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She shrugged again, slowly walking from the side of the cage to where I stood. Eather crackled from her eyes. “You won’t tell Kolis.”

“You’re far too confident in that.”

“I’m not confident. I just know I’m right.” She moved as close as she could without touching the bars. Only a foot separated us. “You won’t tell him because you know how he’ll react. And despite what I say, you wouldn’t put me in that position because you’re such a good and decent mortal.”

Tension crept into my shoulders. “You’re right.”

Her smile turned smug.

“But you’re also wrong. I’m neither good nor decent since I’d rather see you dead than punished.”

Veses’ laugh was like wind chimes. “I see jealousy makes you say terrible things.”

The embers stirred in my chest as anger continued to flare. “I know.”

Her head tilted. “About?”

“About the deal you made with Nyktos.”

Veses’ smile faded.

Mine returned. “Kolis seemed disappointed in you for not telling him about my presence in the Shadowlands. How do you think he’ll feel knowing that you made a pact with his nephew to keep any knowledge of me hidden from him?”

Astonishment briefly lit up her features. “He told you?” Her eyes met mine as a cunning smile replaced her previous astonishment. “Did he tell you how eager he was to strike the deal? How much he enjoyed—?”

“Spin all the bullshit you want about yourself.” A rush of rage caused the embers in my chest to go crazy. “But don’t even try doing that to him, you sick bitch.”

Veses sneered, baring her fangs. “How dare you speak to me in such a manner?”

“How dare I? What in the gods’ names is wrong with you?” I struggled to keep the pulsing embers down. “There is no way you don’t know how disgustingly wrong what you’ve done is. You cannot be that demented.” The moment the words left my mouth, I realized that Kolis was that demented, so Veses likely was, too. I shook my head. “Clearly, what happened the other night in the Council Hall wasn’t the first time. You know what that feels like.”

“I already told you, I enjoyed—”

“I don’t care what you claim!” I shouted, and her eyes widened as a burst of energy left me, blowing Veses’ skirt back and causing the chandelier to swing. “You know what it feels like, and you still did it to someone else—someone you were once friends with. Yes, I know you two were close at one time. But that didn’t matter, did it?”

Her eyes widened as her gown settled around her feet. A moment passed. Then another. “It’s not like I hurt him.”

“You didn’t…?” My hands curled into fists. So help me gods, I was going to kill this bitch. I would find a way. “What did Kolis say? That despite how beautiful you are, you say such ugly things?”

Her chest rose with a deep inhale.

“He was right.” My body trembled with rage. “He just forgot to mention how ugly you are on the inside.”

Silvery essence poured into her veins. “You know nothing about me, little girl.”

“Little girl? I thought I was the fat girl,” I retorted. “And I know enough about you, Veses, to know just how depraved you are on the inside.”

“I’ve tried to protect Nyktos!” she shot back. “And I’ve done so at great risk to myself.”

“You tried to protect him by forcing him to allow you to feed off him? By getting off on it?” My heart thundered as I tried to rein my anger back in before I lost control completely. The last thing I needed was for Kolis to sense me using the embers. Damn it, he could’ve already noticed. “You’re a godsdamn mess.”

“And what are you?” Veses demanded, eather snapping into the air around her. “That’s a rhetorical question. I know what you are. A whore.”

I huffed out a dry laugh. “You really need to work on your insults, Veses. They’re truly pathetic.”

“It’s not an insult when it’s the truth. You had Nyktos. Was he not good enough? You had to take Kolis?”

“Take Kolis?” I cut myself off before I said anything she could use against me. I briefly closed my eyes. “Why are so many of you out of your minds?”