25. Chapter 25
Chapter 25
I mani lifted the knife over her shoulder before throwing it at the target. She’d been practicing for over an hour in the setting sun. Despite her shaking limbs, it hit the center with a loud thwack . Riona had taught Imani about throwing knives, among other things. While she didn’t know what it was yet, with the second assessment approaching, she didn’t want to get rusty.
She sighed and wrung her hands together then walked to retrieve the knife, glancing around the crowded area where others sparred and practiced magic. Her eyes caught on a tall figure at the entrance to the practice field.
Tanyl stood in the archway. His hair was longer than usual, a couple of errant strands curling against his forehead. He scanned the field with a stern look on his face. When his eyes locked onto hers, he inclined his head for a moment, and she was sure he would come over.
But with his hands in his pockets, he broke the contact and sauntered away. Walking toward the back edge of the grass, the breeze ruffled his hair as he disappeared into the gardens.
Although they were never seen in public together, the exchange made her more than anxious. Something was wrong with Tanyl; three days had passed, and he hadn’t called on her. It made Imani nervous so close to her first meeting with the princes. Did he suspect her betrayal?
She needed more information to give the Niflheim princes if she was going to get the details she so desperately needed. Tanyl barely revealed anything to her as it was, and she needed as much time as possible with him to gather any scraps she could.
Normally, she wouldn’t go to Tanyl’s rooms without being summoned, and because he’d been silent, Imani had stayed away.
Today, she needed to seek him out.
With a flip of her knife, she stashed it against her thigh and followed him through the shrubs. The tall bushes made the gardens challenging to navigate, but as she turned a corner, something grabbed her dress and ripped her backward.
Esa flipped Imani around and pressed a finger to her lips. They backed away slowly.
With her superior elvish hearing, eavesdropping was easy for Imani; it was one of the most potent tools in her arsenal. But Esa had saved her from passing through the silencing ward, which would have alerted the caster. She had slipped through Kiran’s similar defenses for some reason—maybe like called to like with dark magic—but she wasn’t sure if it would work with Tanyl’s.
Instead, Esa pointed to the bushes, and they ducked down behind them. The thick brush hid the petite females as they waited for Tanyl to exit the gardens so Imani could follow him. If he caught them, Imani was sure her chances of hearing any new information would die.
They waited a good five minutes. Then footsteps broke the silence. Two pairs of leather boots moved swiftly across the stones.
“I think we should move up the timeline,” a man who sounded like Sid, the captain, said.
“Do we have enough support?” Tanyl sounded desperate.
“We have the Order, minus the First Witch, and I command our forces. They’re loyal to me, not the Crown.”
The implications of such a statement were treasonous, and it was all Imani could do to keep her mouth from gaping. She crept around the corner to confirm if the man speaking was Sid, a breeze blowing her unbound hair around her face. The silver must have glinted in the disappearing sunlight and caught the guard’s eye.
“We aren’t alone,” Sid whispered through clenched teeth.
Tanyl whipped around, and Imani bit her tongue so hard the taste of copper dripped against her cheek. She held it there, crushing it between her teeth, biting, biting.
Striding forward with ire in his eyes, Tanyl wrenched her from the shadows and into the small courtyard. Esa must have shrunk to her minuscule pixie size because she was nowhere in sight—another reason she couldn’t be trusted.
Imani held up her hands in defeat. “I only came around the corner seconds ago. I didn’t want to interrupt, nor did I hear anything.”
Tanyl shot her a once-over, clearly not convinced. Then the prince turned to Sid. “We’re done here. I’ll take care of this situation.”
Sid nodded then turned in the opposite direction without a word.
Gripping her by the elbow, Tanyl stared straight ahead as he dragged her through the maze. “Come on; we’re going to my rooms to have a little chat.”
He did not speak on the walk there or glance at her once they’d entered his suite. He poured himself a glass of wine and didn’t offer her any. Without turning to meet her stare, he said, “What did you overhear?”
“All I heard was there was a timeline that needed to be moved up,” she stated.
“Liar.” He paced the room like a large animal trapped in a cage.
She fidgeted with her hands in front of her as she exhaled. “Tanyl, I didn’t hear anything else. It was too windy today, and I had only been there a few seconds—I swear it.” Her lies continued to pile up around her as she tried to play it off as unimportant. “Besides, you couldn’t have been talking about anything important. Who would be so stupid to do so in such a public place without being inside a silencing enchantment?”
