27. Chapter 27
Chapter 27
T he whore studied Imani. “This is a female High Norn.”
“Indeed. Quite observant you are,” Saevel said blandly.
“I’ve never seen a high-bred female elf before, Your Highness,” the whore murmured, eyes widening with surprise before turning back to him. Without glamour, Imani tried to reign in her emotions, but her blood steadily heated at the scene that was about to unfold. Her hunger didn’t have rational responses. It had been two days since she’d fed from Tanyl. Imani had gone three weeks when she’d first arrived, but now she was ravenous.
Caught in her thrall already, the whore didn’t wait for a response before pinning her gaze back on Imani. Clad in nothing more than a dressing gown, the woman surveyed her with a demure smile. She let the robe fall, pooling on the floor, and sauntered closer. Imani noted her sigil—a common-bred naiad.
“I want to touch her. She’s as beautiful as they say, even with?—”
“Get away from me,” Imani snarled and tried to shove her. She had nothing against this woman personally, but she hated feeling out of control without her illusion magic to temper her soul draw.
Saevel grabbed the whore by the arm and ripped her back. “I said, don’t talk to her,” he growled.
The whore nodded as if clearing her head and dropped to her knees.
The prince stood towering above the female shifter, and Imani couldn’t help but explore his form.
Again, she was struck by how beastly he was—not her type at all. But a strange desire and disgust tangled inside her all the same. Damn her hunger. Depending on the prey, feeding was usually tied to sex. With family members, it simply made you closer to them, but with unmated males, it heightened arousal. Exactly as Saevel had planned, she was sure. Starved and agitated, her shallow breaths deepened.
Regardless of her feelings, she’d conduct herself with dignity.
Narrowing her eyes to slits at his audacity, Imani despised Saevel right then.
An even greater hunger rose in her as he rubbed his hands up and down the female’s bare waist, forcing a gasp out of Imani. She bit her lip. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of ever letting him see her internal conflict.
“I’m waiting for your report, Imani,” he said over his shoulder while holding himself hard in his hands. His movements were languid, like he had all the time in the world.
Fighting her own hunger, she wrenched her eyes open with a quiet growl.
“Open your mouth.” Saevel grabbed a fistful of the shifter’s hair and pushed her head down. “I’m going to fuck it.”
“Do we trust her to hear this information?” Imani asked, her voice tight.
With his hand pressed at the back of her head, holding the woman in place, Saevel turned to Imani. “There is no we here , but I promise she won’t remember anything after I finish.” Memory spells and potions were tricky. But if anyone could wield them, she guessed Kiran could.
He pushed the woman forward with a jerk of his hand, and she whimpered.
“Try not to choke yourself,” he advised, guiding himself into her mouth. His eyes narrowed down. “I like it deep.” He shoved himself into her— hard . He was choking her with his dick.
Crossing her arms, Imani talked and didn’t stop. Saevel wanted her blushing and averting her eyes, but she would give him the opposite.
When the shifter blinked a few times, Saevel grabbed the woman’s chin. “I want you to watch.”
As punishment, he thrust his cock into her throat. For a horrifying moment, Imani thought the woman might vomit, but Saevel lodged himself so deep she couldn’t even throw up. Despite the lack of air, the woman obeyed and took him in her mouth, grabbing his hips. She even made a small moan of pleasure.
In a blur, Saevel pushed away, leaving her gasping for air and trying not to collapse onto the floor.
The whore’s eyes darted between Imani and Saevel. Desire passed over her features. “She’s?—”
“Shut up.” Wrapping her hair around his hand, Saevel ripped her head back. “Don’t even look at her. Remember, you agreed to all this.”
She nodded her consent to whatever fucked-up game they were playing and, with that, he pushed her face back onto his cock, moving her closer to his pelvis.
His muscles tensed, but at the last second, he pulled out. Grabbing the nymph’s arm, he smashed her into his chest and spread her legs apart before shoving himself inside her, not caring about her comfort.
With a perfect view from the side, Saevel slammed into the whore like he was trying to break her in half. The female let out breathy gasps, her discomfort forgotten.
Imani pretended to be bored, rambling on in painful detail. “The only other information you might find interesting is his sudden interest in the Draswood. He asked me about my high sentinel, the fortifications, the population size and density. Apparently, forces the queen sent into the Draswood were sent back in mangled pieces, thanks to Ellisar.”
Holding her hips from behind, Saevel pounded harder. The movement of his arms and the muscles in his abdomen were fluid but savage as he used her until he finished.
It made Imani wonder how the youngest Niflheim prince fucked.
Imani bit her lip as the pressure spread from her belly upward. It tightened, and she clutched her chest when it locked around her heart. Her whole body was practically going up in flames now, and her shadows writhed and cried in pain—no, hunger.
She pushed any thoughts of Kiran away.
