The Princess
I had tried my damnedest to deflect my heated thoughts about Theron, to ignore the way his piercing gaze seemed to melt my bones.
But when he made that bold declaration in front of Denton and Stella, I almost lost it.
He couldn’t be serious.
Was he honestly considering offering himself up as bait—a sacrifice—for me? He was supposed to want me dead. He was supposed to be Calista’s pet.
My muddled brain couldn’t process this at all.
A shocked silence filled the room. Even Denton had nothing to say to Theron’s bold admission.
“Get your things together,” I told Denton and Stella. “We’ll leave within the hour.” I strode toward Theron and grasped his elbow firmly. “Come with me.”
He didn’t object and allowed me to lead him out of the room and into Stella’s tiny, cramped kitchen. I shoved him against the wall, and the cabinets rattled from the impact.
“What the hell’s the matter with you?” I hissed.
His brows drew together, anger sparking in his eyes. “What are you talking about?”
I shoved him again, so frustrated I couldn’t even think straight. “Why? Why are you doing this? After everything I did to keep you alive, you’re just going to throw it away?”
“I’m not throwing it away—”
“I will not let you do this,” I growled.
“Careful, princess. You’re starting to sound like you actually care.”
My eyes narrowed. “You don’t get to throw those words back at me.”
“Why not? Don’t pretend like you’d be upset if I died. I’ve been awful to you. I was sent to kill you. This would provide a diversion for you and get rid of the pesky assassin who’s been a thorn in your side from the beginning. There is no downside to this scenario.”
My eyes felt hot as I stared at him, taking in his calm expression. He uttered the words without an ounce of regret or sadness. He seemed perfectly content to accept his fate.
“Theron,” I said in a choked whisper, dropping my gaze. A lump lodged itself in my throat, cutting off my words.
“Don’t argue,” Theron said, his voice surprisingly gentle. “I know you still hate me. You haven’t been able to look at me once in the last hour.”
My eyes flew up to meet his in shock and indignation. “That is not true. I—I’m looking at you right now!”
He held my stare, unflinching. “Yes. But for how long?”
I blinked at him. He gazed right back at me. Testing me. My heart raced, then seized in my chest as the depths of those dark eyes drew me in.
He was looking at me like I was the only person in the world. A precious treasure he didn’t want to lose. Someone worth dying for.
I wished he wouldn’t look at me like that.
And at the same time, I wished he would never stop.
My stomach fluttered. My toes curled. And damn it, I had to look away. I gasped for breath, struggling to calm my racing pulse as I closed my eyes.
“I knew it.” He sounded dejected.
I made a frustrated sound and fisted his tunic with both my hands, pulling him closer to me until our noses brushed. “Don’t presume to know me or my feelings,” I said through clenched teeth. “I do not hate you.”
Theron’s face slackened in surprise, and damn if that didn’t send a bolt of satisfaction through my chest.
“You… confuse me,” I confessed. “And I don’t understand you.
Sometimes you seem loyal to Calista without even realizing it.
Other times, it seems like you’re on my side and despise her as much as I do.
You still can’t accept that she’s a Demon Fae.
You risk your life to save mine, but you don’t believe I belong on the throne. ”
“I never said—”
“You didn’t have to,” I said softly. “I can feel it, Theron. I feel your disdain for me and my kind. You don’t believe humans belong in the Winter Court. You never did.”
He sighed, his frame sagging with defeat. His brows creased as a pained expression crossed his face.
“You’re right.”
My mouth fell open. I had expected him to argue or defend himself. I hadn’t expected him to agree with me. “What?”
“You’re right,” he repeated, and this time it was despair burning in his eyes. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. In the next room, Stella and Denton were speaking in hushed tones, no doubt gossiping about our private conversation.
“Do you know why my father’s death affected me so much?” Theron asked.
I shook my head, confused about this subject change but intrigued enough to urge him to continue.
“For most of my life, my father saw humans as pests that needed to be stamped out of existence. He made it his life’s goal to obliterate them, starting with our court.” His nostrils flared, his gaze full of fire and anger.
