Page 26 of The Ever King

I shook my head.

He laughed, not gently anymore, almost wicked. “You’ve now told me three lies, Songbird.”

“What did you call me?”

“That was what you wanted to be, wasn’t it? The songbird the serpent didn’t destroy.”

From the inside of his tunic, he produced a string of twine around his neck. On the end, a silver swallow. As bright and smooth as the day I’d tossed it into the cell.

Blood froze in my veins. I didn’t blink when his thumb abandoned the horridly intimate place beneath my dress and tucked beneath the jaw of his mask. Time slowed when the stubbled jaw came into sight, the scar that puckered one part of his top lip, until those seductive eyes turned cruel and vicious.

The mask thudded onto the floor.

Not possible.

My mouth moved before my mind could convince it to keep quiet. “Bloodsinger.”

His lips curved in a vicious snarl. The point of one of his slightly elongated teeth sent a shock of fear to my chest. “Hello, love. I promised I’d come for you. Have you figured my lie yet? For I have figured yours.”

The way he had me balanced on one leg made it hardly an effort to kick my feet out from beneath me. I screamed as I fell. In the next moment, Bloodsinger had me on my back, his body forming a cage over the top of me.

“A bruise? Is that what’s on your arm? No, I don’t think so.” He slid the sleeve of his tunic up his arm where a raised scar, nearly identical to mine, marked the place below the bend of his elbow. The same rune in beautiful filagree designs. Bloodsinger leaned his face alongside my cheek. “Where is the mantle? You said you’d keep it safe.”

He’d slaughter me if he ever found out. I thrashed, trying to squirm out of his grip. Erik merely tightened his hold and smashed my arms to my sides. “Why so afraid? Did you change your mind about seeing me again?”

“Go to the hells,” I spat.

“That’s not polite, love.” A scream scraped from my throat when he gripped my jaw. “Now, I’ll ask again. Where. Is.My mantle?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know.” Bloodsinger clicked his tongue in disappointment. “No doubt your father does, right, Songbird?”

I pinched my lips. He was mad if he thought I’d put my mistake at the feet of my father. I’d never give up any of my family.

At my silence, he laughed. “That’s answer enough. Up you go.”

Long overdue, my damn instincts recalled I was the daughter of warriors. I clawed at his face. Again, he yanked my wrists over my head. I kicked at his legs. He pressed all his weight against me. My knee sought every bleeding man’s weak spot, but before I could thrust my leg, Bloodsinger had a stiletto dagger leveled at my throat.

“That’s enough. All these turns, I thought you wanted me to take you away from here.”

Teeth bared, I lifted my forehead to his. “Touch me and my father will hunt you down to the depths of your hellish kingdom.”

His laugh rattled against my body.

“Oh, love.” Bloodsinger stroked his gloved knuckles over my cheek. “That is exactly my hope.”

The bastard gripped my hair and dragged me to my feet. I screamed and thrashed, and in the next breath had a soft, black scarf wrapped around my wrists. In and out, he wove the fabric like chains across my skin. When I fought, when I flailed my arms, he hummed and tightened his grip on my skin. Bastard enjoyed the fight.

Once my wrists were bound, Bloodsinger slammed me into his chest. “Let’s take a walk.”

I spit in his face.

Through a wretched sort of laugh, he gripped my chin, arching my neck. “Hear well your options. Walk with me, or I order my crew to slaughter everyone. I swear to you, those drunken fae downstairs will never see them coming. I’ll be sure to point the loneliest men at that pretty friend of yours.”

“You bastard.”

He slammed my back to the wall. The force of it robbed me of my breath.