Page 29 of Rapunzel Unchained
Adam had made it clear being Arch Mage was more important than anything else in his life. Including me.
Chapter 15
It was funny. Once I stopped fighting the other Eva, it was so easy to simply close my eyes and search for who I wanted.
Zane.
Out of all the mages who had saved me, he knew more than any of them what it was like to fight with something inside of you, tearing you apart until you feel powerless.
Except what Zane didn’t know was that he had another choice. One that would not only help him but me and my plans as well.
If I was going to take down the mages and get justice for my mother and myself, I needed allies. Specifically, someone on the inside, someone close to Arch Mage Adam.
Not surprisingly, Zane was in the chapel, kneeling before the stone cross, a red branch twisted into a matching cross embedded into the center of it. The rage that usually boiled beneath the surface at the sight of the symbol of the mages barely even itched now.
My fingers trailed through the air as my consciousness found the faint lines of magic wrapped around the building. It took just the barest stroke of my own magic against it to inch my way between the lines of their security.
With barely a thought, purple mist enveloped me, and I reappeared on the stone bench just to the left of where Zane knelt.
I tossed the skirt of my violet gown to my sides. The split exposed my legs as I crossed one over the other, one hand settling onto the bench as I leaned to one side.
For a moment, I didn’t say anything. I let my gaze slide over Zane’s form. His blood red hair half hazard braided over hisshoulder; his black shirt wrinkled. He still hadn’t been sleeping. The bruises beneath his eyes were faint but they were there.
It made my heart ache to see him so distraught because of me.
“Is anyone listening?” I finally asked, announcing my presence.
Zane jolted, falling over as he spun around to face me. His hazel eyes widened when they locked onto me. Relief filled his eyes but also... fear.
“Eva. What are you doing here?” His eyes shifted from side to side, a slight tremor to his voice. “How did you get in here?”
I cocked my head to the side, my lashes lowering as a sultry smile played on my lips. “My, my, Zane. Are you scared of me? I’m hurt. And here I thought we really had a moment before in your office.”
Zane dragged his hand through his bangs, pulling on at the end of his braid. “You killed Master Tuck, Eva. And you did it so...” He wiped his mouth with his hand. “So easily. It didn’t take you any effort at all.”
My lips curled up higher. “Well,MasterTuck was in the way. Now, Adam is Arch Mage, and his biggest competition is gone.”
“That’s not how this works,” Zane snapped, his face flushed red with anger. “You can’t just decide who lives or dies. We would have taken care of Master Tuck therightway.”
I slid off the bench onto my knees and crawled across the floor toward him. Zane tensed, not moving as I came toward him. Though the fear was still there, his eyes kept darting down to my ample cleavage and my legs, where my dress had drawn up higher.
If I hadn’t accepted who I was, the very idea of crawling to him would have sent me blushing madly as I fled the room. Now, though, the power of having his eyes on me, knowing that he desired me, warmed my body and sent a thrill down my spine.
“Did you know,” I murmured, placing my hands on either side of him, drawing in close until our breath mingled, “that it was Master Tuck who found me?”
“What?” Zane breathed, his eyelashes fluttering darting down to my lips before meeting my gaze.
“Oh, yes,” I purred, straddling his lap where he knelt, my hands settling his shoulders. “You see, Tuck thought to use me to take out the competition and then the mages council, because he,” I trailed my fingers along the side of his face, brushing my thumb beneath his eyes where bags had sunk in his skin, “he thought they were weak. That they were being too kind to the humans.” I rotated my hips against Zane’s, pulling a grunt from his lips.
“And he thought you would help him.” His long fingers grasped my hips, not pulling me closer but not pushing me away either.
He hardened beneath me. I pushed down harder on him, grinding my core against him, his legs spread slightly pressing our cores closer together. I brushed my lips against his, not quite kissing him yet. “All of his research made him think I was some powerful mage who hated humans as much as he did.”
“And you know what you are now?” His hands tightened on my hips, not just holding me, but rocking against me.
My lips ticked up at the edges and then I gasped, a long moan escaping me. “I’m a queen.”
“What happened, Eva?” His hand held my hips, keeping me from moving against him. “You’re... different.”
