But I survived… Of course, I did. Why wasn’t this fool telling me all I needed to know? ‘What are Shadow Islands?’
‘Shadow Isles. Your new home,’ he said with a smirk, his tone nonchalant, as though it were his decision to make.
The smugness sent a chill down my spine.
Just wait until my witchcraft recovers, you idiot, and you’ll learn how to speak to royalty.
When I pushed myself upright again, it took all of me not to laugh in his face. ‘Excuse me? I think the hell not.’
Alec chuckled, leaning back with his arms behind his head. ‘How exactly are you planning to get back then? And where to, considering the state of your court?’
Good question. I probably needed to come up with a plan. ‘We’ve got several castles I can choose from.’
His facial expression showed that he enjoyed the pointless discussion a little too much. ‘And who will protect you?’
‘Protect me?’ Mockery laced my reply as I assessed the seemingly genuine concern on his face. ‘I don’t need protection.’
An infuriating righteousness laced his tone as he regarded me like some damsel in distress. ‘From where I’m sitting, you do.’
I could turn you into a toad.
The remnants of my witchcraft itched to show him just how wrong he was. But I would only damage my wounds more, putting myself at the mercy of a man I attacked. It was an impossible situation. A test of my patience. I would hurt him later.
‘Well, I don’t really care what you think.' My flippant response lost its edge as I realised how pathetic it was to relyon a stranger. And a man at that. So embarrassing… I needed to kill him before the news got out.
‘That much is clear,’ he murmured, his eyes roaming over my body as though I were the one talking nonsense. ‘Tell me, Princess, was getting stabbed one of your defensive tactics then?’
‘You weren’t there, so fuck off.’
A dry laugh escaped him as he cracked his knuckles. ‘Some mouth on you. Are you always this feisty?’
Ignoring the pain, I hurled myself into a sitting position to face him. Everything pulled, and the edges of my vision blackened as my expression remained a grave void. His own darkened as he focused on my—yet again—bleeding injury.
I didn’t care. ‘Are you always this dumb?’
‘I’m not, you ungrateful shit. Lie down before you mess the stitches up,’ he barked, gesturing to my abdomen like he cared.
What the… No one had spoken to me like that in years. For good reason. ‘Shit? Do you have any idea who you’re speaking to?’
‘Do you have any idea who you’re speaking to?’ the imbecile mocked in a ridiculously high-pitched tone. ‘You’d be dead if it weren’t for me.’
Ugh. Male pride. They saw themselves as the eyes of the fucking universe. ‘I never asked you to help me.’
Eyebrows cocked, he seethed, his irises turning into black voids. ‘You didn’t fucking have to ask me. You were bleeding out in front of me. Fuck. I need air. You’re exhausting.’
‘Right back at you.’
Drifting in and out of sleep, I was unable to keep the cold from claiming my bones. Limbs too heavy to lift, let alone support me, I relied on the help of a group of assistants. They bathed and dressed me. A doctor hooked me up to intravenous medicines several times. They were nice and caring and willing to do anything to help me recover.Yet, I couldn’t help but groan my complaints. Mental discomfort I could handle. Physical was where I drew the line.
Wetness dripped into my eyes, making me yelp as my arms reluctantly dragged up to shield them from the sudden assault.
‘Stop,’ I pleaded with whoever tried to waterboard me.
‘Sorry,’ the creepy stalker said, running a wet towel across my forehead.
Not him again. ‘Listen, Andrew—’
‘Alec.’
