And when the moment comes—I’ll remind him why I’m the chieftain and he’s not.
Chapter Sixteen
Annora
The momentwe stop outside my bedchamber door, Aleksander turns to face me, his eyes distant, his jaw hard. “Where were you earlier?”
With Jasce…
“I was walking,” I say in an even voice.
The tall barbarian folds his arms across his chest and frowns. “I know you were gone. I felt the strain on our magical bond.”
I lift my chin and meet Aleksander’s gaze without speaking. Let him wonder. Let him try to guess.
“Is Jasce here in Bakva?”
“Do you think if my husband were here, I would be standing here speaking to you?” I ask, allowing all the sarcasm I can muster to echo in every word.
“I’m not a fool, Annora,” he snaps. “Where is my brother?”
“There’s nothing to tell,” I say as I lift my chin even higher.
“You’ve never been good at lying.” He steps closer. “Your eyes give you away every time.”
“I’m not lying. I went for a walk. Then, I decided to have a drink. Is that a crime?”
Anger sparks in his eyes, darkening them to a deep, smoldering brown. “You’re playing games with me.”
Heat rushes through my veins as my anger rises to meet his. “Why should I tell you anything? You tricked me, dragged me here, forced me to do your bidding. I owe you nothing.”
He takes a step even closer, but I don’t back away. “You will tell me what I want to know.”
I narrow my eyes. “I will not.”
His lips curl into a sneer before he turns and stalks away.
As soon as he disappears around the corner, I let out a shaky breath and hurry into my bedchamber, slamming the door shut behind me.
Chapter Seventeen
Jasce
Moonlight spillsthrough the tall windows in Aleksander’s bedchamber, and a single torch burns faintly near the door. I press my back against the wall and flex my fingers as I imagine wrapping them around his throat and squeezing.
A muscle twitches in my cheek as I recall how he used to follow me around when we were children, mirroring my every move. Back then, I thought it was admiration. Now I see it for what it was—jealousy.
Foolishly, he thought if he acted like me, our father might notice him, but he should have known the only thing Jerrod admired was cruelty. Especially in his children.
Aleksander didn’t know it, but slowly, day by day, Jerrod tainted him—made him weak, pliable, bendable.
Aleksander probably doesn’t see himself as weak, but he is. Why else would he align himself with Asha?
She wants to destroy House of Crimson, and he will help her.
Fuck him.
The door creaks open, and Aleksander steps into his bedchamber.
