53. Chapter 53
Chapter 53
D espite the nervousness, it’s with a newfound spring in my step that I make my way to where we’re keeping Cain, Nymeria in tow. As Nimueh has reminded me, a situation can only be as depressing as you let it. So I’m having dinner with him, I’m getting him to tell me what we need to know about Baldur’s ancestors, and I’m not letting his awful attitude get in the way of our bonding.
Just as I take the last turn and spot the entrance into the Main Hall, his scent drifts over to me. It makes my determination waver for a second, but I just keep going. I take a deep breath and I smile.
“Hello again,” I greet chirpily as I step into the room, finding him already watching me. He’s in the cage, sitting on the chair with his legs spread and his forearms on his thighs, his eyes narrowed at me.
“There’s someone I’d like you to meet,” I say as I look down to give Nymeria the signal, only to see her already rushing in his direction.
Before she can even get close, though, he lets out a low snarl.
She stops, tilting her head at him.
Then she tries again, reaching the bars only to have him flash his fangs at her.
My heart sinking, I watch her retreat, all confused and hurt.
Ignore it, I tell myself. I take a seat at the table I’ve asked Dryden to set up, a pang of disappointment shooting through me when he looks away and fixes his eyes on the wall to his right. The dinner is already served, on this one as well as the one in Cain’s cage.
“You must be hungry,” I say as I give him a once-over. They tell me he’s been rejecting food. It’s only been a day so there’s no real threat to his health. Still, I’m eager for him to stop with the nonsense, so I gesture at the plate. “I don’t know what you like to eat, so I’ve asked for a little bit of everything.”
He doesn’t move a muscle, let alone start on the dinner.
I give him a wide smile. “You seem to be intent on messing with all my plans — of letting you out of the cage, of getting your basic needs taken care of…”
No reaction.
“Look,” I coax as I grab a fork and eat a piece of meat. “Just to make it clear to you none of this is poisoned or anything.”
Still nothing. “No?” I ask with my eyebrows raised. I let out a sigh. “Alright.” I put the fork down and lean back in the chair. “I have some questions for you today.”
He doesn’t react.
“They say you’re Baldur’s son. You’re not, though, are you?”
No reply.
“How does it work? Your relationship, I mean.”
No reply.
“Is it a loving one? Did he tuck you in every night, telling you stories about Odin, Frigg, and the rest of your happy family?”
I only get more silence.
I observe him for a moment. He’s still the man I played a real-life game of chess with. And if nothing else, what I’ve learned about him in that time still stands. He’s someone who likes to be in control and it must be eating at him that he doesn’t know what I’ve planned for him.
I choose to use this to get him to start talking. “I’ve decided what to do with you, you know?” I say as I put my feet up and eye him with my head tilted to the side.
I think I see his eyes dart to me. Only for a split second, but still.
“You’ll be staying with us, indefinitely, and every day we’ll be eating dinner, you and I, like the two little lovebirds that we are.”
No response.
“You’re really chatty, aren’t you?” I tease. “That’s alright, we can start simple. Why don’t you tell me what your favorite color is,” I say as I get up. “No, let me guess. It’s black. Is it because that’s the color of your soul?”
He doesn’t respond, until I start slowly walking over.
He meets my gaze, that lip curling in disgust stopping me in place. He scoffs. “It’s because blood doesn’t show on it as much.”
I fight not to show how much this is getting to me. “How very practical. Is that what you are, practical above everything else?”
Silence.
I let out a laugh. “If you keep refusing to talk to me like this, how are we ever going to learn each other’s deepest, darkest secrets?”
This makes him look at me again. “I’ve wiped entire nations off the face of the earth,” he starts, then makes his voice sweetly mocking when he continues, “but sure, you’d hold my hand and whisper sweet nothings into my ear, is that right?”
I tilt my head at him. “Is that what you want?” I ask.
Something flashes through his eyes. “No,” he bites out. Then he sneers. “But it doesn’t matter. You’d be too self-righteous for that anyway, now wouldn’t you?”
I smile and I shrug. “I used to be, sure, but these days I have no judgment left, only understanding.”
He lets out a scoff. “You know what you can do with your understanding ?” He spits on the ground close to me.
I have to fight a wave of anger. “Despite what you may think, you don’t know me. And I understand I’m not exactly… your father’s friend. But why do you hate me so much?”
He just looks away.
“That’s alright. Just give me time, I’ll find out.” I step to the side, leaning a little forward and tilting my head to try to catch his eye. “You’ll want to tell me.”
He abruptly gets up and takes a step back. “You’re so transparent.”
“Am I?”
He sneers. “You think you’re the first woman who’s ever tried to seduce me? I’ve had countless throw themselves at my feet, all immensely more desirable than you are. But you do all have one thing in common.”
Successfully fighting off the sting of the words, I ask, “Yeah? What is it?”
“You make the mistake of assuming I’m one of you, a slave to lust and emotion, when I’m not, never have been and never will be.”
The words make me frown. Is he saying what I think he’s saying? It could be an opportunity to anger him and make him say more. “Are you trying to tell me you’re keeping yourself pure for daddy, Hot Stuff?” I ask mockingly.
I see a muscle in his jaw jump. “How dare you?” he snarls as my eyes get drawn to the hands balled into fists at his sides. They’re radiating magic and the magic is starting to seep through the cage, despite all the wards. “I’m the general of the greatest army this world has ever seen, the Guardian of the King’s capital and the heir to the throne. You don’t even have the right to address me, let alone use nicknames.”
I take a step back, unpleasantly surprised and wary of his magic, but choosing to sneer to anger him even more. “Yeah, nevermind that, you’ve just shown your hand.”
When he realizes what happened, he moves to lunge at me and I stumble back, but it’s at that exact moment that the others barge in.
“Don’t you dare,” I hear Dryden yell out as I regain my footing.
“No, it’s fine,” I say without tearing my eyes off Cain, my heart pounding.
Fuck. This means he could escape after all. Or worse, hurt one of my people.
I throw a glance over my shoulder to see the entire team watching him like hawks. “Listen, everyone,” I say as I turn my eyes back onto Cain, “we don’t seem to be blocking all of his power. He obviously can’t kill, but he can hurt you if you get close enough.” I force myself to smile, determined not to let him think he’s winning. “So we simply won’t be getting close enough, will we?”
It’s a disappointment, to see he’s back to cold indifference.
“We can do better than that ,” Dryden comes to tell me.
I turn to him, frowning. He calls everyone else over and uses Tension Magic to envelop us all in a soundproof bubble. “There’s magic that would render him one hundred percent powerless.”
I press my lips tight with frustration. “Why aren’t we already using it?” I snap a little.
He gives me an annoyed look. “It comes with a price no one normally wants to pay.”
“I’ll pay it,” I grit out without a moment of hesitation.
I don’t wait for a reaction. I have an idea on how to try to use this.
“Thank you, Dryden,” I say, loudly, as I step out of his bubble. “I have good news,” I turn to tell Cain. “It seems we’ll be ridding you of your magic completely .” I pause to quirk an eyebrow at him. “Unless you choose to change your mind and talk to me, for real this time.”
Now he’s back to gritting his teeth, but it’s clear to me he won’t be taking the deal. “Don’t think you’ve won. I’ll find a way out of here even if it kills me, witch. And when I do… Let’s just say I’ll enjoy watching what my father does to you.”
The words render me speechless for a moment, but I don’t show emotion. I smile at him. “Adorable. Sleep tight, Hot Stuff, and dream of me, won’t you?”