Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 144676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 723(@200wpm)___ 579(@250wpm)___ 482(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 723(@200wpm)___ 579(@250wpm)___ 482(@300wpm)
Dolion snorted. “Jedrek informed me the extent you’ll go to in order to protect your family. It’s commendable. Maybe I shouldn’t kill them.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t kill you. There is no curse protecting you from me. I can kill you from across the room.”
I wasn’t sure that was true, but he didn’t have to know that.
He stared at me for a very long moment. I stared right back.
“Deal,” he finally said, and the air between us went taut with magic. His smile was sinister, and my blood ran cold. “Go say your goodbyes, but don’t bother packing. If you won’t accept my gilded cage, you’ll find a new home in the dungeons. All this finery will be a distant memory. Safety, comfort—things of the past. Now you belong to me.”
I found Nyfain in the tower in complete darkness, staring out the window with his hands in his pockets. I closed and locked the door behind me, my heart aching.
“It’s done, then?” he asked in a rough voice without turning around.
“The deal is made, yes. I’ll be leaving with him tomorrow.”
He let out a breath and bent, the strength going out of him. “What are the terms?”
“He’ll release the suppression magic whenever we leave. Then, at his discretion, I’ll marry Jedrek.”
He tensed, his arm muscles popping.
“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” I added. “I read about the demons’ marriage customs. There’s no claiming. No marking. They do have magic to tie the couple together, but it can be broken. And if a demon isn’t on hand to break the magic, death can. It’s not forever, and consummation isn’t a requirement.”
“He won’t have you marry Jedrek,” Nyfain said, still not turning.
“But…the deal…”
“The moment you married Jedrek, the deal would be complete, and Dolion would lose control over you. You’d be free to make trouble at will. Instead, he’ll hold that portion of the deal over your head, forcing you to keep Jedrek alive. If Jedrek dies before you can marry, the deal will be forfeit. He’ll still have you locked in his castle, and he can resume the suppression magic here. He’s forcing you to become caregiver to the man you hate. He’s torturing you, essentially. It’s what he does.”
I nodded with my lips downturned. “Well played, demon king. I did not see that one coming. There’s just one thing he missed, though.”
“What is that?” Nyfain asked softly.
“I would much rather keep Jedrek alive than marry him. All those times he said I wasn’t as good of a hunter or fighter, or that I should know my place, or that I ought to leave the hard work to the men… Well, that fucker is going to eat his words. I’m going to tear his ego right out from under him and beat him with it. He’ll wish he never crawled out screaming from his mother’s womb. Perfect vengeance, if you ask me. I’m so glad you left him alive.”
Nyfain turned from the window slowly. Incredulity washed through the bond, followed by a wash of smug pride from his dragon.
“What?” I asked. “That’s only fair, right? Being forced to marry is demoralizing, but keeping someone alive is hero fodder. The demon king is forcing me to be a hero while also exacting my vengeance on a man I hate. I mean…if I have to live a nightmare, it’s the best nightmare I could’ve hoped for. Plus, it’ll give me something to focus on when things get bad, which they likely will.” I tilted my head. “Unless I’m missing something?”
He stood blinking at me. “I’ve never, in all my life, met someone like you, Finley.”
“Right.” I frowned. “But…am I missing something, or…”
He crossed the room to me, bracing his hands on either side of my face and looking down into my eyes. “No, you’re not missing anything.” He kissed me tenderly. “I knew you were exceptional, but I didn’t know…the extent of it. If you had been in my shoes growing up, this kingdom would be a much different place. It would’ve been in better hands.”
I slid my hands up his chest and hooked them around his neck. “Don’t sell yourself short. The person you trusted most sent you away for a reason. What befell this kingdom was the mad king’s doing. I would’ve been just as powerless as you were.”
He sighed as he wrapped me in his arms, stroking my back.
“I want to speak to you about something,” he murmured before walking me toward the window, where the moonlight shone down on us. “I didn’t claim you all this time because I was worried the demon king wouldn’t be able to stomach you if my scent was mixed with yours. And likely he wouldn’t have. You’ve seen our interactions.”
“Your scent was on me, though. In me.”
“That is short term, and he knows it. But the deal has been made now. You’ve earned your next cage to break out of.”