A blush spread over her cheeks. “I’m not your wife.”
“Oh, but you are. You made sure of it.”
“I— I already told you it was a mistake.”
He shrugged. “Sure, sure. You can keep saying that it was a mistake, or a strategic way to keep yourself from getting executed—for what, I’m still not sure. But it doesn’t change thatwe are now bound together for all of eternity, unless we can find a way to break this cursed marriage.”
All the hairs on Biyu’s arms rose. He was still suspicious of her; if she wasn’t careful, this barely tolerated situation could easily come undone. He could change his mind and toss her in the dungeons if he wished it. If she proved that she was too much trouble, then this temporary freedom from execution, from persecution, would be ripped away.
She had to stick to the truth and ignore the lies—it was the only way she could make her situation believable.
“How can I prove to you that I didn’t lie? That it really was a mistake?” Biyu asked. “Do you think I want to be tied to you for eternity?”
“Yes, I actually do.”
Biyu’s eyebrows pulled together. “Why would you think that?”
“You want something from me. Freedom, maybe, but I think it’s more than that.” He reached for the blade hooked to his waist and lithely yanked it free from its sheath. The short blade danced in the air as he tossed it and caught it casually, his gaze never straying from hers, even when the blade nearly sliced through his fingers, and yet he deftly caught it by the handle each time. Up, spiral, down, and up again. He repeated it distractedly. “I think you want to kill the emperor. I think you want to take his throne. And I think you think that I’m the way to get to that.”
Sweat prickled over her goosebump-ridden flesh. He was too close to the mark. “You’re absolutely mad,” she said, unable to hide the tremor in her voice. “I have no plans to k-kill anyone! All I’ve ever wanted?—”
“Is freedom?” He snorted. “Don’t make me laugh, Princess. I don’t know why you keep insisting on pretending like you’re an innocent fawn who could do no wrong, when you’re actually a fire-breathing poisonous viper.”
She reeled back. “Now you’re resorting to insults?”
“Insults? If I wanted to insult you, I wouldn’t call you a viper, for one.”
“Oh, is it supposed to be a compliment?”
“No, it’s just the truth. Something you seem averse to.”
“Get out of my room,” she snapped. The water was becoming cold and her finger pads were wrinkling with too much moisture. A shiver ran over her bare shoulders and she ducked even lower, glaring at him from above the rim of the tub. “You can’t possibly argue with me while I’m in the bath. That’s clearly an imbalance of power. I’m vulnerable.”
“You, vulnerable? I very much doubt it.”
“Leave.”
“No.”
“I’m—” A furious flush spread over her face, but mostly from mortification and anger, because how dare he barge in while she was bathing and argue with her instead of simply leaving her to change? How dare he refuse to leave? “The decent thing for a decent man to do would be to excuse himself while the lady takes that time to change into something appropriate, but I seem to be forgetting that I’m not dealing with a decent man!”
The grin he shot her was absolutely feral. “Ah, that’s right, princess. You’re dealing with a fucking monster, and I’m not planning on leaving.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. Had she called him that earlier? She was almost positive she had kept her opinions on him—how much of a bloodthirsty monster he was—to herself.
“I never said you were a monster,” she said.
“Oh, but you sure do feel it, don’t you? The way you look at me. The way you recoil. The way you glare when you think I’m not looking. You think I’m a monster, princess. Something straight out of your nightmare.” A cruel smile twisted his lips. “You’re terrified of me.”
“Does that make you proud?” Her voice shook, and she wasn’t sure if it was from rage or fear.
His expression faded to neutrality. “You want to use me for some reason. I’ll find out why soon enough.”
“Why—” She released a frustrated sigh. “Why would I choose you out of all the Peccata members? You? Seriously? You think I would want to bind myself toyou? If I really was planning something by binding myself to a Peccata member, I certainly wouldn’t have chosen you! I would have chosen Minos!”
Something akin to rage flashed over his face and he pushed himself off the door. “Minos? You would choose him?” he said in disbelief. “Why?”
He actually sounded …offended.
