Theo opens his mouth, as if to argue, only to clench his jaw. He shifts his irritable gaze on me.
“I’m not the one who threw you,” I point out.
He snarls. Honest-to-god snarls.
“You’re making good progress,” Cora says. She strides away from the wall, not stopping until she’s reached me. She holds a hand down, and I take it, barely able to keep the surprise from my face.
“Is it enough?” I ask once I’m to my feet.
“I don’t know,” she says. “But we will soon.”
Footsteps sound on the opposite side of the room, and we all turn to look at the doorway. Theo is back on his feet now, brushing off his clothes, as Sebastian enters. The vampire king isn’t looking at him though. He’s looking atme, an intensity so visceral, I swear it feels like he’s touching me.
“What will we know?” he asks.
“If Grace’s magic is strong enough,” Cora says. “Milas found the last of my ingredients, and Grace here held Theo down for six minutes.”
I glare at her. Iknewit was six minutes.
Sebastian is still looking at me, but I’m doing everything to avoid meeting his eyes. It’s been two days since I kicked him out of my cell. Two days since he listened without complaint. It was more than I expected, especially after I kneed him in the balls.
A flicker of guilt, so much worse than what I’d felt toward Theo moments ago, settles beneath my ribs. Logically, I know Sebastian has done far worse to me. He’s kidnapped me, imprisoned me, fed me to a fucking spider-creature. He’s ruined my life. He deserves far more than a kick to the nuts.
And still…
“I’ll call a meeting,” Sebastian says.
Now my stomach dips. A meeting? As in, a meeting to end this, once and for all?
Sebastian promised to let me go after this, but that wasbeforeI rejected him. Not to mention he lies almost constantly. If we try to break this curse, there’s a good chance I don’t walk away from it.
“I need more time,” I blurt. “I’m not…I can tell I’m not strong enough. It’s not going to work?—”
Sebastian raises his hand, silencing me. I squirm where I stand, locking my gaze in the middle of his forehead. I can’t meet his eyes, but I don’t want him to think I’m cowering.
“Theo. Cora. You’re dismissed,” he says. He tilts his head, stepping toward me. “I’ll return Grace to her quarters.”
Sebastian waits until we’re alone before speaking again.
“Do you want to practice?” he asks. He crosses the room, centering himself before me.
Without meaning to, I’ve lowered my eyes to his shoes. They’re black and shiny, and I can make out my muted reflection in them. My blonde hair looks wild, and though I can’t see my face, I’m sure it’s red and sweaty and disgusting.
“Grace,” he says. He doesn’t come closer. His fingers twitch at his sides before balling into fists. “If you’re still upset with me?—”
“I’m the one who kickedyou,” I choke out. I’m talking tohis shoes, and I realize how pathetic I must look. I swallow hard, forcing myself to look up.
He looks good today, and I hate that I notice. His light hair is tousled, his face cleanly shaven. I realize I don’t know if hair grows on vampires. Oskar has a beard, but maybe he’s always had it.
“I wasn’t going to force you,” he says softly. His Adam’s apple bobs, and he ducks his head until his eyes are unavoidable. Deep green, framed by dark lashes. “Believe what you must, but that is the truth. I thought…”
He trails off then, finally breaking eye contact. He’s not blushing. Another thing I’m not sure vampires can do. And yet, I feel like he’s embarrassed all the same.
“You thought what?” I demand. Because I’m insecure, maybe, or cruel.
“I thought you wanted me to,” he says through gritted teeth. His eyes meet mine again, almost defiantly. “You kissed me first.”
“I know,” I say. My voice breaks and I scramble for some sort of explanation. There isn’t one though. I’d kissed him because he’d saved my life, because he looked at me like he cared. I kissed him because I wanted to, and though I’d barely admitted it to myself, Istillwanted to.
