Page 24 of To Crave Deeply
“Your eyes,” he muttered. “They’re different.”
What? How was that possible?
I was about to ask what they looked like, but Her Majesty butted in.
“Well, now that we’ve made a deal, you can—”
“Whoa. Hold up there,” I interrupted, breaking away from Torsten and giving her my full attention. “I didn’t make the deal.”
She shrugged one bony shoulder. “Not my problem. The deal is bound to the body, that’s you by the way, and you are bound by the terms until you get me what I want.”
Thanks, Iveri. That’s just fucking swell, I inwardly cursed. “And what exactly did my body agree to do?”
The Witch Queen smiled deviously. “To bring me the original witch.”
Hmm, interesting. I raised my brow as curiosity grew in the pit of my stomach. “And what does my body get in return?”
“I said I’d learn how to break a soulbond.”
“Well, that’s not happening,” I said firmly.
She gave a short laugh. “Those are the terms of the deal I made. Unless you want to make a different one?”
My mind turned over her words. I could ask for anything. I was already bound to the deal, and I didn’t think I could escape it lightly. Would I be able to gain something worthwhile from this? My thoughts immediately turned to Cassian, and I’d give anything to see him again, but that wouldn’t be right. Even if it were possible to raise someone from the dead, would I want to be the one responsible for going against his wishes? That really would make me a monster.
“Don’t do it, Lori. Don’t make a deal,” Torsten whispered harshly.
“I’m already tied to a deal,” I retorted. “I might as well get something useful out of it. Severing my bond with Lucifer is not an option.”
He sighed in frustration and I could feel his need to protect me pulsing in the air between us. I clasped his hand in mine and entwined my fingers with his.
“Torsten, please trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
“You can’t trust her.”
“Probably not, but I know that, deep in my heart, I—” I stopped as a thought so brilliant filled my mind. I knew exactly what I wanted.
I turned back to the witch with my best don’t-mess-with-me expression plastered on my face. I was going to ask her for something that I bet she didn’t want to give up one little bit.
“Decided what you want, little mage?”
I strolled right up to the front of the dais with my head held high and determination in my stride.
“I want you to put Alec’s heart back where it belongs.”
Her smirk faltered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Fine. Then you won’t get your witch.” I turned my back on her and strode to Torsten. “Let’s go.”
I made it all of three steps before she ordered me to stop. I barely held back the shit-eating grin as I turned back towards the Witch Queen.
She looked pissed. Her face was flushed, and her eyes narrowed with the hatred she was directing at me from beneath her lofty crown.
Lucifer was the only other Royal I’d met, and he was terrifying when he was angry. This little tantrum she was about to erupt into didn’t frighten me one little bit. She was definitely all bark and no bite.
“You will not walk away from me,” she seethed.
“Or what?”
