20. The Princess
He couldn’t be serious.
First, he dismissed my claims because he was more willing to believe I was delusional than that his precious queen was unseelie. Now, he was offering himself up as bait—a sacrifice… for me?
My muddled brain couldn’t keep up with his mood changes. I didn’t understand this man at all.
A shocked silence filled the room. Even Denton had nothing to say to Theron’s bold admission.
“Get your things together,” I told Denton and Stella. “We’ll leave within the hour.” I strode toward Theron and grasped his elbow firmly. “Come with me.”
He didn’t object but allowed me to lead him out of the room and into Stella’s cramped and tiny kitchen. I shoved him against the wall, and the cabinets rattled from the impact.
“What the hell’s the matter with you?” I hissed.
His brows drew together, anger sparking in his eyes. “What are you talking about?”
I shoved him again, so frustrated I couldn’t even think straight. “Why? Why are you doing this? Are you trying to prove a point or something? Trying to get on my good side after scoffing at the secrets I shared with you?”
“I did not scoff?—”
“I will not let you be a martyr,” I growled. “That’s a far more heroic title than you deserve.”
“You’re right.”
I faltered. Well, I hadn’t expected that. “What?”
“You’re right,” he repeated, and this time it was despair shining in his eyes. “All of this is far better than I deserve.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. In the next room, Stella and Denton were speaking in hushed undertones, no doubt gossiping about our private conversation.
“Do you know why my father’s death affected me so much?” Theron asked.
I shook my head, confused about this subject change but intrigued enough to urge him to continue.
“For most of my life, my father saw humans as a pest that needed to be stamped out of existence. He made it his life’s goal to obliterate them, starting with our court.” His nostrils flared, his gaze full of fire and anger.
“I grew up resenting humans. Not because my father taught me to hate them; but because they claimed his attention more than I did.” He sighed and looked away, and when his gaze met mine again, I couldn”t mistake the sadness I saw there, nor the hint of hurt and bitterness that were layered underneath it all. “He was so obsessed with his hatred for humans, that he didn’t have time for me at all. And when he was killed, I was so incensed, so full of wrath because… I missed him. Because in spite of how he ignored me completely, I still loved him, and the emptiness he left in my heart made me angry at the injustice of it all.”
My heart twisted at his words. As much as I didn’t want to sympathize with him, I did. I swallowed the lump in my throat and stared at him as he continued, “Then I was left with his contract to the queen. The debt he had incurred because of his war against humans.
“So, in truth, I was raised to hate humans. But not in the way you think. In my mind, humans took my father away from me. And so, I wanted nothing to do with them.
He offered a wry laugh, his face twisting into a disgusted grimace. “I tried so hard not to become my father, lost in the bloodthirsty quest to destroy all humans, that I didn’t realize it still happened anyway. I may not have actively fought against the species, but my indifference was just as harmful.”
“Theron,” I whispered weakly.
“I didn’t realize,” he said in a strained voice. “Didn’t realize what I’d become… until I met you.”
I could only gape at him, stunned by his confession.
“There is a division in this court that only you can heal, Eira. I believe that now. I spent so long ignoring the problems, looking out only for myself, that I never saw just how broken this court really is.”
Tears burned in my eyes, and I wet my lips, my throat suddenly dry. “Why are you saying all this?”
He took both my hands in his, his callouses gently scraping against my fingers. A shiver of pleasure ran through me from the lightness of his touch, the warmth of his skin against mine.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you before. But I do now.”
My heart leapt. “You—You believe the queen is unseelie?”
He nodded, his mouth quirking into a devastating half-smile that made my stomach flip. “Your fox friend was right. I was so caught up in the notion that fae were superior that I didn’t see what was right in front of me.” He sighed, ducking his head. “You’re right; her magic is disturbing. Monstrous, even. I’ve thought it myself dozens of times. But if she is a dark fae, then whatever magic she’s using to fuel her glamour must be powerful. She’s been fooling the entire court for years.”
