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“It's indescribable,” Gray finally answers his father, returning focus to him.
The Collector smacks the table with his free hand, laughing again. “Lucky, lucky boy,” he says. “I've always wondered what it's like,” he continues, his eyes lingering on me in a lustful way that makes me feel ill.
“You should try it,” Gray suggests, nodding toward me. “She's a good little pet,” he continues. “If I ask her to, she’ll bite you.”
What in the absolute fuck is he playing at?
I can do nothing but play along if I want to keep my advantage.
The Collector seems to consider this, then flashes Gray a warning look. “You know my Treasure would have my head on a spike if she caught me evenentertainingthe idea.” He laughs forcefully. “She would probably force me to shift and take pleasure in removing each and every one of my scales if I actually acted on it.” He shakes his head. “Sometimes I think you want me to suffer,” he laughs again, shaking his head at his son like he’s a silly little boy instead of a grown male.
Goddess, is the Treasurethatpowerful? I knew he coveted her above all else, but did she truly hold him in such restraints that he feared her?
“She does have a temper,” Gray says as casually as possible, scooping up his wine goblet and taking a long drink. “Oh well,”he says, setting the goblet down and picking up his knife and fork to cut a piece of meat on his plate, the black stone of his pinky ring that he always wears glimmering in the light. “More fun for me.”
He looks to me then, and nods to my plate. “Eat.”
The command is in a tone I’ve rarely heard from him, and it gives me more questions than ever before. Still, I pick up my knife and fork and eat, doing my best to take delicate bites and look as broken as he claims me to be.
“Tell me, Father,” Gray says after a few bites. “What do you want with my pet at the court banquet? Surely we don't need her opinion on politics,” he jests.
The Collector laughs. “No, we certainly don't,” he says. “But you know how important this banquet is. Everything has been leading up to this. The last two decades have proven my methods successful. It’s time to enter the next phase and announce the next Great Purge. Having the lone succubus-tress hybrid in attendance, broken and obedient as she is, will go a long way in reminding the nobles of my power.”
“But you'll have the Treasure there,” Gray says. “What need do you have of my pet?”
The Collector pauses with a bite almost to his mouth, narrowing his gaze at his son. “You know the more you call heryourpet, the more inclined I am to take her from you. Don't reward my gifting her to you with defiance.”
Gray's hand grips the knife a bit tighter, a subtle move that I'm not sure the Collector detects because he's too busy staring down his son. But I swear I canfeelthe tension radiating off Gray, as if it's clenching my muscles.
“Yes, Father,” he says. “Shall I have her wear your colors or mine?”
“Mine,” the Collector says, continuing to eat.
Silence falls around the table, and I distract myself with the motions of eating in order to calm myself.
The Collector is announcing another Purgetomorrow. I haven’t been able to gather the information I need to strike. I need moretime.
Time’s up.
I have to break out of these silver chains.
I have to take the risk of there being contingency plans against Jagger and Zev if I strike out against them. I have to end this, even if it means me and my Linked die too. My heart breaks at the thought, but if there’s even a slim chance of stopping another senseless war, I have to try.
The rest of the dinner is riddled with small talk that I can barely stand, doing everything I can to hold my mask in place. Finally, the Collector excuses himself, saying that his Treasure won't like it if he takes too long.
Gray leads me from the room seconds after the Collector disappears.
I can feel the agitation in him as he leads me back to my room, slamming the door behind us.
“If I'm to be paraded around and play the proper pet tomorrow night,” I say boldly, “I need to feed again.”
His eyes snap to mine. “You dare to make demands?”
“It's a simple fact, Gray,” I say. “You're the one who led me into this game without telling me the rules. If we're to do it again tomorrow, I need to feed.”
He puts his tongue in his cheek, nodding. “I'm impressed,” he says. “I half expected you to flash your fangs at me and call me a liar.”
I shrug. “You could let me in onwhyyou're lying to him. You haven't touched me, and I haven't fed from you.”
