That’s it. That’s what he wants. He wants to be the savior that tamed the Scorpion’s daughter.
Little does he know that title already belongs to another.
Soren…his pale gaze pierces my memory. Gods, no one will ever hold a flame to that man in my mind.
I can’t refrain from the way my body stiffens, especially when thinking about where my heart truly belongs, but I let Jesper touch my hair as he wants. He twirls a strand of it before dropping his hand back to his side, his head rising up to further look down on me.
“There will be many outside the room.”
“Understandable.”
I focus on the relief it gives me, acting as if he’s just granted me a lifeline, because in a way, he has.Lean into that.
“It will be at night.”
“That’s fine with me.”
“You’re plotting something,” he adds, as if to rub in that he’s more intelligent than me. That he will be harder to trick than this.
After being with Soren, though, I’ve learned that somebody doesn’t need to state every time they don’t believe you. They just let you dig that hole because they'retrulyconfident.
Jesper’s confidence is built on sand.
“Yeah, I mean, in a way, Iamplotting something. I’m trying to understand where my life is going, and I need a moment ofclarity, which I cannot get inhere.” I let the emotion break out from watching Anya, digging deep into what that made me feel. “I… I have been wrestling with this since the sirens… sinceAnya. I can’t do it. I just can’t watch someone suffer for me. Which means I need to at leasttryhere. Accept that…” I trail off, hoping he believes me. “That for my life, people can’t be close to me. They just can’t. Which means I either live out these days in misery, or try to enjoy them… even if only a little.”
His eyes flare with pride, like a hunter who is thrilled his trap has worked, as I hoped it would. Ihopedhe would think he’s won by showing me all the prisoners they keep, so he can stop threatening them.
His ego will be the jugular I strike.
“I’ll take you down there.Anymisbehavior and you will be immediately returned. Anything more severe, and your friend will be tortured, as I already stated.”
“Okay.”Misery… what of him?“Will, um,Morvock, be present?”
The suspicion in his eyes nearly makes me hold up my hands to show I’m not meaning anything by it. “Is his absence needed for your scheming?”
A natural, genuine rise of my lips reveals a real smile, something only appearing because it’s funny to me how little he knows of what I’m capable of. Of what I intend to do.
But… he takes that as,flirting? Almost returning the playful look… Oh, fuck no—stop. Let him think it’s that. He has no idea the inferno he is toying with right now.
“I was just wondering… I’m not used to agodbeing in a room. If he is, I just need to compose myself. It’s… intimidating.”
His eyebrow perks as if his ego can’t help but strut itself. “You get used to it. At least,Ihave.” He looks me over, like some part of him recognizes he should be more careful, but he seems to be weak to this. Not tome, but theideaof this, like he thinks so little of my capabilities that it’s worth it for him to risk. “I will return once the sun is down.”
“Thank you,” I say with as much sincerity as possible.
As he leaves, his gaze trails me once more, as if asserting hecanbecause we both know I can’t tell him not to.
When the door is shut, I place a hand on my stomach, nauseous from the insinuations of what would happen to me if I failed this. Of how that man will force himself on me once Misery tells him to.
Okay… it’s okay.
What’s my plan, then?
I don’t fucking know, really. I just know when in the streets, I’d always survey the area before attacking, and that’s theonlyarea of this castle I know will get me below into those tunnels. Simultaneously, if it allows Jesper to open up and trust me toanydegree, then evenbetter. I need to know what I’m working with when it concerns him, and he clearly is very suspicious of my behavior. Will I have to sedate the madman with my healing powers while in there? I can do that. There’s no way he sees that coming.
Just like Soren, I can only use it once. If Jesper can be rendered unconscious, I just need a solid hour head start.
It’s actually genius to have him in there. He’stheauthority, next to Blackwell and Misery. People will just assume we’re in there, havingalonetime.Just like Anya did when avenging Amy.
