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DIANA

T en days.

It has been ten days since I was taken from my home. One moment, I was waiting for a carriage to arrive, and the next, I was waking up in a prison cell.

Well, it’s not exactly a prison cell, but the lack of freedom does make it feel like one.

I am in Daqet, where I intended to go—but Aunt Viktoria is not sick, and I am not here to say my goodbyes. Despite already knowing why I’m truly here, the situation I find myself in now did surprise me. I knew I would be kidnapped and taken to Daqet, and he knew this would happen the whole time.

Rein Survale had better count his days, because I can assure him, he does not have many left.

The sound of my door creaking open snaps me out of my plans of revenge, and I see a head poke in. That familiar long, shiny, black hair makes its appearance before the beautiful face of the person it belongs to, and I feel my heartbeat begin to flutter.

“My angel, are you alone?” His voice caresses my ears and creates the most beautiful song I have ever heard. My heart doubles its beat as I see him step through the threshold.

“Of course I am. Do you really think Erebus would let me see anyone in captivity?” I rise from my bed and meet him at the door. He glides through and quietly shuts it behind him.

The moment the door clicks shut, he picks me up and spins me around until I am almost sick with dizziness. Soft laughter dances through the air as I become breathless and giddy with delight.

“Odious! Put me down, I’m going to be sick!” I slap his shoulders, and he slowly comes to a stop. He does not put me down, but instead assesses me thoroughly, his crystal blue eyes becoming dim with worry. His wide grin slowly fades as his expression becomes deadly serious. “They have not been feeding you well. You are becoming too light.”

They certainly have not , I think to myself. I still get three meals a day, but for the past few days, it has only consisted of only bread and water, the bare minimum of what it takes to keep someone alive.

I wiggle out of his grip and carefully slip to the floor, avoiding stepping on his toes. I sigh and walk back to my bed, sitting on its edge. “No, they have not. Just scraps for the past few days,” I chuckle to myself.

“I feed my farm animals better than this.” My heart aches at the memory of my perfect little farm back in Eza. I had raised horses, chickens, pigs, goats, almost any animal of which you could think. My favorite of them all was a black-wooled sheep named Sibbi. She was my pride and joy, and a gift from Odious.

Odious pinches the bridge of his nose as he begins to pace back and forth. “What is it with this fucking palace? They cannot even provide a simple meal!”

I can feel his intensity swirl around in the stagnant air of my room as he stops pacing and grabs the clock resting atop the fireplace mantle. He quickly raises his arm as if he’s going to throw the antique directly at the wall.

“Odi, don’t!” I jump forward and stop him just before he chucks it. “Someone will hear,” I whisper to him. I’m now standing chest-to-chest, blocking him from his intended throwing path. His chest rises and falls in quick succession as I take my other hand and caress his face. His gaze is fixed on the wall behind me, a strong fire burning behind his ice-blue eyes as he becomes lost in thought.

“Odious, look at me.” I move my hand to grasp his chin and tilt his head down to face me. He does not fight it. He allows me to drag his soul-burning gaze away from the wall to meet mine. His eyes flicker back and forth between mine, and a single tear escapes his eye and rolls down his cheek.

“I cannot do this anymore, Diana. I cannot bear to watch the way they treat you.” I stand high on my toes and kiss away the wet trail the tear leaves as it drips off his chin. He is well over a foot taller than me, so my kiss just barely makes it to his face, his devastatingly beautiful face.

“I know, but we can’t act rashly, not now. We are so close, Odi. They will be here any day now.” I continue to kiss the sharp line of his jaw as he lowers his arm and lets the clock fall to the floor.

“Shh. I don’t want the guards to think someone else is in here,” I giggle as I move my kisses lower, trailing down his neck.

“Damn them all to Hel, no one was keeping watch anyway.” Odious grabs my face in his hands and lays a gentle kiss on my forehead. I close my eyes and breathe in his scent. Some days, I can’t believe he is actually standing in front of me. His voice is much preferable to mysterious words on paper.

“It’s just us, Diana. Nothing and no one will ever come between us. We will get our revenge, my sweet angel,” he whispers against my temple as he holds me against his chest in a tight embrace—one I never want to live without.

“Yes, we will.”