“Which is why you can’t turn yourself in to her.” I released his hands only so I could bring mine to his face, framing his cheeks with my fingers. The tickle of his beard against my palms was intoxicating, and I used my hands to bring his face closer to mine. “You can’t, Theron.”
Sorrow burned in his gaze. “It’s only a matter of time before she forces me to work for her again, Eira. I’m only delaying the inevitable.”
I shook my head, refusing to believe it. “Theron?—”
“I don’t know why she hasn’t used my blood to activate my necromancy,” he said. “But now that I’ve awakened it on my own, I?—”
“She can’t,” I blurted.
He froze. “What?”
“She can’t use a person’s blood to wield their magic. She can only use it to control their body.”
He blinked, his brows knitting together. “I don’t understand.”
“After she married my father, I studied her closely. Her magic is limited. She doesn’t have unfettered access to another fae’s magical abilities. I know because she was desperate to learn my power, but she could never access it, even with my blood.”
His face paled. “She has your blood?”
“She got a drop of it when I cut myself,” I said quickly. “That was all.”
He exhaled, relief plain on his face.
I clutched his face more firmly in my hands. “She cannot force you to use your magic, Theron. No matter what she does to you, you can’t forget that.”
He pressed his lips together, his gaze contemplative. “That would explain why she hasn’t summoned me yet. She was waiting for me to activate the magic on my own.”
Our eyes locked as realization dawned on both of us. We spoke at the same time.
“When she finds out?—”
“I have to do this, Eira.”
We both fell silent. Panic twisted in my chest as I processed his words. “Theron, please.”
“If she can control my actions, you’re at risk,” he whispered. “I can’t—I can’t put you in harm’s way. I can’t…” He broke off, his head dropping in misery.
He was so consumed with despair that I couldn’t bear it. Without thinking, I did the one thing I knew would bring a smile to his face.
I teased, “I must not be doing my job, then. I thought I irritated you. Now, here you are, willing to sacrifice yourself for me.”
He gave a wry chuckle, but even that small hint of amusement brimming seemed to ease some of his hopelessness. “No one has gotten under my skin like you have, princess.”
“Tormenting you is my absolute pleasure.”
He leaned closer. “I didn’t say it was a torment.” His arm lifted, and he trailed the tips of his fingers along my upper arm. “In fact, you’ve dug your way into my heart, peeling back layers I didn’t even know were there. You’ve stripped me bare, princess.”
His gaze burned with a heat that scorched my insides. Though my sleeves covered my arms, the trail of his fingertips left a path of fire along my skin. “Have I, now? I’d like to see what that looks like, hunter.” My eyes flicked over his body from top to bottom, and my knees went weak just imagining him without clothes. “I have a feeling I’ll like what I see.”
Desire sparked in his eyes, and he leaned closer, that wintry scent enveloping me. Blood and ice, I wanted to bathe in that scent.
“Snow,” barked a voice.
I jolted and stepped backward, my face heating as I found a scowling Denton standing in the hall, a bag slung over his shoulder. His face darkened with fury as he glanced between me and Theron.
Shit.
“We’re ready.” Denton’s voice was stiff. Without waiting for a response, he turned and strode toward the door.
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling foolish and disappointed all at once. What had I done? Was I flirting with the assassin?
And… was he flirting back?
No, that wasn’t important. What was important was getting into the palace. This dangerous game the hunter and I played—it wouldn’t end well for either of us.
“Eira,” Theron said softly.
I couldn’t look him in the eye, but I also knew I couldn’t let him go through with his plan. I clutched his wrist and squeezed. “Please don’t get yourself killed, Theron. There’s another way; I’m sure of it.”
He said nothing, but I heard his breath hitch and felt his hot stare burning into me.
Before his hungry look unraveled me completely, I stepped away from him and made my way to the front door, trying—and failing—to focus on the task at hand.