Page 7

“You shall spend six years as our seventh brother’s prisoner,” said Silas.

“I only count five of you,” I said.

“Our seventh is a beast,” said Sephtis, but I could not imagine anything more terrifying than him, who had cut me so easily and tasted my blood.

“He cannot be worse than all of you,” I snapped, though dread seeped into my veins as I spoke those words. Somehow, I knew he was worse.

“I suppose you will find out,” said Silas.

There was a beat of silence as I stared at the five, uncertain of what happened now. Would they march me through the forest to the doorstep of their seventh brother’s kingdom?

“Where is your seventh brother?” I asked, considering how quickly I could reach for my ax, which still sat on the table near my bed. I could feel its presence burning my skin, I wanted it in hand so badly. “Why is he not here?”

“No one has seen the Thorn Prince, not in nearly ten years,” said Lore.

“How can you be certain he is a beast?”

“Because we’re all beasts,” said Sephtis, a smirk on his face.

I reached for my ax.

The movement sent a shock of pain up my side. It squeezed my lungs and held on to my breath, making me dizzy. Still, I shot to my feet, unsteady on the lumpy bed, and lifted the ax over my head, angling for the elf closest to me, when a great wave of magic hit me square in the chest.

I fell, but instead of my knees striking the hard floor of my room, I hit lush carpet. Despite the softer landing, every injured part of my body screamed and a pained cry tore from deep in my throat.

It was too late to swallow, and still I slammed my mouth shut, grinding my teeth against the pain, though it was nothing compared to the sudden sense of dread that numbed my body as a cold, sensual voice dripped over my skin.

“Well, what have we here?”

Slowly, my gaze rose over shiny black boots and well-muscled legs clad in black leggings. They were so tight, they left nothing to the imagination. My eyes widened at the indecent outline of his cock, something that would normally be covered by a long tunic, except he was shirtless, the hard lines of his abs and powerful shoulders on display, obscured only by a ring and a white tooth which hung at the end of two silver chains.

I took him in—all of him—before meeting his gaze.

Black eyes stared back, and while it felt ridiculous to say, they were so dark, they felt almost endless like the well. A sudden fear seized me, an instinctive knowledge that if I drew too close, I might fall into those eyes.

This was the seventh brother—the beast.

He looked like his siblings, the dark-haired ones, but there was still something different about him, something harder and darker. His forehead was high, his cheekbones too, and his lips were full and colorless.

He was beautiful and cold, like winter in Elk.

My fingers closed around the handle of my ax, and I rose to my feet.

“Stay back!”

His lips curled into a wicked grin.

“Oh, vicious creature,” he said. “Are you here to kill me?”

“If you give me a reason,” I replied, tightening my hold.

“I could give you three.”

“I do not need three,” I said. “One will suffice.”

He chuckled quietly, never losing that mischievous glint in his eyes.

“One then,” he said, and his smile slowly faded. “Kill me…before I kill you.”