Page 24 of Ruthless Monsters

I sigh.“So you, too, huh?”

“Yes, yes, all of us. This is his plan. We all know it.”

“His plan?”

“He must have control. Magic is chaos of the best kind. He does not want chaos except within himself. He wants order. And now he wants you. The king gets what he wants.”

I think about this as I stare at another group of citizens that we pass, all of them with cuffs around their ankles.“Do you think he’ll be upset when I say ‘no’ to him?”

Pask’s laughter is warm and genuine in my head.“He will not allow you to say no to him, little bird. He will not allow it. Even the fish know this. But I will be rooting for you.”He falls silent then, and as the tingling sensation fades, I realize Pask hassevered our mental connection. It’s not hard for me to figure out why when I see who’s standing up ahead. As we pass another row of houses, a vast lake emerges before us, shimmering at the city's edge. The water sparkles in vibrant shades of blue, illuminated by the light of the crystals high above. A semicircle of elegantly dressed citizens stands nearby, their gazes fixed on me in the carriage, and at the riverbank, the king watches intently, flanked by a contingent of guards. He’s dressed in a silver t-shirt and three-quarter-length trousers that reveal his calves. He beams when my gaze locks with his, though the light doesn’t reach his eyes.

I move from the carriage, and Pask gives me a reassuring nudge with his beak, propelling me forward.

“Stunning,” the king says as I approach, though the compliment is empty.

I smile, pretending his comment was sincere, though I get the feeling that all the extravagant outfits are more for show than anything else. “Anything to please my king,” I say with a sickly-sweet voice, and he narrows his eyes at me.

A male with long plaited red hair comes up to the king’s side, his elegant robes flapping as he moves. “Shall we begin, your highness?” he asks King Celzar, his gaze roving over me and no doubt seeing straight through the sheer robe I have on.Hope you’re enjoying the view.

Like he realizes what he’s doing, he looks away quickly, turning his attention back to the king.

King Celzar doesn’t seem to notice. “Yes, now that my betrothed has finally arrived, let us proceed.”

“Very good, sire,” the other male says and steps forward, pulling the gathered crowd’s attention to him. He clears his throat. “Today we continue to celebrate the impending union between our benevolent king and his new bride-to-be. As is tradition, the king and his betrothed will enter the waters at thesame time, and while they are submerged the water will both connect and cleanse them, washing away their impurities in preparation for their coming union.”

Connect them?I curse under my breath.Sassia never mentioned anything about being connected to the king, and the idea of it has alarm bells going off in my head. I think about the way he’d drained power from me the last time we’d touched, and my gaze slides to the royal.

He’s busy smiling at the citizens who are clapping politely, but when his gaze connects with mine, there’s a dark eagerness in his eyes that has me wishing I had a weapon. I remind myself that he’s not going to drain my full power until we’re married.

“Come, my beloved,” he says, and music starts up from somewhere in the crowd. A strange burst of color shines ahead in the water, and I think I spot one of the rainbow fish we’d encountered back in the baths in Perstalia, but then it’s gone again a second later.

King Celzar holds out his arm for me, and I arch a brow. “Such chivalry,” I mutter sarcastically. Ignoring him, I take off my robe, and when no one comes forward to grab it, I throw it at the closest guard. He’s too busy staring at my sparkling bra that the robe catches him in the face, the fabric smacking him in the eyes. He curses, reeling back as he tears the cloth from his face, then he quickly corrects himself as the king gives him a look of disapproval. Back at the carriage, Pask let’s out a strange noise, his eyes bright as he watches on, and I grin and wink at him.

“If you’re quite finished,” the king hisses beside my ear, stepping up behind me. “Need I remind you of what happens when you don’t behave? Take my hand, my beloved. We enter the water as a pair.”

Ah, there was that word again.Behave.I pivot, smiling sweetly at him. “Oh, I remember,” I reply, but I still ignore his hand and saunter toward the water alone. I hear him huff behindme, but I don’t care. Shade’s not in her cage anymore, and I highly doubt he’s going to kill my mates because I’m not holding his hand.Then again, he is rather sensitive,I muse.Oh well, too late now.

The water is pleasantly warm as it licks over my toes, and I don’t pause as I walk further in, moving until the water is up to my ribcage. King Celzar is quick to follow, only a pace behind me. When he makes it to my side, his hand grabs mine, and he leans in close, bringing with him the overwhelming scent of roses as he twists and peers at the crowd still watching from the riverbank.

“I’m not sure why you’re making this so difficult,” he murmurs in my ear. “You must realize by now that there is no escape for you. I don’t know what you’re trying to prove.”

“The only thing I’m intent on proving is that by taking me, you made a poor choice for a bride,” I hiss back. “And by the time you realize the full extent of your failure, it’ll be too late.”

His eyes flash with anger, and he grips my hand painfully as he drags me into the water.

Chapter

Ten

~ Princess Blake ~

One moment I’m in the water, enveloped by warmth, and the next I’m standing in a dimly lit hexagonal room. A fire crackles in a hearth in the centre of the space, and King Celzar stands beside me still dressed in a silver shirt and trousers.

“What just happened?” I blurt, looking down to see I’m still dressed in the skimpy glittering outfit, though I appear to be completely dry.Well, this isn’t weird at all.

The king is staring at a section of the wall in front of him, and when he doesn’t answer, I turn to a table where there’s an ornate candlestick. I go to grab it because wherever we are I have a bad feeling, and I plan to bash him over the head with it, but my hand passes right through the object, almost like I’m a lost spirit in the shadow realm.What the fuck?

I whip my head around, peering at the king who hasn’t moved. “Where are we, Celzar?”

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