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“Seems thosethingsyou needed to do were not important after all.”
I licked my lips, swallowing hard. Just like that, he had me. “You’re saying you’ll let me return to Lyrica?”
“Circumstances will say, Princess, not me.” He swept out his hands. “Within this cauldron, we will name our true vows—yours to do everything in your power to be free, and mine to do all in my power to keep you caged.
“As the runes dry on our skin, you will run,” he hissed. “Run as fast and as far as you can. If you elude me until daybreak, the die is cast and you will have won. I will be rune-bound to let you leave without a fight.”
“I—”
“But,” he sliced off. “If I catch you, little bird, I will ravage you where you fall—consummating our unholy union before Meya and all who’ve gathered to see. And so it will be every night until you’ve either escaped your fate, or accepted it.”
I took a step toward him, then another. “How do I know you’re telling the truth? This could be another trick. A lie. Elude you until daybreak and you’ll let me ride away from you and this frozen wasteland forever? There’s nothing to hold you to your word.”
A soft cough drew my attention away from him.
“Excuse me, my lady, but he can be held to his word.” Aeris stepped up next to the cauldron. “I told you your people abandon the ancient ways for this reason. They couldn’t step into the cauldron and promise fidelity if it was a promise they never intended to keep. The runes of bonding and marriage hold all to their word—even a being as powerful as our lord.”
I eyed the bowl of viscous soup in new light. I couldn’t be blamed for not knowing much about rune magic. Even if my poor little school had been allowed to teach us, it wasn’t something women needed to know.
Our magic was inside of us. A part of us. It bent to our will by command alone—before it’s taken from us. We didn’t need runes to make magic obey us.
“Hmm.” I took another step. “Will... Will the runes work on me? With my magic bound as it is?”
“They don’t need to work on you, my lady. As you said, they only need to work on him,” Aeris replied. “And they will.”
I met Alisdair’s gaze. “You would do all of this just—”
“—to ravage that sweet, toothless pussy to my heart’s content,” he finished. “Of course, my queen. As any man would do, and more. Don’t underestimate yourself.”
“Stop it,” I barked, covering my chest. As I said, I knew what he was doing. That didn’t make me able to stop my body’s reaction to him.
“Toothless?” Bradach muttered, clenching my teeth tighter.
Alisdair held out his hand. “Have we a bargain?”
I hesitated. My hand drifted down and stroked the bracelet he gave me on our wedding day. Ourfirstwedding day.
Am I truly doing this? Bounding the chains to him even tighter all for the hope he’ll let me leave this place?
This may be your best chance,another voice said.Escaping this smirking, pampered fae-beast is only the first step. You’ll still need to traverse miles of snow, then the miles of a barren desert battlefield to get home. You’ll need food, supplies, clothes, transport, allies. You’ll need a way to get past those horrible creatures lurking around the town. All much easier to collect if I’m not doing it in secret.
I will plan my escape right in front of him, but by the time he sets off on the chase, I’ll already be gone.
To make a deal, you have to have something the other wants. Shadowsoul wanted to watch the little bird screech and flap in its cave while he laughed at the silly creature’s attempts to escape. And I wanted to go home—more than anything.
“We have a bargain.”
“Wonderful.” Aeris clapped, bouncing on her heels. “Come, come, my lady. Allow me the honor.”
I chanced one more look at the trees, wondering at my chance of taking off and running right then.
A vision of the Taken flashed in my mind and I turned back, taking Aeris’s hand. She helped me up and into the basin. I hissed when the liquid touched my skin.
It was warm and slimy like slipping into a vat of nose leakings.
“What happens now is quite simple,” Aeris said for my benefit.
I tried to look at her, but Alisdair’s eyes held me fast—refusing to let me look anywhere but at him.
