of Elden. Beside them, she’d look the mountain troll her father had called her. Her pride shook under the blow, but she didn’t pull away.
Because this man, with his way of looking at her as if she mattered, his way of touching her as if he’d like to do a whole lot more, captivated her. And she wasn’t too proud to take the crumbs of his affection. Shame would strike later, she knew. But this moment when he was so hot and hard and strong around her, this moment was hers. To be kept like a jewel inside her heart, a treasure no one could steal from the ugly girl with the face of a wicked witch.
“You’re very soft down here.”
Jumping at the deep voice so close to her ear, it tookher a second to process the meaning of his words. Her hand squeezed the metal of the whisk. “You think me fat?”
“I didn’t say that.” He pressed a little deeper into her, his own body created of harsh edges and taut muscle. “You’re all bony angles—except here.”
Her skin blazed. No matter how much flesh other parts of her body might need, one part was quite happy to remain round and plump. “That’s not something it’s polite to mention.”
“Isn’t it?” Tantalizingly close to her ear again, his breath hot and wicked. “I order you to eat more. I like the softness.” Lips brushing her earlobe.
She might just end up naked on the bench if he continued on in this fashion. “The pie!” she said, grabbing for the lifeline. “I must take it out of the oven or it’ll burn.”
He pulled back at once—but she was almost certain she felt the brush of his mouth against her neck before he released her. Already regretting the loss of his touch, she picked up a thick cloth, opened the oven and removed the pie. Taking it to the counter, she put it carefully on top of a flat stone she’d placed there for that purpose.
The Lord of the Black Castle was beside her an instant later. “Give it to me.”
She wanted to turn, breathe in the scent at the curve of his neck. “It’ll taste much better after it has cooled a fraction,” she managed to say.
“You are not lying to me, Liliana?” That gentle, dangerous tone he used very much on purpose to get what he wanted; his hand—hot, rough—coming to curve around her nape.
Before she could respond, his head jerked up. “I mustgo. The residents of the Abyss need a reminder of who rules them.”
Liliana all but collapsed into a quivering puddle after he left. The man was potent. And she was playing a very dangerous game in allowing him to go as far as he’d done. If they went further, and then he discovered her identity…
“He won’t hate me any less.” It was a painful realization, but it freed her. “There is no happy outcome here for you, Liliana.” So what did it matter if she stole a few moments of happiness on the road to Elden? If she allowed him to treat her as a desirable woman, though she knew she was no such thing? It made her a thief and a liar, but perhaps once she was dead or exiled, her father defeated, the Guardian of the Abyss would forgive her the deception.
Tears burned at the backs of her eyes and she might have given in to them had she not felt an ugly chill along her spine. The kind of chill that augured the proximity of dark blood sorcery. Stomach curdling with horror and rage, she pushed out of the kitchen and ran to the massive doorway of the Black Castle.
Bard appeared out of nowhere to stand in her way.
“Blood sorcery,” she said, begging him to understand. “There is blood sorcery beyond.” Terrible and vicious and fetid with evil.
The man blinked once. “You stay.”
“No! You don’t understand! This kind of blood sorcery—” tainted, putrid “—means someone is being sacrificed!”
A stolid expression. “You stay.”
Liliana bit down on her tongue. Hard enough to spill blood. And then she whispered an incantation that had the giant slumping to the floor in a heap. “I’m sorry,” shesaid as she bent to take a
Because this man, with his way of looking at her as if she mattered, his way of touching her as if he’d like to do a whole lot more, captivated her. And she wasn’t too proud to take the crumbs of his affection. Shame would strike later, she knew. But this moment when he was so hot and hard and strong around her, this moment was hers. To be kept like a jewel inside her heart, a treasure no one could steal from the ugly girl with the face of a wicked witch.
“You’re very soft down here.”
Jumping at the deep voice so close to her ear, it tookher a second to process the meaning of his words. Her hand squeezed the metal of the whisk. “You think me fat?”
“I didn’t say that.” He pressed a little deeper into her, his own body created of harsh edges and taut muscle. “You’re all bony angles—except here.”
Her skin blazed. No matter how much flesh other parts of her body might need, one part was quite happy to remain round and plump. “That’s not something it’s polite to mention.”
“Isn’t it?” Tantalizingly close to her ear again, his breath hot and wicked. “I order you to eat more. I like the softness.” Lips brushing her earlobe.
She might just end up naked on the bench if he continued on in this fashion. “The pie!” she said, grabbing for the lifeline. “I must take it out of the oven or it’ll burn.”
He pulled back at once—but she was almost certain she felt the brush of his mouth against her neck before he released her. Already regretting the loss of his touch, she picked up a thick cloth, opened the oven and removed the pie. Taking it to the counter, she put it carefully on top of a flat stone she’d placed there for that purpose.
The Lord of the Black Castle was beside her an instant later. “Give it to me.”
She wanted to turn, breathe in the scent at the curve of his neck. “It’ll taste much better after it has cooled a fraction,” she managed to say.
“You are not lying to me, Liliana?” That gentle, dangerous tone he used very much on purpose to get what he wanted; his hand—hot, rough—coming to curve around her nape.
Before she could respond, his head jerked up. “I mustgo. The residents of the Abyss need a reminder of who rules them.”
Liliana all but collapsed into a quivering puddle after he left. The man was potent. And she was playing a very dangerous game in allowing him to go as far as he’d done. If they went further, and then he discovered her identity…
“He won’t hate me any less.” It was a painful realization, but it freed her. “There is no happy outcome here for you, Liliana.” So what did it matter if she stole a few moments of happiness on the road to Elden? If she allowed him to treat her as a desirable woman, though she knew she was no such thing? It made her a thief and a liar, but perhaps once she was dead or exiled, her father defeated, the Guardian of the Abyss would forgive her the deception.
Tears burned at the backs of her eyes and she might have given in to them had she not felt an ugly chill along her spine. The kind of chill that augured the proximity of dark blood sorcery. Stomach curdling with horror and rage, she pushed out of the kitchen and ran to the massive doorway of the Black Castle.
Bard appeared out of nowhere to stand in her way.
“Blood sorcery,” she said, begging him to understand. “There is blood sorcery beyond.” Terrible and vicious and fetid with evil.
The man blinked once. “You stay.”
“No! You don’t understand! This kind of blood sorcery—” tainted, putrid “—means someone is being sacrificed!”
A stolid expression. “You stay.”
Liliana bit down on her tongue. Hard enough to spill blood. And then she whispered an incantation that had the giant slumping to the floor in a heap. “I’m sorry,” shesaid as she bent to take a
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