“I grew up resenting humans. Not because my father taught me to hate them, but because they claimed his attention more than I did.” He sighed and looked away, and when his gaze met mine again, I couldn’t mistake the sadness I saw there, nor the hint of hurt and bitterness that were layered underneath it all.
“He was so obsessed with his hatred for humans that he didn’t have time for me at all.
And when he was killed, I was so incensed, so full of wrath because…
I missed him. Because in spite of how he ignored me completely, I still loved him, and the emptiness he left in my heart made me angry at the injustice of it all. ”
My heart twisted at his words. His relationship with his father was so different from my relationship with mine. While my father had been kind and nurturing, always supportive of me and never once causing me to doubt myself or my heritage… Theron’s father had been distant and unkind.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and stared at Theron as he continued, “Then, I was left with his contract to the queen. The debt he had incurred because of his war against humans. So, in truth, I was raised to hate humans. But not in the way you think. In my mind, humans took my father away from me. And so, I wanted nothing to do with them.”
He offered a wry laugh, his face twisting into a disgusted grimace.
“I tried so hard not to become my father, lost in the bloodthirsty quest to destroy all humans, that I didn’t realize it still happened anyway.
I may not have actively fought against the species, but my indifference was just as harmful. ”
“Theron,” I whispered weakly.
“I didn’t realize,” he said in a strained voice. “Didn’t realize what I’d become… until I met you.”
I could only gape at him, stunned by his confession.
“There is a division in this court that only you can heal, Eira. I believe that now. I spent so long ignoring the problems, looking out only for myself, that I never saw just how broken this court really is.”
Tears burned in my eyes, and I wet my lips, my throat suddenly dry. “Why are you saying all this?”
He took both my hands in his, his callouses gently scraping against my fingers. I felt a shiver of pleasure from the lightness of his touch, the warmth of his skin against mine.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I’m sorry for my abhorrent behavior. And I’m sorry I dismissed your claim about Calista. I didn’t believe you before. But I do now.”
My heart leapt. “You believe she’s a Demon Fae?”
He nodded, his mouth quirking into a devastating half smile that made my stomach flip.
“Frisk was right. I was so caught up in the notion that fae were superior that I didn’t see what was right in front of me.
” He sighed, ducking his head. “You’re right; her magic is disturbing.
Monstrous, even. I’ve thought it myself dozens of times.
But if she is a Demon Fae, then whatever magic she’s using to fuel her glamour must be powerful.
She’s been fooling the entire court for years. ”
“Which is why you can’t turn yourself in to her.” I released his hands only so I could bring mine to his face, framing his cheeks with my fingers. The tickle of his beard against my palms was intoxicating, and I brought his face closer to mine. “You can’t, Theron.”
Sorrow burned in his gaze. “I’m doomed anyway, Eira. As soon as I return to the castle and report that I failed my mission, I’m dead. I’m only delaying the inevitable.”
I shook my head, refusing to believe it. “Theron—”
“The only reason she needs me is because she wants access to my magic. I don’t know why she never tried to use my blood to activate my necromancy. But now that I’ve awakened it on my own, I—”
“She can’t,” I blurted.
He froze. “What?”
“She can’t use a person’s blood to wield their magic. She can only use it to control their body.”
He blinked, his brows knitting together. “I don’t understand.”
“I told you before, I often spied on her. Her magic is limited. She doesn’t have unfettered access to another fae’s magical abilities. I know because she was desperate to use Lord Kensington’s storm magic, but she never could, even when she had access to his blood.”
Theron’s gaze turned distant, his eyes growing wide. “I remember him. She was frustrated he wouldn’t do as she asked.”
“Right. Because she was commanding him to summon a storm, and he wouldn’t do it. His magic wasn’t hers to command.” I clutched his face more firmly in my hands. “She can’t force you to use your magic, Theron. No matter what she does to you, you can’t forget that.”
He pressed his lips together, his gaze contemplative. “When she finds out I’ve activated my necromancy…” He broke off, his eyes closing in anguish. “Eira. I have to do this.”
Panic twisted in my chest as I processed his words. “Theron, please.”
