Page 37 of Poisoned Kingdom
I clenched my fists, fighting to control my anger. ‘You wouldn’t dare,’ I whispered, but Jagon laughed.
‘Oh yes, I would. To have you, I’d destroy her, take her apart piece by piece, as you watch her lose everything before I kill her. Fight me, and I’ll be wiping away your tears as you bury your friend’s bloated corpse.’
I gasped, falling backwards until I hit the wall.
‘You’re a fucking monster,’ I spat.
‘I am, and you are the gemIfound amongst the ashes of your family.’ He grinned, clearly enjoying the moment. ‘You will stand beside me, Roksana. The sooner you understand that, the better for you and those around you. It is your fate.’
I slowly raised my head and looked at him—at the narrow, hawkish face with its sharp nose and thin lips. He was barely forty years old, but I saw the wrinkles in the corner of his eyes and the grey tint of his pale skin from years of working with toxic fumes.
I wanted to study him, to learn the map of his life force, because I was going to dismantle his very existence. Jagon had won today, and I had to yield. However, the bastard didn’t realise that his hunger for power, his obsession to own me, and his twisted lust had awakened a monster that was going to devour him.
I wrapped my fingers around Jagon’s hand, noticing his surprise when I lowered my head submissively to hide the hatred in my eyes.
‘Fine, but leave Lily alone, and you’ll have me . . . just as you always wanted. But Jagon—if she dies,so will you. I’ll make sure of it.’
Jagon’s breath hitched, and his free hand eagerly covered mine. I felt it tremble as he caressed my skin.
‘My beautiful Nightshade. You may hate me now, but you’ll soon realise I’m doing this for your own good.’ The feeling of his thumb stroking my knuckles made me nauseous, but I didn’t move.
‘And you’re leaving me here for my own good?’ I asked.
He smirked. ‘Yes, that will be best, I think. The king sent soldiers to every shithole in Dagome trying to find you. I can’t let them accidentally disrupt my plans in their fervour to find his precious prisoner once again, so you’ll have to endure for now.’ He reached into his coat and pulled a tiny vial from his pocket. ‘Just in case that ugly bastard tries touching you,’ he said. ‘A dab behind the ears and the scent will cool any man’s ardour.’
‘I thought you wanted me to keep him busy?’
‘Chasing you, yes, but not touching you. Don’t forget who you belong to, Roksana.’
I took the vial and smiled gratefully, knowing that I’d fuck Reynard in the cold, wet dungeon just to spite this bastard.
‘Of course, Master,’ I said, inclining my head, hating the gesture that always seemed to please him.
Quick as a snake, Jagon reached through the bars and grabbed my chin, tilting my head up. ‘I know you hate me. Don’t think, even for a second, that you can deceive me with your fake compliance. This coy pose means nothing,’ he said. ‘I never aspired to have your love. Your skills’—he slowly looked me up and down—‘and your body, are more than sufficient.’
He released me, stepping away before placing a hand on his chest and bowing slightly.
‘Until we meet again, my dear. Don’t forget to use my gift if he tries touching you.’
I stood motionless, clutching the vial as he left until all I could hear was silence. Only then did I throw it at the wall with such force that the glass shattered. I didn’t cry. If anything, I felt numb, my forced submission leaving a sour taste in my mouth. If this was the gods’ way of telling me I’d pissed them off by injuring the king, I’d certainly received the message.
My body grew colder with each passing moment, and my thoughts turned sluggish and disorganised. Not that thinking clearly would help. There was nothing I could do against the cold.
Fuck my life, I thought, hours later, as the first blush of dawn peeked through the narrow window. I told myself the warmth from the sun finally coming up was why I’d stopped shivering, why the ache in my fingers and toes had dulled into nothing. But I knew that wasn’t right. I forced myself upright, swaying slightly as I stepped into the pale beam of morning light.
‘Roksana, what are you doing here?’
I turned my head towards the cell door, huffing a dry laugh when I saw Riordan peering through the bars with a shocked expression.
‘Me? Oh, I don’t know, trying to stay alive after some bastard locked me in here?’ I said with a shrug, curling up under the sun’s warm rays.
‘A pity the cold didn’t freeze your tongue, Viper,’ Reynard said as he came up behind Riordan, his posture surprisingly relaxed for someone who’d been woken in the middle of the night.
Another chuckle slipped out.
Of course he’s relaxed.Hedidn’t spend most of the night in a cell, freezing his butt off after being threatened.
‘How can I help you, Your Majesty? More questions to answer? Or did you come to gloat? Maybe you want the last scrap of my clothing?’ I asked, executing a lopsided curtsy.
