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“Pure.” I looked up at him, my cheeks burning. “My… mate and I, we never…”

Theron said nothing, merely watched my face, his green cat eyes positively glowing.

“What did you do with his body?” I finally asked, realizing I had a tight grip on the skirt of my dress, crinkling the fabric in my sweaty palm.

“You’ll see.” His words dripped with menace, and I felt nausea wash over me. “Now, where was I?” Theron rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Ah, yes, of course, Queen Eloise. She had a son already, my older brother. Only six months separated us, but it may as well have been a century. I was merely the bastard, and he was the crown prince. And Eloise, loving mother as she was, never let me forget it,”

I wanted to ask what had happened to his brother, but I kept quiet, not wanting to make a sound. I felt like I was trapped in a cage with a viper.

“The evening we learned of the Uprising, Eloise came rushing in here.” Theron gestured around the room scornfully. “She raced in here, begging Mokosh for power, for mercy.” He laughed maniacally. “So sad for her that she did not find it.”

“What did she find?”

Theron slinked towards me. “She found me.”

I willed my breathing to stay even, as he walked right up to me. His gaze darkened as it fell upon my face, and he raised an eyebrow.

“She looked at me, much as you are looking at me now.” He raised a hand to my cheek, stroking it gently with his cold fingers. “Such confusion. How could her son, her beloved son, be standing over her, threatening her life?”

“You killed your own mother?”

His hand gripped my throat suddenly, and his eyes narrowed. “Not my mother. Just the bitch who told me I was worthless my whole life. Who made me pay the price for my father’s infidelity.”

I couldn’t make a sound as his hand wrapped itself tighter around my neck, just held the gaze of those terrifying green eyes.

“Oh yes,” Theron said with a heavy breath, “right over there, on those steps, I stomped her fucking head in. I pounded her into the stones until there was nothing left but blood and bone fragments, and then I found my father and cut his fucking throat.” He lowered his mouth to my jawline. “Do you doubt me?”

I shook my head, my jaw trembling so violently my teeth were chattering. “N-No.”

Theron hissed in a triumphant breath. “Good.” His eyes met mine again. “Your little performance up there, dear one, that was most impressive. And as much as I’d love to be the first one to claim that perfect little Fae cunt, I have much more interesting plans for you.” His mouth moved to my ear. “By the time I am done with you, you will be begging to be in my bed, believe me.” He shoved me away suddenly, and I nearly lost my footing as my shoe caught in the hemline of the dress, the satin sliding against the floor beneath me.

“Go to bed, Elara.” He commanded. “Go to bed, and prepare for the days ahead. I’m sure you’ll find it all very amusing.” He stalked out of the temple, into the warm summer evening.

I sank to my knees, my hand rubbing my neck, still feeling the icy grip of his hands. His parting words sent shocks of horror down my spine, and I wondered just how bad things were about to get.

Chapter9

Elara

The flat of Rook’s sword caught me in the side, and I hit the ground hard, dust flying into my eyes and nose. I spluttered, my fingers flexing around the hilt of my sword.

“What the fuck was that?” Rook asked, walking around me, his bare feet padding through the dirt. “Where are you today?”

“I didn’t sleep well.” I pulled myself into a crouch and rose to my feet. “I’m just tired.”

It had been a week since my interlude in the temple with Theron, and I’d barely slept since that night. Every time I closed my eyes, terror took over. Nightmares plagued me. Intermingled with the dreams of Rook that left me waking soaked in sweat and cheeks burning with shame, now I was pursued through the darkness by Theron, watching him murder his mother over and over again. And every dream ended the same way - him pointing at me with blood-stained hands, telling meYou’re next.

I was clinging on to my sanity by my fingertips, petrified each and every day that something awful was coming.

Rook shook his head and sighed loudly. “Tired gets you killed.”

“Oh fuck off,” I muttered, rubbing my hip, which throbbed from the impact of the ground.

Rook leaned down over me, his blue eyes blazing. “What was that, princess?”

“Stop fucking calling me that!” I lashed out, shoving my hand square into his chest and pushing him away from me. I swung the sword, rage coursing through me, and he brought up his own in time to deflect my strike away from his neck.

“Are you crazy?”