my trousers. I want to do so many wicked things to her. A man can’t be given a perfect canvas and not be expected to splatter color all over it. Offering my arm to her, I help her into the tub. The moment her foot sinks into the warm waters, she lets out a rush of air.
“Too hot?” I ask, frowning.
Her blue eyes find mine, flickering with a hidden emotion. “Perfect.”
She steps her other foot into the tub, turning away from me. My stare slides down the bones in her spine that are visible to the nice swell of her ass. It’s as though she’s been made of porcelain. Exquisite, but fragile.
Not for long.
The queen is coming back to life.
I’ll see to it that she’s as powerful as she was born to be.
Why?
Because I’m a king and I don’t take company with those who are weak.
She sits in the water and lets out a soft moan of pleasure. My cock jolts, reminding me of our deal. I’ll take her to her sister tomorrow, but in the meantime, I can ravish this woman.
I’m not sure why people always assume making a deal with the devil is a bad thing. This devil makes good deals. Deals where both parties involved are winners.
I walk over to a basket in the corner of the room that’s filled with soaps. After inspecting them all, I find one that smells and looks familiar. When Elzira sees it, she scrunches her nose up in distaste.
“There are others that smell better,” she tells me snootily, as though I’m her servant.
“Perhaps,” I bite out as I kneel beside the tub, “but this is the only one I am familiar with. I want to make sure I wash you with something safe.”
A smile tugs at her lips. “For a mad, bossy king, you’re sometimes sweet.”
“And for a cold-hearted queen, you’re awfully hot.”
Her laughter is angelic. The sounds are like diamondblades to my heart, each one piercing and deadly. This woman has power over me—power I didn’t even know existed in this world. Making a powerful man like myself feel powerless is a very dangerous move.
I dip the soap into the water and then run it along her thigh. Her eyes lock with mine, flaring with lust. I groan at the way my cock strains to be released. Instead, I focus on slowly washing her in a teasing way that has her writhing, splashing warm water over the sides.
“Ryke,” she whispers.
Deliberately, I brush against her cunt with my knuckle. She cries out and then I’m no longer able to move my arm.
A burst of cold air rushes up my arm, chilling me. I bite back a chuckle. In her excitement, she froze the water solid. Her bright blue eyes nearly glow as she gapes at me.
With a sly grin, I summon my fires and melt the ice until steam is once again clouding the air around us. “You haven’t used your gift in some time. You’ll want to get a handle on that.” I smirk at her. “Tonight, I plan to do a lot more than graze your cunt with my finger. I can’t have you turning me into a block of ice the moment you come, crying out my name.”
“Insufferable,” she breathes, her lips twitching with amusement. “Go back to your palace, Volc.”
“But then who would make your toes curl, Cold Queen? Certainly not Green. Although, I can wager that he wishes he had such abilities.”
“Green?”
“Your useless leader of the Eyes of the White.”
“Cavon,” she says with a frown.
I don’t like his name on her lips. I don’t like him. I don’t like anything about the people who are here to protect and look after her.
“Let’s wash your hair now,” I grumble.
She purses her lips together. “I don’t need to.”
“There’s ash in your hair. Of course you need to.”
Her cheeks burn crimson. So lovely to see color on her beautiful face. “I don’t want to see the blue strands.”
I clench my jaw. After speaking with Mazon, I know what the blue strands are caused by. Fury bubbles up inside me. “You’ll allow me to wash your hair and then you will proudly display the blue in your hair. Want to know why, Elzira?”
She glowers at me. “Enlighten me.”
I drag my thumb along her jaw, leaving a trail of wetness along the way. “It is proof you are a survivor.”
Her anger dissipates as she regards me. “Barely.”
“It’s enough. More than enough. Now that you’ve survived, it’s time to start living.”
“You act