Chapter 9 Elaina
ELAINA
The stairs seem to go on forever, down and down into the darkness. There’s hardly any light and I have to feel my way, trailing my fingertips along the rough stone wall to my right to keep from stumbling.
It occurs to me to wonder—what if the servant steered me wrong?
What if he brought me to the wrong place on purpose?
Maybe the Queen has decided she wants to get rid of me.
Maybe I’m descending to my doom. What if there’s a monster waiting for me at the bottom of these steps.
Or simply a dungeon where I shall be locked away to starve? What if—?
And then I come to the bottom at last and see the silver-bound wooden door just as the servant described it. A pale blue witch-flame flickers beside it, casting an eerie glow over the entry to the Dark Prince’s rooms.
I’m not sure if I ought to knock or not. What if he denies me entry? Maybe I should just go in and offer myself to him immediately. The Queen seemed to think he would take me at once if I did that.
I push tentatively at the wooden door and find that it swings inward smoothly, without even a creak. Well, that’s something at least.
I peer around the door and see a vast chamber, bathed in shadows. The only light comes from another witch-flame, which casts its pale and sickly radiance over the enormous bed at the far end of the room.
I can see a large lump under the covers, which must be Prince Xaren. Quietly, I step into the room. The door swings shut behind me, though I haven’t touched it. It slides into place with a quiet click that sounds almost like a key turning in a lock.
Panic grips me, and I turn to try the handle, tugging futilely at it for a long moment but it doesn’t budge. It seems I’m locked in with the Dark Prince. What am I going to do?
What you came here to do in the first place, I tell myself sternly. Go offer yourself to him—get him to bed you. You must get pregnant with an heir!
Swallowing hard, I tiptoe towards the bed. My plan is to just slide into bed with him and then offer myself. After all, once I’m in bed, he can hardly kick me out…right?
I have no idea if that’s true or not but it’s the only plan I have. I walk silently over to the vast bed—I swear it’s big enough for four or five people—and slip off my robe and slippers.
Prince Xaren is turned on his side in the center of the bed, his breathing deep and regular. He must be asleep—I hope he won’t be angry when I wake him.
As quietly as possible, I slide under the covers. My plan is to cozy up to him, pressing my front to his broad back. When he turns over, I’ll offer myself. Hopefully I won’t have to say much and we can get this over with quickly. If only he—
Suddenly there’s an explosion of movement and a big hand is clamped around my throat. A dark face is looming over me as I choke and struggle—lit by one fiery eye that glows golden in the dimness.
“Who the fuck are you and what do you think you’re doing in my bed?”
His voice is a low, menacing growl and his expression is hard with anger.
I try to answer—I really do—but the only thing I can get out are low, choking sounds. His big hand is wrapped around my throat and I can’t breathe…can’t breathe.
Just as bright spots of color start dancing in front of my eyes, Xaren seems to realize it’s me.
“What the fuck?” he growls and releases me abruptly.
I cough weakly, trying to refill my lungs with air. Xaren looks down at me with an unreadable expression on his face.
“I asked you a question—what the fuck are you doing in my bed, little dove?” he asks.
“I’m sorry,” I gasp out at last. “I…I was sent here by…by your mother, the Queen.”
“You were?” His eyebrows raise for a moment. “Why the fuck would she send you to me?”
“Because Prince Dorian didn’t…didn’t want me.” It’s hard to get the words out. I still feel ashamed that the Crown Prince wanted nothing to do with me even though I now understand why.
“I would ask why not, but I know well enough.” He sighs and shakes his head. “They should have just let him marry Henri.”
“Please…your mother says…she says I’m married to you, too,” I say in a small, shaky voice. I’m still just lying there, my arms crossed over my chest and my thighs pressed tight together. I feel so small with him looming over me. I know I’m supposed to be offering myself, but I can’t seem to do it.
“Yes, I suppose that’s true—because of our fucked-up traditions, you’re married to both of us.” He sounds angry about it.
“I didn’t know until she told me,” I admit. “She…she says you must…must take me and get me…get me pregnant.” I can barely get the words out. “Since Prince Dorian won’t.”
This seems to make him even angrier.
“So she sent you down here so I could rape you—is that it?”
“What? No!” I shake my head, trying to push the ugly idea away. “It…it won’t be rape. I’m here willingly, my Lord Prince,” I add humbly.
As I speak, I force myself to open my arms and legs, baring myself for him.
The tight tips of my nipples poke out through the open weave of the lace and by blind luck, the slit at the bottom of the gown has positioned itself right over my pussy.
I’m fully on display, my body clear to see through the insubstantial gown.
“See?” I ask in the same, trembling voice, forcing the words out. “I…I want you. Take me, my Lord Prince.”
But my show of offering myself doesn’t seem to fool Prince Xaren—it only makes him angry.
“Bullshit! You’re not here willingly,” he growls, glaring fiercely down at me. “You’re here because you fear my mother—just like everyone in the Citadel.”
“No…” I shake my head. “I just…I need you…I mean, I want you to get me pregnant.”
