Page 60 of Blood and Thorns
“Your father’s fine, if you still care.”
I froze for a second, blood rushing to my face. But Chip was already gone before I could reply, disappearing down the spiral staircase to the floor below.
“Ignore him, dear. He has problems communicating and expressing himself sometimes.” Beatrice cleaned up Chip’s space, her head dipped as she wiped excessively over the table. “You’ll do Sebastian some good. He’s made his inner circle impenetrable, and here’s you, infiltrating it.”
“Enough,” Sebastian growled, and I jumped, accidentally knocking over my tea. I didn’t even hear him enter the room.
“Shit.” I reached for a tissue, dabbing at the spill.
Beatrice stood abruptly. “Sir, I didn’t realise–”
“You’re dismissed, Mrs Potter.”
Beatrice’s shoulders tightened, her lips thinning. “Ofcourse. I meant no harm.” Picking up her cloth she held her head up, passing Sebastian, only to pause. They exchanged a few words I couldn’t hear, so I returned to cleaning the spill.
I felt him hover beside me, the tension stretching taunt between us.
“Read to me,” he said once we were alone, my head jerking up at the demand.
“Good morning to you, too,” I muttered, tossing the tissue into the bin. “Does reading to you count toward paying off my debt?”
“Maybe.” He lounged back in the chair opposite me, legs spreading wide, taking up more space than his already overwhelming presence demanded.
A frustrated sound escaped me, Chip’s silent judgment enough to set my nerves on edge. “How much have I worked off?”
Sebastian didn’t flinch. He just stared, eyes locked on mine. “Nothing.”
“Nothing?” I sputtered in disbelief. “That’s ridiculous.”
“You should’ve set the terms when we first made the deal.”
“I was under duress!” I snapped, my heart pounding hard against my ribs. “How is it possible I haven’t paid off a single thing?”
Sebastian leaned in, gaze ice-cold and cruel. “You think offering your throat clears even a fraction of what your father owes?Belle,I decide when the debt is paid, not you. It could be next week. Next year. Or maybe not at all.”
“You’re such an arsehole.” My pulse pounded behind my ribs, adrenaline surging through me like wildfire. “This was never a life sentence, Sebastian.”
He straightened his cuffs with deliberate calm, infuriatingly composed while I wanted to scream. “I told you,” hesaid, voice flat and cold, “I’ll decide when the debt is paid. Until then, do as you’re fucking told.”
My hands curled into fists. “This is bullshit! I want it written down; every act of service I do should go towards the money.”
His jaw twitched, just slightly as he closed the distance between us, forcing my head to lean back. “You’re not in a position to demand anything.”
I refused to back down. “You don’t get to own meandkeep me in the dark. That’s not control… that’s… that’s cowardice.” I winced as the word came out, expecting his anger in return.
For a second, the silence between us drew tight. I held my breath when he leaned down, his lips hovering so close to my own. “Be careful,belle. You’re acting like you want to be punished.” He took a step back, and my breath came out in a ragged exhale as he took a seat on the sofa. “Last warning, don’t make me ask again.”
He wore his usual armour of his black-on-black suit, his hair pushed away from his face to reveal dark circles beneath his eyes. Those tattoos that I wished I could explore in more detail peeked through the collar, as were the scars I didn’t get the chance to memorise.
“You want me to read to you?” I finally asked, and Sebastian simply nodded before closing his eyes, settling himself deeper into the seat. “Why?”
“Can you ever follow an order without questioning it?”
I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from snapping back, because that would only prove his point. Clearing my throat, I opened my new book to the first page and started to read aloud. Sebastian relaxed, the tension along his shoulders dissipating chapter after chapter.
I couldn’t even concentrate on the story, so hyperawareof the man who sat opposite me. Something about a prince being cursed by an old woman.
I didn’t know how long I read out loud, but when I looked up, his breathing was slow and gentle. He hadn’t moved an inch, his head resting on his shoulder and his lips open slightly. He looked peaceful, even approachable.
