ears. His silver-toed boot halted her by pressing against her chin.
Meeting his scathing smile, she spit on his leg. “Your brother never hurt me for laughing at his offer.” Kadra had looked delighted at it. “He gave me a fucking key to his tower.”
A dangerous glint in Noceo’s cold eyes. “I didn’t want us to be enemies, Death-Summoner. But here we are.” He bent down. “You’re worthless. You know this, and you agree with it. You’ll say it for me a thousand times.”
No.She trapped her tongue between her teeth, but her mouth still shaped the words.
