Page 52 of The Crown’s Temptation

"That is what I thought." She gestures toward the door. "I need to speak to Asharin. Alone."

Teorin is a feeder.

Maridale was half herself and half a green woman who might have just saved me.

He looks like he might refuse. Then he gets up and walks out.

She turns to me.

"You cannot remain like this."

"Like what?"

"Like a fucking vegetable with breasts," she says, and laughs. "If word gets out of your presence and your weakened state, every creature in Morrath would love to get in line and have a turn with you, the Princess of Veynar. The Crown's obsession, as they call you."

"That is disgusting."

"That is reality," she says. The amusement in her voice does not reach her eyes.

She looks at the bed then asks, "May I sit down?"

"Yes," I answer, because I would rather have her here than Teorin and that familiar numbness I just experienced.

CHAPTER 8

Dali’s Deal

"There are things I wish to discuss," she said.

“I gathered.”

“Things my other half does not need to hear.”

I looked at her. “You can keep things from Maridale?”

A quiet laugh.

“At this point, Maridale exists because I permit it. Those who love her begged me not to erase her completely.” She examined one of her fingernails. “I found their pleading tiresome.”

“You speak about her as though she isn’t you.”

Her smile faded. “She isn’t.”

She looked at me then, her amusement fading.

“You know Maridale. She served you, did she not? She was probably kind and funny and caring.”

She stared at me coldly. “I am none of those things. I do not give, I take. And I mainly enjoy the things that feed me.”

She paused. “Kindness isn’t one of them.”

“What is?”

“Pain.” She counted it off on her fingers. “Temptation. Desire. Rage. Those things feed me.” Her smile returned. “Where Maridale weakens, I thrive.”

The cold in her eyes was unmistakable now. I wondered how I had missed it before.

Perhaps I hadn’t. Perhaps I had simply been too busy dying. Dali could continue with the cold stares and long speeches. She clearly thought me softer than I am, or she would know that nothing she was saying matters. I was simply waiting for the part where she explained what she could do for me.