Chapter 35
Varius stared at me, clearly stunned. “Right now?”
I nodded, my arm still stretched out toward him. “Yes. Now.”
His mouth opened and closed. He gestured to the closed door. “I should fetch Tislora.”
Before he could move, I said, “No. Not Tislora. I don’t trust her.”
He froze, going rigid as his gaze swept over me. I knew he read the underlying meaning behind my words.
I did trust him. But no one else.
He swallowed, his throat bobbing. “I’m… not sure I can do it properly.”
My eyebrows lifted. “What, draw blood?”
He rolled his eyes. “Human, I can slice open your thin flesh faster than you can blink. I just don’t know how much volume of blood Tislora will need for the spell, if it’s diluted by fae blood.”
“You can’t tell her I’m fae,” I blurted.
Varius frowned.
“You can’t tell anyone that I’m fae,” I said. “The secret is too dangerous. It risks my safety, and the safety of my people.”
“Sybelle—”
“You were about to rip out my throat not ten minutes ago!” I argued .
“That was because of the deception!”
“Yes, and what will your people say when they learn about this deception?”
He had nothing to say to that. He sighed. “I do not keep secrets from Tislora.”
I scoffed. “She’s your subject.”
“She’s… much more than that.”
I stilled, then scrutinized him. His mouth was drawn, and a muscle feathered in his jaw. His eyes were full of something soft and molten.
My chest cinched so tightly I couldn’t breathe.
Oh, Stones. Stones.
She’d been his lover. She likely still was.
My throat was thick with emotion. “I see.” The words came out strained.
Varius stepped toward me. “Sybelle.”
I raised a hand to stop him, then drew back a step to put a healthy distance between us. “Kings are allowed their consorts, are they not? It’s none of my business.”
“ Sybelle, ” he growled. “It’s not like that.”
I snorted. “You don’t need to give me details, Varius. We both knew this marriage was unwanted on both sides. You can seek your pleasures however you wish, and I’ll do the same.”
Varius stiffened, and his eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”
How the hell did he have the right to be jealous right now?
“We never vowed to reserve our bodies only for each other,” I said. “So neither of us would be breaking a vow if we were to take other lovers.”
His nostrils flared, and black shadows spread across the floor. “I do not have any lovers. I forsook them all the moment you arrived.”
The statement should have been comforting. But all I could envision was Varius wrapped in Tislora’s embrace right up until the moment my carriage entered his kingdom. I pictured their naked bodies intertwined as a servant burst in on them to announce the human bride had arrived.
I had come between them. Even if they had parted ways, they still worked closely with one another. And he just told me he did not keep secrets from her.
Not even the secrets of his wife.
I hadn’t seen Tislora at the revel. But if she had been there, would it have been her on Varius’s lap instead of me? Would she have elicited those reactions from him?
Would he have given in and taken her against the wall? Would it have been her moaning with pleasure while he reached up her skirt?
Stop it, I told myself. Nausea swirled in my gut.
This was an awful mistake. More than anything, I yearned to take back the last hour, to erase from Varius’s mind the secrets he had learned about me.
The secrets I had willingly given him.
My eyes closed, and despair coiled in my chest. I was such a fool.
“Sybelle,” Varius said again, his tone gentler now.
My eyes snapped open, and I glared at him. The last thing I wanted was his pity. In an icy voice, I said, “You’re welcome to keep warming her bed, Varius, if that’s what you wish. Don’t stop on my account. But don’t tell her I’m fae. I won’t give you my blood unless you swear to keep my secrets.”
His exhale was long and slow. He gave a terse nod. “Very well. I swear it.”
“Say the words,” I snapped.
His eyes darkened. “I swear to keep your damn secrets, human. From everyone.”
“Good. Now take my blood, please. I’ve had a long night and would like to return to my rooms to rest.”
Varius’s gaze sharpened. “You’ll do no such thing. If you’ll recall, your room has been ransacked. Not only that, but you aren’t safe there. I must insist you stay in my room.”
I barked out a harsh laugh. “Hell no. We just established a mutual desire not to share a bed with one another. You’re lusting after the sorceress downstairs. I am not sharing a room with you. Not tonight. Not ever. I’ll go and stay in Ramia’s room again. Or Enzira’s.”
His shadows thickened and swirled, darkening the room with his rage. “Stop making assumptions about me. I am only concerned for your safety right now. And you are my wife . You are staying with me.”
“I am not!”
