Page 42 of The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating

Pip forced a weak smile. “He’s terrifying but fair, in his own twisted way. If you do your job well, you eat. If you fail… Well, you don’t.”

I finished my eggs, then sipped my tea thoughtfully. “And what about people outside the citadel? How are they faring under his rule?”

Pip’s eyes flicked to the still-open door. “Better than most believe. At least they have protection from raiders or mercenaries. The king’s guard doesn’t bother much with remote villages.”

“Protection, or extortion?” I challenged softly.

His gaze dropped. “My cousin’s village got raided last winter and the king’s men arrived too late—only to demand taxes fromwhat little was left. People under Lord Blackrose are heavily taxed but safe, so… they don’t mind so much.”

It sounded suspiciously practical, especially for the realm’s biggest villain. “You’re surprisingly open with me, Pip,” I observed.

“Lord Blackrose told us to answer your questions honestly. Said it’d be worse if you caught us lying.” He swallowed. “He also said if we upset you, we’d get reassigned to scrubbing blood off dungeon walls.”

I must have looked alarmed, because he hurried on, “But you healed my hand, so I’d have told you anyway.”

A knock at the door interrupted us, and Vex swept in, her silver eyes skimming my attire and breakfast remnants in one motion.

“Good, you’re dressed.” She set down a pair of leather boots. “You’ll need these. The Dark Lord wants you in the training chamber in ten minutes.”

I scooped them up and gave them a cautious once-over before dropping into a seat to pull them on.

Vex turned to Pip. “Out.” He nearly flew out the door. “We can’t be late. The Dark Lord hates tardiness.”

I tied the laces, rolling my eyes. “I wouldn’t want to upset the schedule of the man whokidnappedme. Heaven forbid I disrupt his sense of order.”

Standing, I tested my balance. The boots molded to my feet as if I’d worn them for years. I took a few experimental steps, admiring how they supported without restricting movement. Damn him for getting even this right. Was there anything more infuriating than a competent villain?

“Let’s go,” Vex said from the doorway.

I hurried to follow her out. After all, being taught magic by a possessive Dark Lord might be the strangest opportunity of mylife. And if it gave me even a shred of power back, I was more than ready to seize it.

20

TRUST A VILLAIN WITH YOUR MAGIC (WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?)

ARABELLA

Vex led me through stark, utilitarian corridors I hadn’t explored before, and the chill in the air intensified with every step. When we reached a twisting spiral staircase, thin veins of frost clung to the stone walls, making the descent feel more ominous than I would have liked.

“Where exactly are we going?” I asked, trying to keep any quiver of nerves from my voice.

She didn’t bother looking back. “The lower levels. Lord Blackrose prefers to conduct magical training in a remote location. Less collateral damage that way.”

That struck me as darkly reassuring. I quickened my pace until I walked beside her. “Has there been much ‘collateral damage’ in the past?”

“The north tower needed rebuilding two years ago because Griffin’s experimental amplification spell collided with the Dark Lord’s dominion magic.”

“Collided?” I prompted.

“It exploded,” Vex said, as if discussing an ill-timed rainstorm. “No one died. A few singed eyebrows and bruised egos, but that was all.”

It almost humanized Kazimir to imagine him messing up so spectacularly. Of course, he’d probably done it with that signature sneer in place.

We reached a landing where the stairs broadened into a corridor streaked with silvery veins in the stone. The floor hummed beneath my boots, a faint vibration like some slumbering beast breathing beneath us.

“What is this place?” I whispered.

“It’s the old foundation,” she explained. “Lord Blackrose kept this part intact when he redesigned the fortress. The natural magic in the stone makes it ideal for serious spellwork.”

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