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“What does that have to do with his hair?” I lowered myself into the chair, my back straight as a rod, as though I was waiting for Theron to strike at any moment.

“The kingdoms all had something that was special, something that was significant in their culture,” Theron went on, his eyes still fixed on the garden that sprawled below us, his fingers tapping against each other. His wings rustled quietly in the morning breeze. “For the Hux, it was the strangest thing, their pinky fingers.” He turned to look at me, raising a hand, extending only the smallest finger. “Such a silly thing.”

I tried not to let my breathing betray me, to let him know how barbaric I found this conversation. “Imagine.” It was all I could say.

“They truly believed the source of their power lay in these pinky fingers.” Theron curled the finger back and forth. “So, I cut it off and put it in a little glass case in my study.”

My stomach turned. “The poor Hux Princess.”

“Indeed.” His gaze shifted for a moment to my missing ear. “I suppose it’s a shame someone beat me to that, a pretty Fae ear would have been a valuable contribution to my collection.”

“Our ears hold no power,” I said flatly.

“No, but they are so very pretty.” Theron grinned. “Anyhow, the Isambardians all have long hair. Oh, you should have seen Rook in his prime, what a sight to behold. Long, flowing, curly black hair, down to his waist. A truly regal Prince.”

“And you cut it off?” I asked. “To spite your captive?”

Theron shrugged. “Spite, power, who can tell in times of war.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “I have his hair in a braid, hanging over my desk. As a reminder of everything I have claimed, and all that is mine.”

“But it didn’t weaken him, did it?”

Theron laughed. “There was some talk of a belief they hold, that the longer their hair is the closer they are in spirit to their dragon selves. But since Rook cannot change into one any longer, I’ve not been able to test that theory. Perhaps the Night Demons are simply more superstitious than they’d like to admit.”

I swallowed down my disgust at his sneering. “So, you have a finger and a length of hair, what other wonderful trophies did you collect?” I didn’t really want to know, but my anger wouldn’t allow me to let him just pass this subject over as though it was nothing.

“A finger, hair.” He counted them off on his fingers. “Skin bearing a tattoo, a necklace which was a little boring honestly, and two sets of eyes.”

Eyes.My stomach turned even more violently. “Eyes? You took their eyes and wondered that they died?”

Theron chuckled. “Those two shouldn’t have been a surprise, certainly.”

“And what happened to the others?”

“One killed herself, flung herself off the tower.” He gestured above us with a wave of his hand. “Couldn’t take it evidently. Then, one turned out to have been pregnant, and she died giving birth to the babe.” His lips curled as he looked at my face. “Especially tragic, indeed.”

“And the others?” Gods, my father had saved me from this. I wanted to think I’d have survived, that I would have been tough like Rook, that I would have seen it through, but Mokosh knew I probably would have ended like the other heirs.

“They got sick, or became careless, and…” He shrugged, throwing his hands into the air. “And I was left only with Rook.” Theron smiled at me. “He says you’re training extremely well. I shouldn’t be surprised. Seeing you take on that griffin, that was quite something.”

“Thank you, Sire.” My back was still ramrod straight, my whole body on alert as the golden wings spread even wider.

“I trust Rook completely,” he went on, dusting his fingers over his velvet trousers absently. “I even look the other way when he fucks the scullery maids, though it’s against the Accord.” He chuckled. “The stories that have circulated at court, the things I have seen myself.” He raised his gaze back to meet mine. “Would you like to know?”

I shook my head. “It’s none of my business.”

“One night,” Theron said, leaning back against the window frame, his eyes fixed upwards. “Oh , it was a ball or something here, I saw him fuck some lady from the flatlands outside the Great Hall, and my goodness.” Theron laughed heartily. “The sounds she was making! In the absolute fucking throes of passion!”

“How wonderful for her.” I wished he’d go away. I didn’t want to talk about this, and I certainly didn’t want to talk about this to Theron.

“Yes, definitely.” Theron leaned forward, his green cat eyes glinting. “They have special anatomy, you see. The Night Demon cock is equipped with a series of bumps and ridges, made especially to elicit the most pleasure from a female when he fucks her.”

Sweat formed on the back of my neck, a combination of extreme discomfort at Theron’s words, and anxiety over having Rook in my bed, knowing so much about him now, such intimate things about him. I shook my head. “I had no idea, how fascinating.”

“Indeed.” Theron grinned. “Do you touch yourself, Elara?”

My cheeks burned, and my eyes dropped to my lap. “Sire, I’m sure I don’t know how to answer that.”

“That’s a yes then.” Theron laughed heartily. “Of course you do, lying up here alone, after all those… dreams you have of our very own Isambardian prince. You must need to release all that tension somehow.”