demand from myself. I survived Beth; I can survive this asshole and his psychotic master.
He steps closer to me, and I jerk back away from him when he tries to wipe at the drying trail of blood on my jaw. I glare at him, and once again he’s trapping me against him and forcing my compliance. He wipes my face clean, and then when he’s done, he just stops and stares at me for a minute, his eyes bouncing back and forth between mine.
“It’s not what you think,” he whispers, the sound of his soft voice calling goosebumps to rise all over me. His eyes drop to my lips. For a second, I think he’s going to try to kiss me, but just as quickly as he pinned my face against him, he flashes away from me and settles himself in the corner. He looks at me like somehow I’ve wronged him, and then his heated gaze morphs into ice, and he fixes his stare on a spot on the wall above my head.
I’m not sure what the fuck just happened or what he meant, but for some reason, I feel like if I speak right now, I’ll lose and he’ll win. I pull my gaze from the statue impersonation that Siah the asshole is now doing and look around the room. The walls are a rough stone, and the look of them gives me the distinct impression that we’re somewhere underground. The lighting is electric but dim, like maybe the connection isn’t strong. Or maybe they like it that way. I don’t know much about lamia traits and abilities, maybe they have sensitive eyes.
I’m currently perched on a large bed, the gray bedding soft under my palms. A massive dark wood headboard rises up behind me, and a short but chunky footboard sits at the bottom. There is a side table and wardrobe in the room and an arched doorway that I hope leads to a bathroom. The space is stark, masculine, and for some reason smells familiar. I can’t place what the scent is, but it’s a strange sliver of comfort in all the chaos surrounding me.
Siah’s jaw tenses ever so slightly, and the sound of a lock being released fills the room. The large black lacquered door swings open, and in walks a self-satisfied Adriel. His eyes land directly on me, and his lips tilt up in a friendly smile.
“Pet, I’m so relieved you’re up. You gave us quite the scare. We’ll have to be more careful not to get you so worked up,” he teases. He’s not at all fazed by the fact that he’s the only one amused by any of this. His gaze roves over my face and then moves down my body. When his eyes meet mine again, he studies me for a beat.
“You look like your mother, but you have your father’s eyes and dark hair. It’s a stunning combination,” Adriel observes. I keep my features dead, not sure what he’s trying to get out of me.
“I would ask you how you’re feeling, but I imagine it’s quite an abysmal state you’ve just woken up in.”
I don’t miss the satisfied flash that moves through Adriel’s features with his words. He loves that he’s taken me down, collared me. The piece of shit probably has a hard-on right now. It’s clear he likes stealing others’ power and not just of the magical variety. Adriel’s twinkling red-gold eyes leave mine, and he looks around the room. I don’t take the bait and copy him; I just wait until he gets to whatever it is that he wants.
“This will be your room for the time being. Don’t set that pretty head on escaping; you’ll have guards on you every second of the day, even when you can’t see them.” He pauses for a minute, and his eyes land on where Siah is standing in the corner. He stares at him contemplatively for a few seconds before turning back to me. “Come now, pet, let’s tour your new kingdom.” Adriel holds his hand out to me like he honestly thinks I’m going to take it. I don’t move from the bed.
He clicks his tongue at me in a disappointed tsk’ing sound and shakes his head. “Now, now, pet. You’re new here, so I’ll grant some leeway, but when you’re commanded to do something, you will do it. Understood?”
We watch each other for a minute, and I debate the best plan of action. I’m hurt and weak,