Page 226 of The Chains You Defy

“I love it when you’re jealous.”

“I’m not.”

“Sure.” Gently, he placed me on a rock and ensured I wouldn’t slip off my seating arrangement before he let go of me.

There was so much going on in my thoughts. My skill at stringing actions together so they made sense was lagging behind, and I wasn’t too sure how to change Dion’s mind if he settled for murder again. I needed our friends’ support.

But the others were absent. They must have left us alone without me realizing. Typical.

Dion took his time rifling through his bags but finally unearthed a pair of pants and a tunic. No underwear as usual, also no armor, but at least some boots.

“Nayana. I’ll demonstrate something important to you, namely that I won’t tolerate anyone hurting or disrespecting you any longer.”

As if I hadn’t witnessed him kill in my name enough lately. But I kept quiet, and if I were honest, more so than the Courtlings, Danartha deserved Dion’s wrath.

Only when his eyes rested on me expectantly did I scramble some words together.

“Dion, I don’t want you to end anyone’s life for me.”

“Are you sure?”

He stalked over to the puddle, and once he bent down and pulled the figure up, the remnants of the viscous material evaporated into nothingness.

My lips opened in surprise when I found out that his ex was actually still alive. Staying seated became impossible, and so I rose to my feet. Luckily, I wasn’t too dizzy anymore.

“You were naked when touching her?”

“I wore darkness.”

“But her, Dion?”

“I brought her here to vanquish your foe.”

The female fae fought against the prince’s grip, but from experience, I knew her efforts were in vain. Did I also appear so helpless and amusing when I struggled to escape him?

Dion’s face was set in stone as he glared down at the noble female, who was crying and screaming in sheer panic.

Much to my own horror, the empathy I usually possessed failed to kick in. Danartha deserved every bit of fear.

But did her behavior justify death?

And if I managed to convince Dion not to murder her, would she stay away from us or come back to bite us in the ass later?

“I can see your thoughts spiraling, my love. But all that pondering is futile. Danartha will perish, but the decision of how is yours. If you wish, I’ll torture her for hours until she’s nothing more than an empty shell before putting her out of her misery.”

Easy to say, this was what he longed for, according to the mad glint in his eyes.

Reminding myself that this male had slaughtered a whole ballroom full of adult fae plus an entire tribe of ancient ones not that long ago—and maybe had even triggered the apocalypse—I swallowed the barbed lump stuck in my throat.

He was lethal and dangerous, and so vengeful that calling him unhinged and borderline insane was much too tame, but he behaved this way because of his innate need to protect me. A warmth like sunshine spread through my veins, which was unwelcome in this situation.

I had to be careful, or Dion would corrupt my morals instead of me helping him to rediscover his own.

“What do you demand, my goddess?”

“Don’t let him do anything to me.”

“Silence!” Dion roared, and magic flowed into Danartha’s mouth, gagging her.