Two girls. Two secrets.
Only one can survive.
Years before Nelle Wychthorn plans her escape, Tabitha Catt may unearth something in a Horned God's lair that is the key to freedom.
Desperate to save her beloved aunt from a dark curse, Tabitha is out t...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Varen stepped up right behind, crowding up against me. Heat warmed my back while my front pressed against cool wood, a sharp contrast. The atmosphere instantly changed in the room. It flooded with the threat of an oncoming storm, and a whisper of an icy breeze chilled my skin.
"Please, let me go." I wanted it to come out harsh and cruel, but it came out breathlessly instead, like an invitation. My hair was slowly gathered and swept over a shoulder. My neck was exposed to him. Vulnerable to a predator. All the fine hair at the back of my neck prickled.
A single blunt-tipped finger was pressed against the nape and slowly caressed downward. A single stroke of possession that sent a shiver down my spine. Not entirely unpleasant. My skin flushed with arousal and fear and pleasure.
Lips pressed to my ear. His warm breath washed over the sensitive shell. I stifled a moan as my fingers clenched tight around the door handle, and a sensual ache pulsed within my secret place. "I still got hold of a vial of glamour potion for you. And you," he purred, "should have been more careful with your word." When I thought back on it, he was right. In the servants' shortcut, after I'd touched him, I'd promised an exchange—one night for a single vial of glamour potion. I hadn't made him promise that he'd administer it to Laurena, I just asked him to get glamour for me.
Hot lips met my neck and sharp teeth raked my skin. I was swallowed up by his size, his power, his masculinity, and the threat he held over me. "Here's the thing..." he said, tossing my own words back at me. He dug into his pocket and was about to pull out something when he cursed, digging deeper into his pocket, then rifling in the other one.
He took a sudden step back and I twisted around to face him, wondering what he was doing.
He glanced up. Startled violet eyes met mine. "The ring, it's gone..." He glanced away, raking a hand through his hair, staring at the door as if he could see all the way outside the mansion. "I must have lost it out there..."
The battle with Jurgana.
Guilt tasted acidic on my tongue. I schooled my features to appear innocently surprised.
He hadn't lost the moonlit ring. I'd stolen it from him, and it now was hidden in my trunk along with Laurena's hair and all the other bits I needed for my spell. And Varen thought he lost it—thank gods. Now at least he wouldn't realize I'd been the thief. At least there was something good that came out of this mess.
But when his eyes honed on me and gleamed with menace, cold fingers wrapped around my gut. He threw something up into the air, light reflected off its shiny surface, and then grabbed hold of it. He presented it to me, pinched between his fingertips. Close enough for me to see, but too far away to snatch it. A single vial of glamour potion.
"I only promised to get the glamour." He looked cunning as if he had the upper hand and my stomach pitched violently. "You owe me one night," he held a forefinger up and pointed it at me. "Thief."
