Page 65 of What did you do?

Placing one hand on each armrest, he trapped me.

“Go on then, take your place on the Seelie throne. Is that what you want? In this realm, you are only wanted as a weapon, my love.” He blocked my knees in, stopping my move to knee him in the dick.

“I’ve been her weapon in the human world nearly all of my life. At least this way I get a crown, and my family along with it. What’s the difference?” My voice trembled with emotion.

For a moment, neither of us spoke. His eyes darted around my face. “The difference is, with your heart and powers restored,you will be afull-bloodedArtemiat her disposal—tied to the Seelie realm, knocked up by her tree stump of a son, and therefore unable to ascend with the Ancients. Combine all that with the powers you’ve gained from me, and you will be the most powerful weapon the realms have ever seen, surpassing even me. Convenient how all that worked out for her, don’t you think?”

He stepped back, giving me a bit of space to breathe.

I opened my mouth to retort, but nothing came. The truth was, I didn’t know anything about Artemi, or really much of anything. It was impossible to think of myself as anything but human. I felt human.

“And what is it you want with me then? You want me to be yourweapon too?” I snarled.

Since arriving in Seelie, I hadn’t understood much of anything that was happening. I didn’t know who I could trust. I had no understanding of their magic, customs, or what was actually expected of me.

One thing I did know was that Mendax saw things in me I thought were invisible to everyone else. Just being near him sparked something inside I’d tried so hard to fight.

Every cell in my body had exploded with relief—and fear—when I had found out he was alive. I was helplessly drawn to him. Telling myself not to be didn’t change a thing.

“I don’t need a weapon. The Seelie do. I want you as my lover and queen.”

I stood, my bare legs brushing against his. Both of us were breathing heavily as we waited to block or strike whatever the other’s next move might be.

Fuck! He was loathsome and horrible, and I wouldn’t be foolish enough to let him ruin everything I’d worked so hard for.

I would not have a weakness. Not now, with everything at stake. I took a step back before I struck out to kick him in theliver. Before I could register that my kick didn’t land, my back slammed against the painted wall behind the thrones.

Mendax pinned both of my wrists above my head and pressed his body against mine.

The painted figures of the wall mumbled in shock.

At least seven of the white-robed figures started running from across the room, turning the corner and racing up the wall to where I was pinned. Black movement caught my attention in time to see several of the huge, shadowy figures of the painting glide toward us from another section. Several of the others, including most of the more plain-looking ones, began to climb the walls in a grotesque rhythm I’d never seen before.

Sweat beaded across my skin as I watched all of the creatures climb to the top of the domed ceiling, where they each gave me one final, hollow look before jumping out the sun-filled window in the most morosely terrifying way.

I gasped, looking around at the white walls with unease. Mendax and I were all alone now.

“I was going to be gentle with you, pet, but I’m starting to think that’s not what you really like. Do you want me to be rough, Caly?” His deep whisper felt like a threat.

We were breathing heavily, blood smeared all over the both of us. I would have been scared witless from the mural had a bigger, more dangerous monster not been pressed so close against my body.

Danger and power rolled off him while he held me in place. The adrenaline and fear in my system mingled with his closeness, creating dangerous arousal. The prince of night’s wings were spread wide in a commanding span of black smoke.

My body pushed into him. His words might as well have been an incantation that turned my insides to jelly.

I swore under my breath, realizing I was staring at the shape of his lips. “I-I have to kill you,” I stuttered, bursting forward to fight against my feelings as much as to fight him.

He pushed me back, slamming my wrists back against the wall so hard, my blade clanged onto the marble floor at my feet. My mind marked where it had landed as Mendax pressed against me, sending all of the air out of my lungs.

“I knew what you were the moment I saw that fire ignite in your eyes in the Unseelie forest. I knew when I showed you where to stab me. You’re the only one who doesn’t understand what you are,” he said, kicking my legs farther apart.

It felt like he was looking straight into me. I had no fucking clue what I was anymore. How could he?

“And what exactly am I?” I bit out.

His hands dropped from my wrists to cup my face, the tip of his nose brushing mine. “You are an alluring rose with secret thorns. A droplet of rain fighting to quench and to drown,” he said, looking deranged and enthralled all at the same time. “You are my only care in life.”

I was so tempted to give in and taste himonelast time. The adrenaline and temptations were so intertwined. Instead, the need to protect Eli flared, and my fight-or-flight instincts overtook my lust. Fight won.

---