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“Watch your tongue,” he warned. His knuckles whitened where he gripped the edge of the table. The temperature in the room plummeted as shadows curled restlessly in the corners.

“Or what?” I pushed back on his magic with my own, a bright flash that made the shadows recoil. “You’ll punish me? Force yourself on me? That would hardly serve your purpose, would it?” I paused. “I bet you need willing participation.”

His silence confirmed my suspicion.

“And how long have you known this particular detail?” I asked.

“Since the day the ritual failed.”

“So you waltzed around my ‘no sex’ condition, feeding me sweet nothings and shadows, for weeks?”

He exhaled sharply, color rising in his cheeks. “Yes, the Heirloom’s requirement complicates things. But?—”

“But instead of just telling me, you decided to bury it beneath gifts and seduction.”

Tension rippled along his shoulders. “What would you have me say? That I’m sorry for trying to secure what I’ve worked my entire life for? I’m not. War and power are who I am.”

He was being brutally honest, for once, but it didn’t soothe my anger. I stared him down, refusing to be swayed by the shadows that wrapped around his frame. “All you talk about is power.”

His eyes darkened to near black. “Don’t pretend you don’t crave it too.”

My pulse thudded, and I took a steadying breath. “Tell me honestly: what happens if we don’t consummate this marriage?”

“Then the Heirloom remains dormant.” His gaze didn’t waver. “But Auremar still comes for you, and I still fight to keep what’s mine.”

There it was again. That possessive declaration that should have infuriated me but instead sent heat spiraling through my core.

“And what happens to me if you fall?”

“Best case scenario? You’re returned to your father, who promptly delivers you to King Auremar as originally planned.” His voice turned bitter. “Worst case? My enemies decide your magic makes you too valuable—or too dangerous—to leave alive.”

Neither option appealed to me, obviously.

But instead of despair, I felt something crystallize within me.

A realization, clear and cold as winter dawn.

What if I stopped being something to be taken and became something to be reckoned with?

My bloodline, my body, and my choice could all be wielded as weapons.

I moved closer. “Tell me, Kazimir, did you ever consider what I might want from you?”

He visibly swallowed. “What do you want, Arabella?”

My heartbeat pounded in my ears. “I want to never be sold or traded again,” I said, my voice gaining strength.

I’d been seeing myself as a victim, but there was another perspective.

One where I wielded power of my own. “I want to develop my magic without fear or shame. I want to build something that’s mine, not my father’s, not the king’s, not even yours. ”

Kazimir inhaled sharply, his pupils dilating as he watched me claim my power. The scars visible above his collar pulsed faintly. His voice was rough. “And you believe not consummating our marriage will give you these things?”

“No. I believe consummating our marriage will give me leverage.” I held his gaze. “Power of my own to negotiate with.”

The air between us thickened. Around us, objects in the room began to respond to our combined magical energy. Scrolls rustled on their shelves, markers on the table vibrated, the flames in the wall sconces flared higher.

A slow smile curved his mouth. “You’re proposing to sleep with me... for political advantage.”

“I’m proposing to sleep with you because I refuse to let anyone else decide my fate.”

A flush crept up Kazimir’s neck as his breathing became shallower.

“Such pretty lies you tell yourself.” His voice dropped to a register that vibrated through my bones.

“I’ve heard your breathing change when I move closer, or when you see me naked, and even when I shift toward that ridiculous wall of pillows between us. ”

Heat flooded my cheeks. “Noticing your physical form doesn’t mean I’ve been pining for you,” I shot back. “It means I’m not blind.”

“And yesterday’s kiss?” He leaned closer, his shadow magic swirling around us as his eyes darkened. “What exactly was that about?”

I lifted my chin. “You tell me.”

“Simple. I want you, Arabella.” His voice softened, and his gaze raked over my face. “I’ve wanted you since I first saw you standing defiant in that rainstorm. Every time you challenge me, every time your magic brushes against mine, it makes me want you more.”

My breath hitched as the tension between us switched from anger to arousal in a single heartbeat. I stepped close enough to feel the heat of his body, to see the subtle widening of his pupils as I invaded his space.

“So my defiance excites you?” I said, my voice dropping to a husky whisper. “Then understand this: I’m done being just a pawn. If I’m to be used, then I’ll choose how and by whom. I’ll take what I want from this arrangement, just as you’ve taken what you wanted from me.”

A heady sense of power washed over me as I watched Kazimir’s breathing quicken, his gaze dropping to my lips.

“And what will you take, Arabella?” he asked, his voice rough with barely contained desire.

I traced the line of his jaw with my fingertips, trailing down to the edge of his collar where I could feel the hint of scars beneath the fabric.

“Honesty,” I said, reveling in the way he leaned into my touch. “Respect.” My fingers moved to the nape of his neck, tangling in his hair. I tugged his head closer to mine.

“And?” His voice held a note of warning.

I surged up on my tiptoes, capturing his mouth with mine in a demanding kiss that released every ounce of pent-up anger, lust, and frustration.

Kazimir froze for a heartbeat, caught off guard by my aggression.

Then, the great and terrible Dark Lord’s control fractured.

He answered with a near-feral groan, hauling me against him.

A spark of dominion magic flicked against my skin like a live wire.

My own energy thrummed. I bit his lower lip hard enough to make him gasp, and felt a surge of satisfaction when his grip tightened on my hips.

The kiss deepened, all pretense of restraint abandoned as I pushed him back until he hit the stone wall. His mouth left mine to trace a burning path along my jaw, down the column of my throat, stubble grazing sensitive skin in a way that made me gasp.

“Is this what you want?” he murmured against my neck. “To use anger as an excuse for desire?”

“Is it working?” I countered breathlessly, arching against him as his hands roamed over the silk covering my body.

Kazimir’s laugh rumbled with dark amusement. “More effectively than all my careful planning and seduction, it seems.” His thumb brushed over the front of my robe, grazing my nipple and sending a shock of pleasure down through my belly.

Gripping the collar of his shirt, I managed a ragged whisper. “Then stop planning and start fucking.”

His expression darkened. Without warning, he reversed our positions, pinning me against the wall with his body, one hand capturing both my wrists above my head while the other yanked the belt of my robe until silk slithered apart, baring my body to the chilly air.

“Careful, Arabella,” he warned, his gaze devouring every inch of exposed skin. “Once this starts, there won’t be any retreat.”

I met his gaze, feeling more powerful in this moment of surrender than I had in all my days of resistance. “I’m counting on it.”