Page 86 of Depravity

“To a child.” Magnus practically roars. “I ordered you to marry Giselle Monclere.”

“Brynn is twenty-one.” Conrad snaps back, releasing his hold of me and slamming his fist onto the table. “And she’s a Monclere too.”

“The wrong fucking one.”

“You want heirs?” Conrad says, “Brynn will give me far more children that that shrivelled up bitch could ever produce…”

“And yet Giselle was willing.” Magnus says, acting like he’s produced a trump card. “She wouldn’t have put up a fight, like this one…” He waves his hand almost dismissively at me.

Conrad jumps to his feet, the chair falling back behind him with a crash and I cry out in shock.

Magnus is up too. And it’s clear neither of them want to back down over this.

Suddenly, Liliana is by my side and she takes my hand, pulling me gently away.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Conrad snarls, yanking me back so aggressively that I slam into him, and my ribs protest so badly it brings tears to my eyes.

“Conrad,” Liliana says, “Let her have a moment, you and Magnus can talk. We’ll be right outside the door.”

Conrad narrows his eyes and Magnus tells us to go.

I don’t look back, I practically bolt for the door and as they close shut, I let out a long rattling breath.

“You married a child.” Magnus says again as soon as the door shuts.

“She’s twenty-one.” I state. “And what’s more she’s malleable, unlike Giselle.”

Like he doesn’t appreciate that trait. Like he didn’t spend months ensuring his own, now wife, has that very same trait.

“Why do you think I chose her in particular?” Magnus says. “I knew Giselle would keep you in check. You’re reckless, headstrong…”

“I am not.”

“This very act proves it.” He snarls.

“I deserve to pick a wife of my own choosing. And Brynn will give me sons. Lots of sons.”

He rolls his eyes, sitting back down, but it’s clear this discussion is far from over, even as he picks up his cutlery and starts eating again.

I take his cue, sitting down, and eat in that same stilted silence.

“You put us all at risk.” He says suddenly. “There are rules. You can’t just do what you want…”

“You did.” I state, “And besides, none of it will matter when you are Chapter Lord. No one will be able to touch us then. We can do what we want.”

“When.” Magnus repeats. “But I am not Chapter Lord yet, and you creating issues like this puts our entire future in jeopardy.”

“Like you haven’t been reckless. You broke the rules when you married Liliana.”

He narrows his eyes, but we both know it’s true. The day he chose to put a ring on that bitch’s finger instead of a knife through her heart, he changed our entire trajectory.

Oh, we may have Antonio pushing for us, we may have him pulling the strings, but Magnus marrying that woman turned the contest into a damned mountain instead of what should have been a stroll in the park.

“You’ve gone soft.” I sneer. “That woman made you soft.”

He’s up before I can register it and he’s hauling me out of my seat again, while his hand wraps around my throat.

“The Magnus I knew wouldn’t give a shit what the consequences were.” I add as we glare at one another.

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