Page 32 of This Vicious Dream

“You’re not the first man to chain me,” she says, and the disdain in her voice carves into me. “At least Kyldare didn’tpretendto be decent.”

Frustration slices through my self-control. She’s deliberately provoking me. And yet I can’t help but respond. “You compare me to him?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Both of you have chained me so you can find abook,” she says. “The only difference is you don’t seem to have a tower to lock me in.”

“Because I don’t need one,” I grind out. “You’re going to take me to the grimoire.”

“Or?” She asks her tone bored.

I lean close, ignoring the urge to sink my teeth into her throat and prove which of us is in charge here. Even chained, she’s still getting under my skin.

“I don’t need anor. You will do this, because I willmakeyou.”

She snorts, her eyes firing with grim amusement.

And I can’t blame her. The queen’s right hand attempted to make her locate the grimoire for three years, going as far as to keep her entombed in her own body within that tower. And still, Kyldare couldn’t make her cooperate.

But this is different. That grimoire ismine. I’m only trying to take what belongs to me. And this woman is actively attempting to keep it from me.

Sheis the one in the wrong here.Sheis the villain in this situation.Sheneeds to stop looking at me with hurt and rage and betrayal in her eyes before I do something criminally stupid like unchain her.

“Let’s go.”

Madinia gives me ayou must be stupidlook. I haul her over my shoulder, ignoring her struggles. When I lift her onto my horse, Fox’s lips lift back from his teeth.

“I know,” I mutter to him. “But the vixen can’t be trusted.”

I lean over to grab the reins, and Madinia slams her head back into my nose. I curse, my hand flying up, and she attempts to wiggle off Fox’s back. He chooses that moment to rear, and she slides back toward me.

“I should have let him dump you on the ground,” I mutter, pulling her close. “Keep trying your tricks, witch, and you’ll see what happens to those who defy me.”

She turns quiet. Some part of me misses the sound of her voice. But only because it might give me a hint as to what she’s planning.

My nose aches, and I turn Fox toward Madinia’s horse. A sense of disquiet fills me as I catch a glimpse of Madinia’s cold expression.

Even now, she is plotting against me.

Madinia

I may not care about much, but even I don’t want to watch the dark god destroy this world. So I lead Calysian south from the entrance I used to the city, before heading east and then north.

Neither of us speak. I bury my rage beneath grim determination.

And only one of us is surprised when we stumble upon the troll.

It crashes through the trees, its hulking form towering over us, swiping massive, club-like arms through the air. Just one hit with one of those boat-sized hands, and we’re dead.

At least I am. Calysian is likely very difficult to kill. I shoot him a filthy look, which he ignores.

The horses jolt backward, Hope lets out a shriek.

The troll roars, deep and guttural, displaying a row of blunt teeth as it lumbers toward us. Its gray, mottled face is thick with patches of rough fur, and its eyes—small, dull, and deeply set in its oversized head—gleam with territorial fury.

Calysian freezes for half a second, clearly surprised.

I hold up my arms. “Free me so I can defend myself.”

He gives me a patronizing look. “I’ll defend you.”

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