Chapter Twenty-Five
Nina
Iwas hanging by my ankles, vines twisted tight around my legs, their thorns biting into my skin. Corruption was just as foul as the last time I’d visited, and the smell of rot filled my senses. I lunged upwards, trying to pull myself free, but it was futile.
I need to work on my core. What little abs I have are utterly useless.
The vines kept tightened some more. There was no escape.
Then, with a brilliant thrash of light, Leander appeared. His blade flashed once, cutting through the vines, and I fell, the breath knocked out of me. His arms were there, catching me before I hit the ground.
“Always finding new ways to get into trouble,” he murmured. His voice was shrill, louder than usual.
I frowned.
“You know you’re absolutely beautiful when you’re confused.”
Before I could speak, the world around us rippled. The stench of Corruption vanished, replaced by the familiar smell of cherries. We emerged in his chambers, the low flickering candlelight comforting and pleasant after Corruption.
I stumbled back, disoriented. “You didn’t have to come—”
He silenced me with a look. “You think I could leave you there?”
I should’ve stepped away.
I didn’t.
The space between us vanished. His hand came to rest against my cheek, the warmth of it igniting something in me I’d been trying to bury.
His mouth found mine. The taste of him was sin and fire, and for a heartbeat I forgot why I should care. I groaned against his mouth. I longed for this.
Leander chuckled. “Careful, if you keep moaning like that, people will talk.”
“What will they say?” I mumbled against his lips.
“That you’ll stay here with me.” When he drew back, his breath was hot against my mouth. “What about your brother?”
The words cut through the haze. Tobias. My anchor.
“He’ll have to wait,” I whispered, the words tasting like betrayal. “You said it yourself. He’ll arrive here eventually.”
It hurt to say it. But I knew this was what Cressida wanted. Because Leander wasn’t really here. I knew it the moment he’d arrived, cutting me down from the vines. This was my trial, and Cressida wanted me to fall into the corruption that was Leander.
If I gave in, I’d be one step closer to the relic. One step closer to saving Tobias.
And betrayed Tobias in this moment, to take Leander, was a sacrifice I was willing to give.
Leander’s hand slid to the back of my neck, drawing me close again.
“Will you do what I tell you?” he whispered.
“Yes.”
“Strip off your clothes.”
I obeyed, stripping off my leathers. I knew this wasn’t real. It was an illusion, a trial, a trap. But the heat still stirred low in my belly.
I stood naked before Leander. "You're really going to just let me stand here naked on my own?”
Leander stripped off his shirt, then unbuckled his trousers.
In a heartbeat, he stood naked before me.
The sight stopped me cold. His body was sculpted like something divine, all smooth muscle and perfect skin.
The fear that had been gnawing at me faded, replaced by a slow, burning heat between my legs.
My gaze betrayed me, tracing the lines of his abdomen before falling lower to the proof of his desire.
His erection jutted upwards proudly, the tip listening in the candlelight.
I couldn’t help but wonder if this was what he truly looked like beneath his clothes, or if the illusion was crafted to torment me. I ached to touch him, to see if the warmth was real. But I forced the thought away. I had to see this through if I wanted to win Cressida’s relic.
“Are you wet for me, Nina?”
"Yes.” I ached for him, and any shame I should have felt evaporated in the heat between us.
“Tell me what you want from me.”
“Touch me.” This wasn’t a slow exploration of lips and hands. I felt like I was out of my depths all of a sudden, as Leander grabbed me roughly, before his hand cupped my sex.
“You are dripping for me, Nina. Shall I take you on the balcony, so my entire domain can watch me fuck you until you’re screaming my name.”
Fuck.
I felt my sex clench in his hand. “Take me, Leander.”
Then his hand was on my throat, clenching hard. “Do you deserve my cock inside of you?”
I nodded jerkily, letting myself fall into the tormenting seduction.
And then the scene vanished. The grip on my neck dissolved, and I was back inside the dome of Corruption, dressed in my combat leathers.
Cressida lounged on a bed of vines, their stalks ending in carnivorous flowers that twitched as she toyed with one, brushing the petals lined with teeth. Her smile twisted with vicious delight. Then she began to clap.
“It is quite delicious to see you yearn for a demon.”
She rose with effortless grace and reached for my hand. Her touch was ice against my burning skin as she slid an emerald-encrusted ring onto my middle finger.
I had won her relic. Relief flooded through me.
“Would you fancy baring yourself to me, sweet thing?” Cressida’s fingers lingered, tracing the band where it rested on my skin. “I would treat you far kinder than Leander. He’s not as soft as you might believe, but I can be everything you want.”
“I-I’ll think about it.”
Her eyes sparkled, fixated on the ring she’d given me. “I’ve always liked glittering jewels,” she said softly. “There’s something about them I just can’t keep my hands off.” Her thumb ghosted over my knuckles. “I do hate letting go of something as beautiful as you.”
Her perfume was sweet and heady. It was almost as dizzying as what happened between me and the illusion of Leander.
“Good luck in the rest of the game,” she purred. “When you’re ready to make a bargain, I’ll be waiting.”