front of you.”
“I don’t want the crown.”
“No, you don’t. But your family does, and you are their pet, one who jumps when they tell you to jump,” he laughed hollowly. “Aren’t you? Do you think I’m the only one using you? Wake the fuck up, Little Monster. You’re in over your head and playing with people who have had lifetimes to arrange their chess boards, cementing their plans. You’re just a little girl skipping blindly around the gameboard, assuming everyone has a heart. Spoiler alert, Aria. None of us have that useless organ anymore because your bloodline ripped it out and ate them.”
Chapter Eighteen
I woke alone in an empty bed. Turning over, I surveyed the tent, finding no one. Sitting up, I yawned and stretched my body, feeling the magical residue that flittered through me, itching to be used. Unfortunately, the cuffs prevented that from happening. Frowning, I noticed a cup of water on the table and the single flower placed into it. I scooted from the bed, padding on bare feet to pick up the flower, dropping it immediately.
My lips pulled down into a deep frown while my brows pushed together. Holding up my fingers, I stared at the pink burn that had seared my fingertips. Asshole. It had been a long time since I’d seen a hemlock flower bud. I looked at the bushel that held tiny white flowers spreading from the stem.
Knox had zero seduction skills, and even if he pumped them up, I’d be hard-pressed to give a shit at this point. He was lucky I was magically neutered after his little shit show last night. He wanted to battle with his wits, showing me he was more skilled than I had thought. I hated that it had impressed me. Luckily, I’d been too floored and in shock to give him the response he’d wanted. Instead, he’d once again left me cold and confused.
He’d had time to think, and when he had that time, he thought the worst of me. Knox wasn’t just broken; he was shattered. He was in pieces he fought to hold together, and if they faltered, he clutched them tighter. I was beneath his skin, under it, so to say.
Knox didn’t want to hurt me, protecting me in his own way. If I was in danger, he fought hard to ensure I was safe and unharmed, even at the cost of his safety. He held me through the night to keep my demons away, but when the sun rose, so too did his walls.
I stepped away from the table, smelling the hemlock-laced water. Grabbing my bag, I pulled out the only clean dress left. It was a halter dress with two lengths of cloth that covered my breasts, with an open back, and a front that flowed into a tulle skirt that was wispy and delicate.
Pulling out the brush, I combed through my hair, working it into a braid that went around my head, appearing like a crown of smooth, silver hair. I used the diamond embedded pins to hold it in place, finishing the look with the silver chains that adorned my waist, neck, and ankles. I looked regal and born to be a witch in the soft, baby-blue dress.
Exiting the tent, since I hadn’t been ordered to stay inside, I looked for Brander to get some cream to stop the pulsing burn on my fingertips. Soldiers stepped into place behind me as I headed for the extensive medical tent, assuming he’d be within it. Discovering he wasn’t, I frowned, absently chewing my lip while looking for someone to ask his whereabouts.
“Do you know where Brander is?” I asked a soldier who watched me in silence, ignoring my question. Snorting, I walked toward the witches. Reaching Siobhan, I smiled, but she dropped her tonic vials and stepped back, worry etching her wide eyes. “Do you know where I can find Brander?” I asked, watching the color drain from her face before she turned, walking away from me. “Thanks!” I called to her retreating back.
I went to the warriors, and they cleared a path to avoid being near me. I almost wanted to smile, but the burn that had merely been on my fingertips had now reached my wrist. Hecate witches were more than sensitive to hemlock, and a single touch could leave us writhing in pain for days. I was about to have a painful reminder of why it was so toxic to us, and it would not be pretty.
I approached