“I tolerate your mouth because we have fun together, Meira. Tread carefully, or you might cease to be amusing.” His voice was hard as he locked eyes with her for the first time since they had entered his rooms. The harsh tone took her aback.
She shivered, and all she could do was nod and acquiesce in response. “I understand.” The last thing she wanted to do was to get kicked out tonight. She had little time left. Imani wanted a night of passion with him— needed it—to convince him everything was fine.
The prince did not appear to feel the same. He prowled over to the fireplace and leaned against the mantel. The flames flared and writhed before him.
Out of choices, she had one last trick up her sleeve. It made her feel guilty to use such power on him, but with his cold demeanor, she wouldn’t be getting anything out of him using her typical methods. It was dangerous, and she was low for using it on him, but desperate times and all that.
Despite being practiced at hiding the draw—Meira and Ara made sure of it before Imani had left home—she was less practiced in using it. However, she’d been getting more proficient since coming to the palace.
Imani loosened the illusion on her soul draw. It felt incredible to take control of this magic that had controlled her most of her life.
Like the other times she’d used it, Imani imagined her skin glowing slightly, her eyes widening, and their blue color deepening. Her scent filled the room, subtle enough to catch his attention but not noticeable enough for him to sense the manipulation. Her illusion magic kept the feelings even and steady.
Come on; look at me , she said silently.
Finishing the glass of wine with a flourish, he scooped up the silver decanter to refill it for a second time. He lifted his head and put it on the table. His gaze flicked up, eyes snagging her focus. His pupils seemed more prominent, and his eyes had no visible gray. How he looked at her was like … like he had no idea who Imani was, as if he didn’t see her. His throat worked as he stared.
“I didn’t hear anything,” Imani murmured, her voice distorted with her enchantment magic while she tentatively moved closer to him. He would believe her now. She’d made him believe it.
She gently reached out and cupped his face.
Tanyl didn’t shy away for one second. He didn’t even blink. There was a hardness to the line of his jaw as he stared at her, and when he spoke, there was a roughness in his voice that hadn’t been there before. “I have to be able to trust you, Meira … I shouldn’t even be doing this with you. I have a mountain of responsibilities on top of me right now. You’re a distraction.”
“You can trust me with anything … Now, what were you and Sid talking about?” Her voice was still layered with her enchantment magic. He would trust her moving forward.
“The elves are not coming,” he stated. “Ellisar killed every man we sent to the Draswood and sent them back in pieces. We shouldn’t have used so much force.”
“It wasn’t your call, though. The queen is growing more brazen.” Imani shuddered at the thought of Dialora receiving the mangled soldiers back.
A deep sigh was Tanyl’s only response as he rubbed his eyes. He sounded utterly exhausted, his weariness palpable. “The Niflheim princes won’t take this lightly. They continue to ask about the elves, knowing some of our most powerful witches are Norn.”
“We can’t risk provoking them right now. We may need to make another bargain to appease them.”
“I know.” Tanyl ran a hand through his hair.
“How far into the Forest did they make it?”
“Barely to the outskirts. Ellisar has the Draswood locked up tight. He’s going to be a problem, eventually. We need to start understanding how to make him an ally. My mother has not put enough effort into it. She either ignores him to rule the Draswood alone or deals with him with outright force. There must be a better way.”
Imani tilted her head back. Her lips touched his as she said, “You’ll find it.”
“You’re so damn beautiful,” he whispered. His voice was thick. “And so damn unexpected.” He adjusted himself to rub his cock against her center. The friction sent pleasure rushing through her. “Have you ever used your soul draw on me?” His voice held a tone of vulnerability in it.
She kissed him, murmuring against his lips again in her enchanted voice, “Never on purpose. You can trust me.” The words felt like a perversion as Imani forced them out. Her lies disgusted her, but she had to remember she was playing a longer game, one leading her to the power and independence she craved—the Drasil.
It was worth it.
“I know,” he groaned, giving her the answer she had manipulated out of him, making him truly believe it as he tightened his arm around her waist and drew her closer.
Imani felt him, hard and thick against her. Gripping his arm, tension coiled inside her.
They fell into bed, a tangle of arms and legs, and the passion absent from him earlier came rearing its head.
Imani let him do whatever he wanted, enjoying being back in his good graces. As much as she was lying to him, she liked Tanyl. Probably a little too much, considering their precarious situation.
The last thing Imani remembered was lying face-to-face with Tanyl, him toying with her hair.
A sleepy, pleased smile tugged at her lips.