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I fight against the magic binding me, face reddening. It only riles the dāemon and works me further into a panic. I give up and focus on slowing my breathing. I need to remain clear, calm and focused. I can hear their voices carry from the other room, hers and his, but I can’t make out the words. My ears prick. It sounds like she’s angry based on the cadence and tone. There’s a loud thump and I can move again, the magic lifting as suddenly as it came on.

I rise from the bed slowly, listening. Floorboards creak under the pad of my feet as I make my way toward the door. I squat down and press my ear against the wall. Their words are still too muffled to make out, so I move over to the door frame and press my ear to the gap. First, I only hear the sounds of coughing—the prince’s coughing.

“Thirty more dissidents are gone, Nightshade. They’re getting past the ward somehow. Keep letting them, and they’ll become a real threat to us. Baron is working with them.”

The prince continues coughing for several more seconds. “You don’t know that,” he says hoarsely.

“I want him gone.”

“If you want that—that’s going to take me some time. I can’t watch Lemuria and deal with Baron at the same time.”

“Then deal with Baron quickly,” she hisses.

The prince huffs a breath. “You’re going to get me killed.”

“I will consider it an honorable sacrifice.”

“And who’s going to do all your errands for you when I’m gone? Valik?” he snorts.

“Don’t overestimate your importance, Cernunnos,” she croons. “Besides, if it weren’t for me, you’d have died long ago.”

“Oh, yes, thank the Gods you were here to turn me into a monster.”

“You were already a monster. I just gave you purpose,” she hisses. “But don’t die right now. I need you… and your new wife.”

“Speaking of which, what the fuck are you doing, Morin? You’re going to piss off the Scions. Even the ones that like to see me suffer won’t like it. I don’t see how that’ll aid in all of your big ambitions.”

“Have you ever thought maybe that’s the point?”

“You need them. I can’t see why you’d want to piss them off over something as trivial as this. To get your revenge.”

She laughs. “Oh, Sitri, you would’ve made such a shitty king. Speaking of which—where is she? You haven’t discarded of her already, have you?” I go very still, debating if I should retreat back to the bed.

“As much as I’d like to, I thought you might object. She’s asleep.”

“Is she?”

“Yes,” the prince says curtly.

“Funny because one of my eyes just reported someone leaving your room.”

“Hear that already, did you?”

“I give you a wife, and you decide you’re finally going to start bringing women back to your bed?”

“You don’t get to tell me who I can fuck, Morin.”

“What kind of torture are you already subjecting the poor girl to?”

The room goes eerily silent, a quiet premonition chilling the blood in my veins. There’s no time to move before the door comes crashing open. It smacks me in the forehead and shoves me back several inches as I’m bathed in the exposing light. I scowl up at her, clutching a hand to my pulsing forehead. The Queen’s heels click as she strides forward to get a inspect me.

Sitri’s eyes widen meaningfully behind her.

“Not sleeping after all.” She leans down and drags a nail under my chin. I yank my face away, and she laughs.

Knock it off, the prince mouths, slashing a hand across his neck. I glare back at the both of them. I’m not going to cower no matter what their intentions with me are.

“Look at that, Nightshade, she’s cute.”

He snorts. “She’s a nought. Wait until you hear her speak.”

“Isn’t that what you always wanted? Pretty, dumb and powerless,” she says, voice lilted with amusement. She taps a finger against the end of my nose and I dig my nails into my palms as the dāemon sends sharp, building shocks through me. “You’ll serve your purpose here beautifully.” She finally turns away and I expel a breath.

“But she has such an attitude for a lowly nought. Teach her some manners, Nightshade, or the Scions will do away with her before I’ve gotten my use out of her.”

Sitri shakes his head at me from behind her back. “Find me when you get back from Lemuria.”

“You know I will,” he says heavily.

“It didn’t have to be like this, Sitri. You know you made this bed. Now lie in it with your nought.”

Sitri’s silent as she slips out the door, and the sound of her heels echoes down the hallway. He lifts a hand up to his neck. He notices me watching and his face twists into a furious sneer. “Divine fucking mother, you really are fucking stupid, aren’t you? Get out,” he snarls. His hand drops from his neck to expose the notable red line there as if something had been wrapped around it, choking him. “I said—GET—THE—FUCK—OUT.”

Before I can will my limbs to move, he gestures and magic whips at me like a sudden gust of wind—fast and hard. A startled yelp spills out of me as I slide across the floorboards. I claw at the wooden grain of the floor. It does nothing to slow my forward plummet. My body tenses and crumples as I’m sent crashing into the shelf on the opposite wall. Pain pierces my shoulder as it takes the brunt of the impact, and the shelf teeters dangerously. Something falls off and slams into the back of my head, dazing me and stealing the breath from my chest.

I bite back the urge to cry out. My eyes well against my control. I clutch a hand to the back of my head as the room spins. The offending item, a hefty crystal ball, rolls across the floor and comes to a still.

I should’ve already left. I should’ve already made my escape. He’s threatened me, used magic to bend me to his will, but this is the first time he’s actually hurt me. My brave facade crumbles, and I shrink back into the shelf. I am completely powerless. I peek up to see what it is he intends to do next, yet there’s no malice in his face. Instead, a silent o on his lips and eyes wide with horror.

It vanishes so hastily that I question whether I’d really seen it at all. “Next time, listen,” he snaps before slamming the door shut behind him.

I wait one hour, clock ticking in the background like a heartbeat counting down. Once the hour is up, I slide the chest open. “Change of plans,” I whisper to Div. “We’re leaving tonight.”