Seeing Tanyl tonight would be imperative—as soon as possible after this charade ended.
Unable to continue speaking, she stared. He had to know Imani’s hunger and fury were raging, her nerves shredded, yet he wasn’t concerned, not even sparing her a glance. Willing the prince’s attention to her, she kept her glare focused on him while he ran his hand through his damp hair.
His finger made a flicking gesture toward the door. “Leave.”
The nymph stumbled out of the room, not even bothering to get dressed.
As the door closed, Imani couldn’t help herself. She sent all the tendrils of her available soul draw at Saevel, demanding his attention, feeling equally pathetic and powerful when he wrenched his eyes to her.
They sat in prickly silence for several minutes, and still, his face gave away nothing—no flash of desire. He’d sent her into a state of feeding-crazed, but Kiran’s binding held strong. He couldn’t touch her or even get close to her.
“Give me my answers so I can leave,” she said.
He took another step closer and picked up a shirt lying on the back of a chair, smoothly slipping it over his head. “Tanyl met with several people earlier this week. Did he mention it? Any nights he acted strange?”
“You’re not getting anything else until you tell me what I need to know.”
“Hmm, yes, a deal is a deal. It seems hard work pays off, even if you’re on your back.”
“Get to it then,” she snapped.
“The next assessment is a hand-to-hand fight between the two hundred remaining witches.” He paused. “There are no rules, except all participants must kill at least one person and survive until the end.”
Imani understood perfectly. It would be a melee, and it would be every witch for themselves.
“You better be telling the truth,” she snarled. “If I find out this is bullshit, I’m going to Tanyl, regardless of whether or not you tell the queen my secret.”
He shrugged. “There is some honor between my brother and me, but you’ll know the truth in a few days.”
He was right. She had what she needed and had fulfilled her end of the bargain. Resigned, she sighed and moved to leave. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have a true heir apparent to see.”
“You have no idea, do you?” Saevel laughed hollowly.
Imani whipped her head toward him.
“Do you think we are the only ones using you?”
“I don’t care if he is. He’s going to be the next king, and I’m going to be queen consort.”
“Tanyl?” he scoffed. “ You have a better chance of taking the Crown and not as a bloody consort.” He chuckled darkly. “It will go to someone else, Imani. A female.”
“You’re a fool and insane.”
“Yet, it’s often the madman who speaks the truth.”
Did he think the same about his brother?
“Besides, as the son of a current monarch, I believe I know more about it than you.”
“Being crowned by the Fabric isn’t only about being marked high-bred and exerting raw power, you know,” she said. “The Fabric must deem you worthy to rule with the realm and the people in your heart. Why should I believe you? You’re a strong shifter, but nothing more. You’ll never measure up to your brother when it comes to magic. Who knows? Maybe Kiran will inherit the Throne despite all your scheming and plans together.”
He threw his head back and laughed for a long moment before quieting. “It would be foolish of you to presume to know what my brother or I have planned, elf witch. There’s a war coming, and it’s not between our two kingdoms. It’s far bigger.”
The icy timbre of his voice made her flinch and woke up her magic. It rose to meet his, and words she hadn’t planned on saying tumbled out of her mouth. “I can’t say for sure, but I think Tanyl plans to kill the queen in hopes of inheriting the Crown.”
Saevel tilted his head to the side in the same predatory way Kiran did. “That,” he said with a smug grin, “is the best thing you’ve brought me yet.”
The truth hit her hard. He didn’t even need it.
“Information you already had,” she muttered, pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose. Revealing Tanyl’s impending matricide was a new level of treason. Why was she so desperate to prove herself to these princes? If Tanyl found out about this sordid agreement, it would put her in more than a precarious position.
“But made more credible by the cunt between your legs. Your princeling has ambitious plans and is making some dangerous alliances right now.”
“What kind of alliances?”
Saevel gave her a flat stare before smiling again. “My brother is incredible at his job, you know? You’re perfect. I’ve already said too much to you, and I can’t even be mad about it because you’re so lovely to look at. Tanyl actually might spill all his secrets to you.” He pointed to the door. “Now, go. I have work to do. Not all of us can be whores.”
Seconds later, Imani was hustled out of the room by a servant and stood in the hallway.
Already seeing red, the manservant’s death vision was less intense than others she’d received. However, a clear picture of him slumped against a wall with a vacant expression while lying in a pool of blood formed in her mind. Shaking her head, she tried to forget it.
“This way, my lady?—”
“I know the way,” she bit out as she stormed down the hall in search of Tanyl. Tears welled in her eyes, remembering her only friend had betrayed her and had gotten her into this mess with the princes. How could she have been so stupid to trust her?
But soon, these bargains would be meaningless. She was closer to Niflheim than ever before, and she’d find the Drasil there, even if it killed her.