“Once we get back to the palace, I’m no longer bound to our bargain. She can force me to hurt you. But I can’t—I can’t bear to put you in harm’s way. I can’t…” He broke off, his head dropping in misery.
He was so consumed with sorrow that I couldn’t handle it. Without thinking, I brought his face to mine and kissed him hard.
I didn’t care that Stella and Denton were in the next room.
I didn’t care that we had a mission and were running out of time.
All I knew was Theron was in pain, and I had to do something about it.
His lips were smooth, the beard on his chin tickling my face.
I’d intended for the kiss to be brief, something to snap him out of his despair.
But a deep, startled noise escaped him, the sound vibrating through me, and before I knew what I was doing, my hands were gripping the fabric of his shirt, dragging him closer.
He angled his head to deepen the kiss, his tongue sweeping along my lip, and then I came undone.
He tasted far more alluring than he smelled, and I wanted to feast on all of him.
To memorize the sensation and carry it with me.
My lips parted further for him, my tongue meeting his, and he groaned into my mouth.
That sound made my insides quiver with need.
His hands slid to my waist, drawing me to him until my body was aligned with his.
My arms wound around his neck, my fingers threading through his wavy hair.
Fire burned in my veins, scorching through every inch of me.
Every spot where he touched me ignited until my entire body felt like it had molten lava coursing through it.
I kissed him over and over, my lips hungry for more. My body was flush against his. My hips ground into him as I pinned him against the cabinets. I needed more of him. More.
“Eira,” he murmured against my mouth, the sound a prayer and a plea. I caught his lower lip between my teeth, and he let out a strangled groan.
I pulled away to gasp for breath, unable to see straight, to think straight. All I knew was the blissful haze of losing myself in him, of the painful desire churning inside me.
I wanted him. I didn’t care that he was a killer. I didn’t care that he worked for Calista.
Every fiber of my being ached for this man.
“I thought I irritated you,” I said breathlessly. “Now, here you are, willing to sacrifice yourself for me.”
He gave a wry chuckle, his eyes dark and heady in a way that made my knees go weak. “No one has gotten under my skin like you have, princess.”
“Tormenting you is my absolute pleasure.”
“Not a torment at all.” His voice was low and husky in that perfect way that raised the hair on my arms. His hand lifted, and he trailed the tips of his fingers along my jawline.
“In fact, you’ve dug your way into my heart, peeling back layers I didn’t know were there. You’ve stripped me bare, princess.”
His gaze burned with a heat that melted my insides.
His fingertips left a trail of fire along my skin.
“Have I, now? I’d like to see what that looks like, hunter.
” My eyes flicked over his body from top to bottom, and my legs felt wobbly just imagining him without clothes.
I hadn’t gotten a good look at him when he’d undressed during the blizzard, but I could envision it now.
That toned, muscular chest. Those powerful legs tangled up with mine.
“I have a feeling I’ll like what I see.”
Desire sparked in his eyes, and he leaned closer, that wintry scent enveloping me. Blood and ice, I wanted to bathe in that scent.
“Snow,” barked a voice.
I jolted and stepped backward, my face burning as I found a scowling Denton standing in the hall, a bag slung over his shoulder. His face darkened with fury as he glanced between me and Theron.
Shit.
“We’re ready.” Denton’s voice was stiff. Without waiting for a response, he turned and strode toward the door.
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling foolish and disappointed all at once. What had I done? Had I really just kissed the assassin?
And… had he kissed me back?
We had kissed in the alley before, but that had just been for show to avoid getting caught by the soldiers.
Here and now—this felt real. Was it real?
No, that wasn’t important. What was important was getting into the palace. This dangerous game the hunter and I played—it wouldn’t end well for either of us.
“Eira,” Theron said softly.
I couldn’t look him in the eye, but I also knew I couldn’t let him go through with his plan. I clutched his wrist. “Please don’t get yourself killed, Theron. There’s another way; I’m sure of it.”
He said nothing, but I heard his breath hitch and felt his hot stare burning into me.
Before his hungry look unraveled me completely, I stepped away and strode to the front door, trying—and failing—to focus on the task at hand.