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Lick.

“You’ll spend the evening at her side.”

Lick.

“You’ll introduce her to our guests.”

Lick.

“You’ll dance with her.”

Lick.

“You’ll seduce her.”

Lick.

Her grip tightens as she withdraws, her sinister lips in a sneer. “And when you have her trust and your own desire is brimming over into madness, it’s my chamber you’ll come to. So, I can remind you that I’m the only one that will ever bring you to your knees.”

She leans in, her mouth now hovering dangerously close to my ear.

“When I’m finished letting you worship me and all our guests have gone home, it’ll be you that brings Adelaide’s still-beating heart to me on a gilded platter before the sun rises over the Silver Mountains on the day of Winter Solstice.”

I notice that for the first time ever, she called her by name.

“I’ll use her blood and be the fairest of them all, until the end of time.”

Air frozen in my lungs as she continues.

“Then I’ll be young and beautiful forever, and neither you nor any other man to ever warm my bed will ever again look away from me to look upon another.”

She’s gone mad.

“Because it’s not just your life that depends on it. It’s Birdy’s.” She releases my arm with a shove, turning back around to gaze at herself. “You may go now.”

And just like that, like the good soldier I am, I’ll fall in line. Because her threats are nowhere near empty, and I know without a doubt she’ll make good on them.

“As you wish, my queen. I look forward to it.”

More lies.

“Oh, and Riven?” She turns around to face me as I’m backing out the door. “Don’t forget who it is you belong to.” The black sheer covering her naked form drops to the ground as she stands before me, wearing nothing but her jagged crown and an evil smile.

One way or another, tonight is going to be torture.

Chapter 9

Adelaide

“Whatever I expected, it wasn’t this.” Music and laughter float down the dark corridor toward me. Birdy is at my side, her arm locked in mine, leading the way while a small army of armed guards with swords trails behind us.

“I know. Just wait until you see the Grand Hall. I heard that Marcella, queen of the Third Realm, wears a real raven on her shoulder, like an accessory or something! Can you imagine?”

“No,” I reply, much less cheery than she is carrying on.

“And Jhagger from the Sixth wears a serpent!”

“I guess the part in the stories about villains having a creepy animal sidekick is true,” I mutter.