“If you stay with your maid, what will happen if Warwick finds you? Will you be able to stop him? Will Ramia? Are you willing to risk her life? Would you have her die to protect you?”
Rage surged within me, and I took a step toward him, my blood boiling. “Stop that,” I hissed. “You know I would never—I could never—” I blinked, my eyes hot at the thought of Ramia stepping in the path of Warwick’s sword.
She would do it. I knew for a fact she would.
Enzira would, too.
A knot of emotion welled in my throat, and I swallowed hard. I could handle a blade, but not against a trained fae soldier. Perhaps with Wraith Killer, my diamond blade…
But Ramia and Enzira? Even with Enzira’s fae abilities, I didn’t think she could handle Warwick.
And what if he wasn’t alone? What if he had other soldiers with him?
Earlier today, he seemed quite friendly with some of them.
I had no doubt many would pledge their loyalty to him, even if it meant attacking the king’s wife while she slept.
“Are you really going to let your jealousy of my relationship with Tislora get in the way of your maid’s safety?” Varius asked.
“Shut up!” I snarled. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. ”
“Don’t I? Tell me you’re not at all jealous. Say the words.”
“I—I’m not—” I bit back a scream of frustration. I wanted to smack the smug expression right off Varius’s face. I cleared my throat. “I will stay in your room,” I said through clenched teeth. “But I’m taking the damn bed. You can have the sofa.”
He chuckled. “Very well.”
Seething, all I could do was glare at him while he looked as smug as ever. It was another game for him. Another round he’d won.
My irritation faded as an idea came to mind. A smile tugged at my lips. “Oh, and you wouldn’t mind if I bring one of those soldiers into bed with me for a bit of fun, would you? I’ve been aching for a good shag with someone strong and capable, and the way those soldiers moved during training…”
Darkness exploded around me, smothering the lights and shrouding me in a massive black void. My taunting voice died in my throat as I was swallowed by shadows. I could see nothing. I raised my hands and wiggled my fingers.
Not even that could pierce through the darkness.
Somewhere in front of me, Varius was breathing heavily, as if he had sprinted up a staircase. He was making deep, guttural noises, like a feral animal.
“Varius?” I asked uncertainly.
After a moment, the shadows receded. I blinked, my eyes readjusting to the lightened room, then stiffened in alarm.
Varius’s eyes were all black, as if his shadows had leeched away the whites of his eyeballs. I gaped at him in shock, unsure of how to respond to this. Was there a threat nearby? Were we in danger? I glanced around the room quickly, searching for an assailant. But we were alone.
Varius was still short of breath, his arms rigid at his sides. Behind him, his wings had flared, and his claws seemed even longer than before.
“Varius,” I said again .
He shook his head, and his eyes cleared, returning to normal. They were still black, but with the whites, I could tell where he was looking.
And he was staring daggers at me.
“Don’t ever do that again,” he hissed, stepping toward me.
My head reared back. “Do what?”
“Joke about bringing another male into my bed with you.”
I scoffed. “But it’s fine for you to tease me about being jealous?”
“I was teasing you for your unwarranted jealousy! There is nothing romantic between me and Tislora.”
“Well, there is nothing romantic between me and any of those soldiers!” I shouted. “It’s the same thing, Varius. You wanted me to admit I was jealous? All right, I was. But so were you.”
His nostrils flared. When he said nothing, I raised my eyebrows expectantly.
“Well? Aren’t you going to admit it?” I planted my hands on my hips. “Or am I going to have to draw out your shadows again to prove it?”
“Fine!” he barked. “Yes. I was jealous.”
“Then, we’re even.”
He bared his teeth at me, showing his fangs. And I glared right back at him.
I wasn’t afraid of him. He was a spoiled king, and he needed someone to tell him no every once in a while.
We continued staring at each other, neither of us willing to concede first. And as my anger faded, I realized how ridiculous we were both being.
We were married. This fae male was my husband. And we had just fought over our previous lovers.
All so we could prove the other was jealous.
Stones, why were we both so petty ? It was embarrassing .
I sighed, rubbing my forehead. There were far more serious matters to be concerned with. We were both being absurd.
“What are we going to do about Warwick?” I asked.
“We?” Varius repeated, eyebrows raised.
“Yes, we . He poses a problem for both of us.”
Varius rubbed his chin. “I need to have him killed.”
I stiffened, though the statement shouldn’t have been surprising. Warwick was too dangerous. And I would certainly sleep better knowing he was dead. “How?”