Page 181 of Commanding Scythe and Sky

“Do it and you’ll be attending solo.”

“You thrown over my shoulder would cause quite the stir, don’t you think, darling?”

I glared at him in the mirror while unfastening the second earring. Apparently my silence was finally sufficient, because he cleared his throat.

“So. The Beast, The Stag, and The Fox.”

“Are you the beast?”

“What?”

“If you’re drawing a comparison to Beauty and The Beast, you’ll be sorely disappointed. I was always more of a Dimitri girl.”

He scoffed, but intrigue lit his eyes and tugged his mouth crooked. “Then I assure you, you’ll enjoy our tale. Just control that mouth before I’m forced to give it something else to do.”

I glowered. Naturally, that only encouraged the bastard. He motioned for me to continue dressing. “There was once a great beast, feared throughout the lands.”

“Oh, geez, here we go.”

Lips twitching, he continued, “His subjects cowered. His family knelt, terrified they too might vanish, as all who crossed the beast seemed to. Conveniently, those who defied him always met their fate sooner than foretold. For in all things, the love of power corrupts absolutely.”

“You would know about that,” I grumbled, leaning a hip against the counter. I’d barely started to cross my arms when Adrastos stepped into my space and pressed his fingers over my lips. I scrambled back. He followed, covering my mouth with a wry smile.

“Shh, this is the best part, pet.”

He released me but didn’t step back. Didn’t give me room to breathe. “In a land far away,” he began with theatrical flair, “lived a clever fox, her fur white as snow. Legend claimed she tossed the aurora into the sky, the swish of her tail scattering snow from the hilltops. The fox was beloved by all. A… light in the darkness. Even her enemies fell victim to the bat of her lashes and the curve of her hips⁠—”

“We’re not talking about a fox, are we?”

“—and soon everyone who met her happily did her bidding.”

He toyed with the earring I’d just fastened, then dragged one knuckle gently down my cheek. I could hardly swallow around the lump in my throat. Adrastos stepped away and offered an expectant hand. With a stone in my belly, I took it and followed him into the bedroom, where he motioned me toward the armchair beside the bookshelf. Two silver heels waited on the gilded glass table beside it, starkly simple against the dress.

I sat, wide-eyed, as Adrastos knelt before me and lifted my foot. Darkness rolled off him while he slid the heel into place and fastened the buckle.

“What happened next?” I whispered, desperate to break the silence before it solidified around us.

“The beast watched from afar. You see, his kingdom and the fox’s—though at peace then—had warred before. Like everyone who met her, the beast recognized her cunning and the power it garnered. He decided to acquire a new family jewel. So he sailed his monsters to her shores with more treasure than one vessel could carry. Afraid of provoking his wrath again, the fox’s kingdom agreed to his demand: marriage when the little fox reached her centennial birthday.” His fingers stroked up my calf, sending my blood roaring even as every instinct begged me to pull away.

He canted his head as if cataloguing the reaction, then traded one leg for the other, warm calloused fingers grazing my calf before fastening the second heel.

“The beast returned to his gray shores and waited for his bride. But there was one problem. Arctic foxes mate for life, darling. Did you know that?” I could only shake my head. “Well. They do. And that’s where⁠—”

“The stag comes in?”

He nodded, eyes still on the buckle. “That’s where the stag comes in.”

“How would a stag mate with a fox?” I balked. His eyes flicked to mine as shadows solidified into ribbons—a very clear promise that I’d be silenced again if I kept going. His tongue darted over his lips, but I could’ve sworn one corner twitched.

“This is a magical realm, remember?”

I bit back the obvious retort that we lived in a magical realm. His smile suggested he heard it anyway.

“So the fox met her mate—a stag beloved for his way with nature, his magic blessing everything that lived on his land. His other gift was concealment.”

“So they hid?” I winced at my own volume and dropped my eyes to my clasped hands. “Sorry.”

Adrastos stood and hooked a finger beneath my chin, lifting my face to his. My heart… stopped. Or damn well tried to. Because he was smiling at me. And for one wretched moment, I let myself pretend. Pretend the laughter had been real. The games. The dances. His careful touches and overbearing protectiveness. For one breath, I let myself believe any of it had been true.