Page 77 of Seduced By Darkness

Fury blights those almond-shaped green eyes. Our stares meet, and my thumb, casually stroking Vi’s hand, goes still.

Say it. Agree to it.

Take the fucking lands.

But perhaps she sees my eagerness.

“Thirteen years then,” Adaia whispers. “Thirteen years before Iskvien must make her final choice. But if you lose, then I will take your life too. For the audacity in daring to touch my daughter.”

“I’m not going to lose.” I have to trust in fate. I have to trust in Vi.

“Then swear it,” she hisses. “Swear it thrice, or I am done with this entire mockery of a treaty. Or do you not trust her love?”

“I swear it,” I snap. “I swear it once, twice, thrice.”

Vi gasps. “No!”

I squeeze her hand. “I trust you. I trust what we have. You will never choose her. I know that.”

She swallows. “It’s not me that I don’t trust.”

I lift her hand to my lips and kiss it. It doesn’t matter what Adaia does; she can’t destroy the promise of what we have.

“So be it.” Adaia draws herself to her full height, smiling darkly. “Enjoy the next three months, my darling daughter. I shall see you again come the spring.”

And then she turns and stalks from the Hallow, taking all of the oxygen with her.

* * *

“What in theUnderworld were you thinking?” Thalia demands, the second we’re safely in my council chambers inside the castle of Ceres.

She hasn’t dared raise her voice before then.

Too many ears who didn’t need to hear this argument.

“I was thinking that I would have her despite the costs,” I snap. “Adaia wasn’t going to back down.”

“You offered yourlife,” Thalia growls out. “You played directly into that bitch’s hands.”

It’s Vi who comes to the rescue.

“His life is safe,” she says into the ringing echo within the chamber. “I will never choose my mother. I swear it.”

“She’ll try to turn you against me,” I warn. “She has nine months every year to do so.”

Vi’s smile is tremulous. “She can try. She’s spent my entire life trying to mold me to her whims.” A stubborn expression comes into her eyes. One that promises trouble for me, if I ever try to stand against her. “She didn’t succeed then and she won’t succeed now.” She takes my hands in hers. “Thank you. You don’t understand what it means to have someone fight for me like that.”

“Always.” I capture her mouth in a swift kiss.

We’re home. We’re safe.

I want to show her my world. I want to take her into my city and let her explore. But first, I want to pick her up, throw her over my shoulder and carry her off to our chambers.

Someone clears a throat.

“As lovely as it is to see you so happy,” Finn says, “it’s starting to get a little awkward for the rest of us.”

I make a rude gesture in his general direction and then finally break the kiss. “Get used to it. Nothing is going to change—”