Page 13 of Thief of Dreams
The prince reaches out and touches the tip of his finger just beneath my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. They blaze, full of mercurial temper. "Now you're insulting me."
"I mean no insult."
A dangerous smile touches his mouth. "That one tastes a little like the truth, though it's not entirely there. Yet. It makes me curious. You have no liking for this Summons. Do you know what I think?" he murmurs.
"What?"
"I think, for all your talk of illusion and lies, you shroud yourself in them."
It strips the smile from my lips. "What?"
"You play courtier with a honeyed tongue. You dodge and deflect with assured grace. Every word you've spoken tonight has been a misdirect, a gilded statement." He leans closer, and my back meets the wall. There's nowhere to go. "You're not the only one who's not interested in lies, my lady. Why are you here if not for me? What does the Lady Merisel want?"
Probably to stop retching.
He's good. And I cannot afford for him to rescind the invitation. Not just yet. I've barely had a chance to look around. If he can pluck the lie from my tongue, then I need to get better at deflecting him. "Perhaps she wants freedom?"
He stares at me for a long, slow minute.
And then he nods.
"It's not that I'm not flattered, my prince," I swiftly say. "But... I'm not entirely certain an alliance between us serves my interests. You seek a bride, and no doubt when you find her, you intend for her to live here with you. You're a powerful prince who rules this entire court, but what would your bride become?"
"She would sit at my right hand."
"And would she be free to make her own choices? Her own decisions? Would she rule jointly, or would she be your plaything?"
His brow furrows. "I have no interest in pretty playthings."
"But you haven't thought about it," I press, tipping my chin up higher. "You have us all dancing to your tune, but what would change when one of us becomes victor? Would I be free to come and go as I please? What does the Prince of Dreams want? What role doeshesee his bride fulfilling?"
"What do I want? A queen to serve at my side, to rule forever with me. And she would have her freedom, to a degree, as long as she knew she wasmine."
"But would you be hers?" I whisper.
His gaze drops to my lips. Hands press against the wall on either side of my waist.
Nowhere to go. No escape.
Only the hard cage of his body.
"I would be hers," he promises. "Forever and always. If she gave me her trust, she would have mine. If she gave me her heart, she would have mine. If she gave me her soul...."
Her soul.
Panic flares within me. Of all the things he could ask for, he cannot have that. I don't even own it myself. Yet.
"But would you be the first to offer your heart?" I whisper. "Or would you demand hers first? You speak of trust, but I'm not entirely certain you can give it."
"Three thousand years is a long time to know the kiss of betrayal."
And that's all I can offer him.
I close my eyes, breathing in the nearness of his body. "A heart—a soul—is no mere thing to trifle with. Without trust, can either be given?"
The shadows pull at me, and I'm surprised by how strong the urge to flee is. It's just a man. Just a prince. Just a promise of carnality.
He wouldn't be the first I've twisted around my finger, though it's the first time I've wanted to play back. And that bothers me a little.
