“Hello,” says a voice so smooth it doesn’t sound real.
I look up from my platter, coming face to face with a gorgeous demon. One I would have pegged for human except his eyes. They shine like sapphires in the light.
“Hi,” I say, meekly wiping my mouth on a napkin.
“I’m Caine.” He holds his hand out.
Slipping mine inside his, I say, “Anima.” I pick up the glass of wine and take another sip, needing something to break up the awkward. I’m not good at making friends.
“How do you like court?” He smirks like this is a joke.
“Honestly, this is all too much. I’m not one for fanfare.”
“Something we have in common. How would you spend your perfect night then?”
“Probably killing something,” I deadpan. His laughter is so loud that demons turn to see what’s so amusing.
My cheeks heat with embarrassment. I need to get out of here.
“More alike than I originally thought.” He steps closer to the table, placing his glass alongside mine.
“What is it you do here?” I ask, waving my fork in a circle before taking another bite of fruit.
“I’m the son of Lord Basrik. I’m also a commander of my house’s military.”
“Really? Wouldn’t have guessed it.”
“Which part?” A smile plays on his face.
“Being a commander—unless they do it differently in the Demon Realm. You have no calluses on your hands. You don’t pick up a sword much, do you?”
At first, I think he’s going to throw his wine in my face, but then he grins widely. It’s not friendly. I definitely went too far with this one.
“Very observant. And here I thought you were just a pretty demon in a sexy red dress.”
I flick my gaze to Nox, then over to Torque. Neither is looking. I stab my fork through Caine’s hand, pinning him to the table. He cries out in pain. This time, people pay attention.
“I might be pretty, but never underestimate what I’m capable of.”
A growl sounds behind me, and I feel his heat pressed against me. I don’t need saving, but it feels good to have someone else looking out for me for once. Life at the citadel was lonely. It was only when I met Shelley that I knew things could be different.
“Step away, Caine,” Torque grits out.
“The king-who-isn’t. You are in no position to tell me what to do. You hold no power in this court.”
Besides being a misogynistic twatwaffle, Caine is also an entitled asshole.
Torque takes a step forward, and Caine has the excellent sense to step back, holding his hand to his chest. A trickle of blood pours from the wound to stain his gray jacket.
“I told you not to stab people,” Uriel says, moving in front of Torque to cut off his view of Caine.
“He called me a pretty demon in a sexy dress.” I sneer, causing Caine to jump.
I don’t think Uriel’s eyes could roll more into the back of his head than they do. He gives me a disapproving fatherly frown before escorting Caine out of the ballroom, hopefully to kick him out.
“That guy has always been an asshole,” Torque says, picking up my wineglass and taking a sip.
I scowl, but I don’t say how much I enjoy watching him put his lips on the glass I used.
“Why are you here? We’re fighting, remember?”
He leans on the table and gets right in my face, close enough to kiss but far enough away to leave the rest up to me.
“We’re not fighting. You’re mad because you overheard the wrong thing and stomped off without letting me explain.”
He trails his fingertip up the crook of my arm and back again. Goose bumps crawl through my body… and I try to suppress the shudder. It doesn’t work, and he knows it.
“Yes, we are. You have done nothing by lie and withhold information since we’ve met. You don’t see me as your equal. No, you see me as a tool.”
He rises from the table and places his hands on my forearms, pulling me into him more. “That’s not true. Before I knew you were my mate, I may have held things back for the safety of my people, but now all I want is to live the rest of my life with you.”
“How can we make this work if you’re not honest with me? I’m drowning here, Torque, and you haven’t even offered to help me navigate this whole thing. It would have been nice to have someone explain what this is all about.”
After I check around us to make sure no one is listening, I whisper, “And this entire place is a fucking maze I don’t know how to navigate. I need someone on my side who wants nothing from me.”
“Anima, I will always be that for you. Please, let me explain everything. Come back to my suite, and we’ll talk. I promise you no more lies.”
I want to punch him in the face. Show everyone I’m a badass assassin, but part of me wants to need him. I’m so tired it would be nice to have someone help me carry them.
“You promise not to try anything?”
His smile reaches up to his eyes, “No, I could never promise that. But I will say I’ll follow your lead. I want you begging when we finally come together.”
A burst of heat goes straight to my core. Pictures of his perfect naked body underneath me flash inside my mind, and the pressure gets worse. I need to walk away.
Finding Nox is easy. He and Umbra are still on the dais, except Uriel is draped in the chair I was in and the line of subjects has left.
I wave to them as I slip out the door with Torque behind me. Nox doesn’t look pleased, but Uriel gives me a coy smile. Damn angel.
Torque grabs my hand, and I let him. The comfort of his touch is nice against the anxiety I was feeling. It’s taking too much
