“There’s only the forgetful spell and … this one.” She raised up the scroll in her hand. Her knees bumped into one of the couches and she nearly collapsed on it. She gripped the armrestfor support and tried to keep herself standing, though her knees were weak.Bound in blood. In Death. She wasmarriedto Nikator? Cursed with him foreternity? “Please, you have to believe?—”
“I’m done believing your lies,” he snarled.
She had it coming to her, she knew that, and yet she couldn’t stop from grimacing away from him, her shoulders hunching together at the rage that laced his words. He had every right to be furious with her—she had just bound him to herself, and made it so that she couldn’t be executed without dragging him into it.
Wait.
The last thought had the wheels in her head spinning faster.
She couldn’t be executed; it was in his favor to not tell the emperor, because surely Drakkon Muyang would have her slain if he found out what she was planning.
“You can’t kill me,” she whispered, blinking up at the warrior who was still scowling at her. He must have come to the same conclusion as her, but perhaps sooner than she did, because he didn’t look surprised. No, he looked just as vehemently pissed as he did a few moments ago. “If you tell His Majesty, then he’ll kill me, won’t he? And then you will die too.”
“Is this why you did this stupid spell?” Nikator asked, taking a step closer. The air around him rippled, thickening with fury, and a discomfort spiked through her chest, making her want to flee. “So you can blackmail me? Or … what? This spell, although disadvantageous to me, is much more deadly to you since you’ve outed yourself as a traitor. You’ve committed treason, and my knowledge of it only hurts you,princess.” He spat out her title like it was poison to his tongue.
Biyu could feel all three of their heavy stares on her. Minos had dropped the charismatic act and wore a lethal expression, his mouth thinned to a firm line. Vita was glaring daggers,her silver eyes appearing sharp like the edge of a blade. And Nikator’s mouth was curled into a deep frown, his eyes burning sapphire, and his hands clenched together so tightly that blood was oozing between his fingers on his injured palm.
Drip, drip, drip.
Crimson spattered on the floor and she couldn’t stop staring at it.
They were bound by blood. In life. In death.
14
Biyu’s breathreleased shakily and she lifted her chin defiantly to stare at Nikator. He was just as angry as before, just as violent, just as … hauntingly, aggravatingly beautiful. And she hated that her thoughts went there—to his wicked beauty.
He was going to kill her, she reminded herself. If he could have it his way, she would have died a long time ago.
“Do you, too, wish to resist His Majesty’s claim to that wretched throne?”
She wove her fingers together to keep them from trembling. She began, “This wasn’t a part of my plan, Nikator. I want to escape from this place. You should know that I crave freedom. You’ve watched me for far longer than anyone else has.”
“You’re a liar,” he hissed. He took another step closer until they were inches apart. “You want more than just freedom. I see it in the way you look at the world.”
Those words shocked her down to her core like a bolt of lightning. He wasn’t supposed to know that part of her—the one that craved more from life.
“I understand you don’t believe me, or you don’t trust me, but I want freedom, Nikator, and I never meant for this to happen. But now that it has … you should know that you can’ttell His Majesty until we figure out how to break this spell.” She took a step back. She needed more distance from him. He was like a raging beast, barely quelling his rage and ferocity.
“You mean thiscurse.”
“Yes, this … curse.”
Biyu studied the way his muscles feathered along his jaw, the way he was tightening his fists, blood streaking down his arms, spattering his dark clothes. She was bound to him, body and soul, and the idea of that … horrified her down to her bones. She didn’t want to be anywhere near him, much less stuck with him forever. But she could use this to her advantage, she realized, if only he would allow her to live long enough for her to figure out a better plan. She could buy time this way.
“Please don’t tell His Majesty—” she started.
“I don’t like this.” Vita leaned her hip against the armrest of one of the couches and scrutinized Biyu carefully, her gaze raking up and down her figure as if expecting her to do something. “We should tell Muyang. I don’t like keeping secrets from him.”
“No.” Nikator breathed out slowly. He fisted his hands, his attention shifting to the windows lining one of the walls. Birds twittered and flew by the glass, their tiny wings fluttering. He turned back to Minos and Vita. “If Muyang finds out I fucked up this badly, he’ll never send me out on any important mission. I’ll be stuck babysitting his new baby or some shit like that. I can’t have that happen. And, of course, Atreus won’t let me hear the end of it.”
“Or Bohai,” Minos noted.
“Ah, yes. Him too.” He threw his hands up. “Or who knows? Maybe Remus will even find this whole thing hilarious.”
“Remus wouldn’t—” Vita began.
“Oh, but General Han will certainly have a field day with it,” he seethed. “I can’t have Muyang find out. Not until—” Heturned to her and she recoiled at the fury that roared in those cold, gem-like eyes of his. She hated that she couldn’t meet his gaze, or that he terrified her more than before. “Not until we break this curse.”
