“I do hope you’ll find your accommodations…pleasant.”
She twisted in a tight circle, taking in every inch of the space. The shadows weren’t deep enough to hide a full-grown man, let alone a Fae. She just wished she had an inkling of an ideawhoshe was looking for.
“Where are you?”
“I am everywhere.”
Despite her skin crawling with adrenaline and thewarning signals in her brain blaring for her to heed caution she refused to embrace, she scoffed, “More like nowhere.”
Her next turn brought her face to face with a creature whose eyes glowed a malicious metal gray merely enhanced by hard contours cutting angles across his face. Hair the color of true gold absorbed the yellow glow of the small fire and his fancy robes—not so unlike those Thaddeus had donned in the grotto—gleamed against the flames. There was nothing warm or friendly about this creature. Not even a flicker or crack in his expression.
“We have different definitions of pleasant,” Rori said, biting her lip to stave off further instigation. “Who are you?”
“The one who saved Thaddeus.”
A mocking curl at the corner of his mouth stoked her protectiveness.
“That’s not a name.”
“Mortals are worthless, fleeting creatures who have no need for such information. They are underserving of our merepresence.You, weak, pitiful creature, would have never known him had I left him to perish. Mayhap ’twould have been best to let him rot than to see him waste his glory and potential on such a”—the curl melted into a scowl—“menial, rotten thing. Alas, his resurrection was in vain, and I’ll be certain to rectify the issue.”
“You healed him and cursed him at the same time. Weaving magic into his heart to keep him from protecting himself.”
A faint tremor rippled down her body, her belly clenching as fear, anxiety, and another dose of adrenaline rushed through her veins.Keep yourself alive, Rori. Keep yourself safe.
“Youfearhim.” She pressed to her toes, tipping into the Fae. “Grison.”
The powerful man before her didn’t move. Not a single inch of his expression changed. The haughty glow of his eyes tried to intimidate her, make her cower. The tight curl of his lips in that fierce scowl. There was no outward change, but a flicker of energy across her skin, the tension along the small hairs over her arms, assured her she’d hit a sore spot.
Dropping to her heels, she shuffled back a few steps. He made the air hard to breathe, his essence tarry and foul.
“You are not unlike most humans who hold no value in self-preservation.”
“And you are not unlike most Fae I’ve encountered who possess a god complex.”
The smallest shift of his robes drew her attention. She glanced at his hands, but only the tips of his fingers were visible below the fabric, and the smokey tendrils of magic forming for a blow.
No, no, no. God, Goddess, whoever is listening, I’ll keep my mouth shut!
“Such a foul mouth.”
Rori threw herself to the ground, covering her head with her arms, the uneven rock cutting into her knees as she hit with all her weight. A pop, followed by the tinkling of rock filled the small space. The scent of earthy must intensified as dust particles tickled her throat. She coughed, lifting her head. The wall a few feet away sported a brand new divot, the gouge still draining of busted rock.
Magic prickled around her, cinching her arms to her sides. Her body jerked off the ground and flew within an inch of Grison’s cold, evil face. So close she could smell the scent of wine on his lips, see shards of opaque silver lancing his eyes, feel the intensity of his power as it vibrated down to her marrow.
“He shall die, human, and I’ll be the one to sever hishead, remove his heart, and burn him in white flames. I will do so after I have made him suffer, witnessing the torture I put you through.” That scowl turned into a dark, ominous smile. “I’ll leave you with a single breath in your lungs to watch his fall. Do not fear. I’ll throw you into the flames with him.”
She trembled, anger and fear entwining in a vicious dance. Her lips twitched, her mind demanding she stay quiet while the fight in the dark recesses of her being howled for release.
“Hmph.” The quiet sound fled her throat, followed by a challenging grin. “You talk big for a monster hiding in a cave, letting his men do all his dirty work and taking the fall on your behalf. Talk shit about us humans all you want. Talk shit aboutme, but at least I’m willing to face my battles and not cower from them.”
Energy crackled around them, the unseen sparks like static under her skin.
“Thaddeus fell in battle for the woman before you, hours after they lay together for one final time.”
Rori laughed under her breath. The magic cocooning her constricted, punching the air from her lungs. She winced.
“Use…magic because you…don’t like what…this unworthy mortal has to say.” She forced in a breath and growled, “He foughtforme more than he ever did for her, and he did it selflessly, without expecting anything in return.” The magic squeezed, expelling that fragile breath. Pressure built in her head, her vision dimming. “I would never…ask him to sacrifice…himself for me. That’s all…sheever asked of him.”
