That threw me for a minute. And yes, yes, he was right. I'd known that, we all had. The Prince had never put himself into the feud between the Houses. At times in the first several centuries of his rule, he had brought his fist down, hard, when it got out of hand, but he was never the instigator. He had never pursued blood vengeance the way we petty Low Fae had.
He had still killed my mother though. His House still imprisoned my brother.
“As long as my brother and our people remain guests of the palace,” I said finally, “you are my enemy.” I shook my head. “And none of that even matters because I made a Vow, Prince.” Anger flared, again, not that it was ever far away. “A Vow that doesn't concern you. I suppose because once you get what you want from me, neither my life nor death are relevant.”
The Prince stilled. He stilled in a coiled, ruthlessly controlled storm of cold anger that warned me I'd just crossed a line.
“You insult me,” he said softly. “This time your youth is no excuse.”
I swallowed my pride, because he was right and I was wrong. I lowered my head. “My apologies, Prince. My words were uncalled for. I retract the statement.”
I didn't dare look up before he spoke.
“At least,” he said after an extended silence, “you have the ability to bend with grace when needed.” He sighed. “It's difficult to remain angry with you when you are a harsher judge of yourself than even I could be.”
I grimaced, lifting my head. At times, I felt like this male knew me as well as any of my cousins. As well as my dark angel, even. I frowned.
“What do you advise I do, then?” I asked. “I cannot break my Vow without dying. I cannot fulfill the Vow without dying.” My lips curved and a smile lacking any humor. “And from what my aunt tells me, if I—”
A vice of scorching iron teeth clamped around my throat, cutting off words, cutting off breath. My hands flew to my neck as I choked, but nothing was there. Nothing but the magic of our people, hissing and angry because it felt the first crumbling of my will to do what I had Vowed I must.
“Aerinne? Aerinne!”
As I stumbled and fell to my knees, choking, I distantly heard him call my name, was aware he kept me on my feet, lifting me into his arms.
The vice wrapped around and around my neck, and the pain was like nothing I’d ever felt before, the slow suffocation more terrifying than torture. At least in the dungeon I could scream, I could breathe, I could laugh. This was. . .this was hell.
The Vow continued to constrict my throat and terror rose. I didn't want to die. Especially not like this. I thought I'd have time. Nora had said I would have time—
The vice cut off my scream, and I descended into darkness.
* * *
I triedto speak when I woke.
My throat felt as if someone had burned it from the inside and then flayed my skin down to the muscle. Swollen, dry. I still couldn't force words from between my cracked lips, my vision dark and smoky.
I heard the rustle of cloth, the soft tap of bare feet on a stone floor and then cool liquid spilled down my throat, and an equally cool, strong hand, a steady comforting pulse beating through it’s muscle, cupping the back of my head.
A thumb took some of the water and spread it on my chapped lips, and there was a soft murmur of a deep masculine voice. I knew it was Renaud, no one else would tend me like this besides my family, and I didn't think he would allow it anyway.
Internally, I winced. My family. Numair and Juliette.
“How long have I been out?” I croaked.
Panic fluttered inside my breastbone. If I'd been out too long, my guards would have made a fuss, and I doubted the Prince was in any mood to deal with a House Faronne fuss.
“Two hours,” Renaud murmured. “Rest. Juliette has not burned the palace down around our ears yet.”
That statement struck me as odd, but I focused on forcing my vision to clear. Slowly the mists evaporated, and I blinked, able to see again. Or see as much as possible in the darkened bedroom.
“Let there be light,” I said after taking another long sip of water.
“You think you're funny,” he said, but moved away.
When he drew aside the floor-to-ceiling drapes, I sighed. Yes, I was in his bed, in his bedroom. But of all my concerns, that was the least of them, even though itwasconcerning.
As moonlight flooded in, so did reality.
