Page 86 of Rook of Ruin
I grab two towels, and Ossian busts in the bathroom door. His chest is heaving, he looks between the two of us. We stare back. Nora calmly turns off the water, and I hand her the towels.
I glare at him. “What are you doing here?”
He readjusts his posture, face blank. “I heard a scream.”
Anger flares under my skin. “We are obviously fine.” I move my hands showing that we are alright.
Nora mumbles, “Speak for yourself.” She marches through, past Ossian and into the bedroom.
“You did your duty, so go.” I dismiss him. I actually dismiss the Spider. Pride soars because Icandismiss him. I’m fucking married to a prince.
“Did he hurt you?” Ossian asks softly. Grey eyes on mine.
I try to keep a blank face like his. “No.”
“Are you sure.” Not a question, a statement.
“He did not hurt me. Simon would never hurt me. What right do you even have to ask me?”
“There is a broken chaise and blood on the bed. If he hurt you, you can seek an annulment. The queen would allow it.” His eyes bore into mine.
This is not his business. Raw anger pours from me. “Howdareyou. You, of all people, have no right to even suggest that. Simon would never hurt me, helovesme. He has protected me with his life. He has saved my life. Unlike you, you fucking coward.” I’m so angry, I begin to shake. “We were Rooks together. You left me in the field, alone! How could you do that to a fellow Rook? Where is your honor? I thought maybe, of all Rooks, the Spider would be someone to fight with me, for me, but I was wrong.” Ossian stares at me in shock, and I laugh bitterly. “I had to fight the monsters myself. Do you know what that was like? No, you don’t because you left me there. You fucking prick.”
“Fight for me.”The words flitter across my mind, but I push them away, refocusing on this dickhead in front of me.
“The Spider is supposed to know everything. You didn’t know where I was when I was kidnapped, but you know everything about me. What else could you possibly want?” He opens his mouth to speak, but I’m seething and don’t allow him to. “How much do you want to know? Do you want to know how many times Simon and I made love? Do you want to know how many times I came for myhusbandso you can store it away and use it against us?” His grey eyes flicker, and for a brief moment they are silver, full of fury. “I’m surprised you haven’t peered into my mind yet to find out. You practically broke me with your power last time—what’s one more time in your twisted, fucked-up game?”
“O—”
“Did you do that to show everyone how powerful you are and how worthy you are of knighthood? If it weren’t for myhusband, I could have died. You didn’t even try to tell me, your fellow Rook, what to expect that day.” My brace lights up, as if I’m trying to heal the hurt this man caused me. “Did you even try to find me? Do you know what they did to me?” I’m screaming and tears are forming, but he doesn’t deserve them. “I sure asfuck don’t. I do know the poison they gave me almost killed me, and if it wasn’t for Simon,again, I would be dead. The poison took everything—I must be so fucking traumatized that my mind is broken because I can’t fucking remember. Simon told me that . . .” I sigh, and my voice goes low and threatening. “It doesn’t matter what Simon told me. It matters that you are in our room. Fucking leave.”
Ossian doesn’t move, but I can see his jaw twitch with rage.
Violence pure and simple leaves my fingers as I pick up a bar of soap and throw it at him. I will it to strike deeply into his heart. Instead, it bounces off his leathers and onto the floor. Ossian doesn’t flinch; he just looks at it and then me with a twitch on his lips. My chest is heaving. Fury beneath my skin is bubbling, and I choose to fight him.
I stomp over and shove him with my hands. He’s an unmoving wall. Tendrils of his midnight hair fall out of his low bun and across his scarred lips. For a moment, I hesitate because I look up into his eyes, and something tingles in my mind. Then I become all too aware of how close we are. Recklessly, I snap. I walk past him and pull Simon’s dagger from the drawer.
“If you do not leave, I have the right to defend myself.”
Amusement crosses his face. Ossian shrugs his muscular shoulders, his brown leathers pulling as he does. “I’m here on behalf of the queen, and this is her castle, which I believe means she owns this room too.” I throw the dagger, and it lodges into the wall, nowhere near where he stands. I must be losing my touch. Surprise flickers across his face.
“Get out!”
Ossian doesn’t move.
I glare at him in his grey eyes. “I. Fucking. Hate. You.”Truth.
Nora gasps.
Ossian’s mouth forms a ruthlessly cruel smile, and his brace glows. “I see this is not a good time to gather your brace. I willsend someone else to collect it,Princess.” It is a slight, not in reverence. I watch him go. Relief fills me until I look at Nora, who has guilt written clearly all over her face.
“Nora, are you okay? I’m so very sorry. This isn’t your fault. I—”
“You know what, O? It fucking is.” Nora leaves me stunned, slamming the bedroom door behind herself.
What is happening?I pull the dagger from the wall and replace it in the drawer, then I take a few breaths and leave our room. I can’t stand being here.
Outside my room, I find boxes lining the corridor, and servants scurry around me as I enter. They emptied my clothes, my desk, and my personal belongings. A maid walks by with the drawing and the red leather book.
