12. Chapter Twelve #2
I explain the portal to her and how to get back. “It is only a beach and an ocean. It doesn’t matter how far in any direction you go, it remains the same. But it will be a place all your own.”
She takes the mirror and shuts the door.
It’s the first gift she hasn’t broken and returned, though that could happen later.
I call Raffe to me and remind him of his purpose to alert me the minute she faces any danger.
I shower and long to bury myself in my wife.
There are others in the castle I could pretend are her, but it holds no appeal anymore.
I am bound to her, which means I will remain faithful to only her, even if my desires devour me.
The pressure is suffocating me, and I fly forward in my sleep, ready to burn the threat alive.
The rope around my neck nips and buzzes, like it’s been dipped in something hazardous.
Evelia cries out as I heat and falls off the bed.
The black rope around my throat falls to the side, and I reach over to turn on the red and blue glass lamp.
“I could have killed you! Do you hear me? I could have killed you being caught off guard like that!” I send the rope flying and jump to the floor to help Evelia up.
She rejects my hand and crawls away from me, getting herself to her feet. “Maybe that wouldn’t have been such a bad thing. It would have freed me. If only you still loved me, so my loss would make you suffer.”
“You think I don’t love you? How can you not see that every thought and action I take considers you?”
“If you considered me, you would not kill. You would not be cruel. You would be kind and merciful.”
“You are the third person to call me cruel in less than a day, but all of you are human and only know human things. You do not see that cruelty is the point of my creation. I have to be ruthless and conquer. It would have gone much faster if I had never considered you!”
“Please don’t let me stop you, Lazzus. Conquer this world and put us all out of the misery you inflict.” She goes over to the bed and sticks the rope into her pocket. “More creatures to cross off my list.”
“You do that.”
“I will.”
“You may attempt to murder me in any way you wish, but if you ever put yourself in danger with the attempt again...”
“You’ll what?” She sets her gorgeous jaw in a way that drives me mad.
I back her to the wall and rest my palms above her head and lean in so my lips hover inches from hers. “I will kill your father. It would be quick out of respect to you, but not painless.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“I would. If anything happens to you, I will kill him. Not only that, but I would burn the world if harm came to you by my hand or any other! So maybe you should focus more on staying alive!”
She stares at my lips like she’s considering punishing them, and her whimper when I pull away is the most satisfying moment of my week.
I leave her to take another shower, but even the iciest water does little to cool my hunger to fuck her all over my castle.
Then, after the tension eased from both of us, I’d show her just how much I still love her.
“Your wife isn’t in the castle, Your Majesty.” My pitiful guard cowers as he delivers the news. The other three hide behind him like he drew the short straw. “Her servants informed us, and we have come to you right away.”
I bolt forward and widen my eyes, trying not to rip off his hand for waking me from the most pleasant dream of Evelia.
It would serve him right to lose his ability to use his sword.
If he bled out in the process, so be it.
The blood letters could clean up to make him useful for once in his wasted life.
I call Raffe to me and whisper to him when he lands on my shoulder. “Where is Evelia?” I listen to his chirps as he explains. “All of you are morons. Get back to work, you lazy fools!”
They run from the room, nearly tripping over each other, and I lift my hand and shove them out of the room with a smoky gust. After showering, I go to her room and step into the mirror.
She dances on the shoreline in a white dress.
Here bare feet feel some invisible melody as she glides over sand and rocks.
The waves rush toward her legs, and she commands the water as it splashes at her will.
My beautiful rose is more stunning than the vastness of the sea surrounding her.
I find a comfortable rock and sit to watch her, and as she tires, I will myself to leave. She finds me still in her room when she returns, whips a dagger from her belt, and launches at me. It lodges in my forehead. The skin around my wound crackles like rapidly spreading ice.
I pull it out to see a blue icy compound has expanded on it. “Your aim has gotten better.” I smile proudly at her and use a rag to wipe off whatever poison she used. My wound seals up immediately. “Have you run out of magical creatures yet?”
“There are a few more to try.”
“Next time you go to the ocean, tell your maids, so they don’t tell my guards and wake me.”
“I’ll consider it, but not for your sake. Only because the servants and guards don’t deserve your wrath for trivial things.” She grabs a towel and new clothes, walking toward the bathroom.
“You’re still angry with me.”
She turns around and narrows her eyes. “It’s incredibly infuriating that you just won’t die.”