Page 9 of Courting Envy
Lucien.
Chapter five
Lucien
Already,Ravahadchanged.She’d slept for days, and at times I wasn’t sure whether she would pull through the transformation. But here she was, beautiful horns emerging, dark fingertips, a shimmer of scales, and there, in her chest, the gem I’d placed. I could feel the way it connected us, the tremor of power flowing back and forth and wondered whether she could feel it too.
When I’d seen her on the stage, her voice as pure as angels, as deep as the ocean, I knew that she would be my next attempt. When Father left the depths of Hell, cursed his sons to find our fated mates in order to unlock our power, we knew that it wouldn’t be easy. For a hundred years I searched, tested, failed, and now she is here.
My Queen. The key to breaking the curse and claiming all Hell for myself.
If I could figure out how to break the curse, anyway. Dearest Dad had been a bit vague on the how.
“You’re awake,” I said.
Rava shot up from the bed, her hands balling into fists at her side. I could see the emotions warring for ascension on her face: fear, horror, rage. The slightest flicker of hope. She was still an open book to me, as all humans were, though I knew that in time it would be harder to read her feelings. This place would change her. It changed us all.
“What did you do to me?” she hissed.
I stepped closer. She shrunk away, but kept on her feet, as if she couldn’t bear to be beneath me. Not now, anyway, though the night we met was another matter entirely. A smile tugged at my lips as I remembered the way she’d tasted.
“I gave you a blessing,” I said. “You were just a mere mortal before, and now you are the Queen of Envy. With you by my side, we will rule this place.”
“You didn’t ask me if I wanted this,” she said. Her words were ragged, frayed around the edges. She would get over this. I knew she would. Her life would have been short had I not come along, she’d have burned out quick, her voice would fade, her star would fall.
But here? Here she would rule forever. Here she could be the brilliant gem in my crown, be worshiped by my people in the way that she deserved.
Couldn’t she see it?
Was her human life still too close to dream that big?
I moved closer still. I could smell her now, still with that taint of human on her, whatever shampoo she’d washed her hair with back in the mortal world. I wanted to touch her, draw her to me, remind her how she had begged me for more.
“I’m offering you a crown, Rava. The power of Envy runs through your veins now. You will be so much more than you were.”
She huffed out a mocking laugh. “Great. Another man who thinks he knows what’s best for me.” She put one hand on her hip and shook her head. “I had everything I wanted. I was at the peak of my career and you ripped that away from me.”
I pulled back, reeling from the venom in her words. She really had no idea who I was. Where we were.
It was time to show her.
I dug the fingers of both hands into my chest, tore my human form apart, stretching free from the confines. Tan skin fell away to reveal pale purple-grey. Black wings popped free, golden horns pushed through to curve up and back. The gold etchings on my skin shimmered in the light and I tilted my head to the side, cracking my neck as I straightened to my full height.
I towered over her now and the look of fear in her eyes warmed something inside me.
Maybe now she would take me seriously.
This was Hell. And in my circle, I was the ruler.
Rava had paled. She stepped away, putting more space between us. She shook her head, her mouth forming soundless words.
“Do you see now, Rava? You are in Hell now. I am the Prince of Envy, and one way or another you will be my queen. You already wear my jewel.”
Her hand went to her chest, fingers grazing the emerald there. It seemed to flare with light under her touch and I felt a pang of envy that my blood, my power, would make it shimmer for her.
And not for me.
I needed her. Needed this. A queen to break the curse. A key to unlock the magic of this place. Bitter rage at my father clawed at my stomach, pushed me to walk towards her, to claim her again.