“So she won’t toss you away or worse, is that it?” he demands.
“No,” I say, though the lie tastes bitter on my tongue. “No, I…I want to be here.”
My words seem to send the Dark Prince into a rage.
“Don’t lie to me.” He bites off each word. “You’re not here because you want me. And even if you do, this will change your mind.” He lifts his face and roars, “Flame high!”
The pale blue witch flame suddenly flares up, filling his bedroom with a stark, brilliant light. I blink, trying to adjust my eyes. Xaren is still staring down at me. When I can focus again, he shoves his fingers through the long hair on the left side of his face and rakes it back.
“Look at me—look!” he snarls, leaning close.
I gasp and shrink back against the pillows—he’s so close to me I can smell his dark spice. Running along the left side of his face is a long, jagged scar. It looks like someone took a knife and cut from just above his eyebrow, down through his eye, across his cheek and all the way to his jaw.
It’s an ugly scar but what makes it worse is the golden, fiery eye staring at me, casting his whole face in a baleful light.
That eye…it’s isn’t human. And…are those black scales around the edges of the scar?
It almost looks like something is coming out of him—like the beast inside is trying to get out… to take over.
“You see me now.” Xaren turns his head from side to side, making sure I get a good look at the ruined left side of his face. “Is this what you want bedding you?”
“I…I…” I don’t know what to say. I’m too frightened of him…
of his strength…of the way it’s clear he’s not quite human anymore.
The wound that made that scar would have blinded an ordinary man—what it did to Xaren was to let his Drake come partially out.
His other half is staring at me…and his expression isn’t exactly friendly.
“Tell me!” he snarls, glaring down at me. “Tell me you want me to take you now—tell me you want me to fuck you—to breed you. Tell me you want me to fill your pussy with my cock and your belly with my baby! Say it—say it if you really mean it!”
His wild, crude words make me even more afraid. I shake my head, shrinking back from him. He’s huge—he could kill me with a single blow. And he’s in a rage like nothing I’ve ever seen before! The Drake’s eye blazes at me menacingly.
Don’t lie, it seems to say. Don’t you dare lie to me again!
“Please…” I put up a hand to ward him off. “I don’t…I can’t… I’m sorry!”
“I thought not.” He lets the hair fall back into place, hiding the scar once more. All the anger seems to leak out of him at once. “Go now, little dove. I want none of you—no more than you want me,” he says and his voice is low and dull.
His mood swings are making me dizzy. I don’t know what to say.
“But…” I clasp my hands together at my chest. “But I can’t just leave.”
“You can and you will,” he says firmly. He cups my cheek in one big hand and I notice how warm his skin is before I flinch instinctively away.
An expression of self-loathing twists the side of his face that I can see and he withdraws his hand. But instead of getting angry again, his voice is gentle.
“I won’t rape you, little dove. I don’t care what my Mother says. I won’t take a woman who’s unwilling. Now, go.”
“I can’t.” I’m starting to cry a little now, my eyes burning and my chest tight with emotion—with fear and frustration. “Your mother sent a servant to come and watch and be sure I stayed here all night with you. If you throw me out, I’ll get into trouble!”
He sighs harshly and shakes his head.
“She always was an overbearing bitch. Very well—you can stay here. That’s your side of the bed…” He points to the left side. “And this is my side.” He points to the right. “You stay on your half and I’ll stay on mine. All right?”
I want to protest again that he has to take me…that he must get me pregnant. Because what will I do if he doesn’t? Eventually, the Queen will find out!
But I don’t have it in me to offer myself again.
Having him looming over me, growling, and showing me his scar is too much.
Yes, it’s ugly, but that I could deal with.
It’s the sight of his Drake coming out—coming through—that truly frightens me.
I saw no pity in that golden, flaming eye.
Only an animal hunger that scared me near to death.
“All right,” I agree at last.
“Good. And you can go back to your rooms in the morning and if my mother’s servant asks, you can truthfully tell him you spent the night in my bed.” He shakes his head. “That’s all I can do for you.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, though I don’t know what I’m thanking him for. Am I saying thank you for sparing me? For not taking me? That’s what it feels like, but I know this is only a temporary reprieve. Eventually I must get pregnant.
I just don’t have any idea how that is to be achieved since neither one of the men I’m apparently married to wants me.
I settled down on my side of the bed, shivering.
It’s cold down here in the dungeon lair of the Dark Prince.
And though he’s letting me share his bed, I doubt he’d let me share his warmth.
Not that I would dare to cuddle up to him now.
He was so angry with me for lying and saying I wanted him.
But what else could I do? It’s my first time.
I know it’s going to hurt and he’s so big.
What woman wants that? It’s frightening.
But you can’t say any of that, of course—you must pretend you want whatever your husband dishes out.
That’s how I was raised and trained, anyway.
I don’t know what I’m going to do…I just don’t know. I curl myself into a ball and try not to think about the future. At last, I drift off into a thin, troubled sleep.
I dream of dragons.