The band seemed to constrict around my neck as I whispered, “Deal.”
“No,” Ren exclaimed. “Ivy, you can’t—”
“It’s okay,” I told Ren, cupping his cheek. “I got this, okay? Trust me.” Before he could respond, I pressed my lips to his. “It’ll be okay,” I said.
Ren reached for me, but Drake yanked on the chain, and I had no choice but to stand and step back. Ren caught himself with his bound hands, and the pained expression on his face broke my heart into a million little pieces.
“Don’t do this,” he said, voice gravelly. “I’m not worth it. You can’t do . . . this.”
“You
are
worth it,” I told him. “I couldn’t live with myself if . . .” Pressing my lips together, I held his stricken gaze as Drake started out of the room. “I love you,” I stated. Walking backward, I kept my gaze trained on Ren’s face until he blurred, until all I heard was the rattling of his chains as he struggled to his feet. “No matter what, I love you.”
The ancient obscured my vision of Ren, but I heard him shout, “Don’t you fucking touch her. I will rip you into fucking pieces. Ivy, no!”
I took a shaky breath as the door was shut, muffling Ren’s threats, and a second later, my back was against the wall and the prince was leaning into me. Beside us, a human male whimpered on a cot.
The prince was in my face. “If you think to cheat me or trick me, I will do things to you that will make you beg for death, but I will withhold it from you until your hair turns gray and your skin wrinkles,” he said, his voice low and deadly calm. “And that is a promise I will not break. Do you understand me?”
Thinking of the humans I saw hanging from the rafters of Flux, I shuddered. “I understand.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
I stared at the plate of roasted chicken, inhaling the savory herb scent. It smelled amazing. I should have been hungry. The last thing I’d eaten was a bowl of some kind of soup last night, almost twenty-four hours ago, but my stomach churned unsteadily at the idea of eating anything.
It probably had a lot to do with the chain around my neck. Every swallow was a painful reminder of my captivity. The only time it would be removed was tonight, when I finally got to shower. Bathroom breaks were periodic, and even then, the chain was only unhooked from the bed, and the bathroom door was left open.
Anger burned through me as I stared at the plate of food, half-tempted to throw it across the room. I was going to go crazy in this room, wondering and worrying about what was happening out in the world.
Was Ren truly okay? The prince had promised his safety, but that didn’t mean he was okay. Had Brighton found Merle and this supposed group of warm and fuzzy fae? Was Tink okay, or had he burned down my apartment in a panic? Did he even know what had happened to me? And what about David and the rest of the Order? They had to know that Henry was missing by now, that I’d been taken. I didn’t even know if Henry or Kyle had really believed that I was the halfling or if that had been a lie Drake had told.
So many questions and no answers. None.
I stretched out my legs as I pushed a limp, greasy curl out of my face. Drake had only visited me once since he’d taken me to see Ren. Yesterday. It had not gone well. I was trying to be on my . . . best behavior. Earning his trust was the only chance I had at escape, but the man made me crazy insane with anger.
Looking around the room, I saw the same thing I’d seen before. No avenue of escape. The only chance I had was to get this chain off my neck and somehow get outside. I had no idea where we were, but out there, I had a chance. In here, I had nothing.
The bedroom door opened and I tensed, drawing my legs up. Two female fae entered the room. I recognized one. It was the silvery-haired female who’d had that horrified look on her face when she saw me outside the room Ren had been kept in. She’d brought my food earlier and last night, along with the prince and another ancient. I believed her name was, coincidentally, Faye.
I had no idea who the dark-haired fae was, but she was beautiful and lithe like all fae. It wasn’t often that I saw a dark-haired fae, but the combination with the silver skin was stunning. Dressed in tight jeans and a slinky, nearly see-through tank top, she was the kind of woman who had perfectly shaped breasts that looked amazing when braless. I knew this, because I could see her nipples.
Faye glanced at my untouched plate. “You haven’t eaten.”
I didn’t answer, because I really didn’t see the point.
The other female closed the bedroom door and reached into the pocket of her jeans. “Well, we’re here to make sure you shower, so you’ve lost the opportunity to eat.”
“She can eat afterwards, Breena.” Faye stood several feet back. “The prince doesn’t want her to starve.”
I swung my legs off the bed. “You’re Breena?”
Breena’s lush red lips curved into a smirk as she eyed me. “I am.”
Slowly, I stood. “You’re on my to-kill list.”
“Is that so?” Breena shrugged. “I bet I know why.”
Fury dug into my bones. “I bet you do.”
“I told you it wasn’t wise for you to be here,” Faye replied with a weary sigh. “The prince spoke of you. She wasn’t going to forget.”
“I was hoping she wouldn’t.” Breena paused, her pale eyes full of malicious intent. “And you know who else is never going to forget my name? My little human pet.”
“Stop it, Breena,” Faye warned, glancing at the door.
My hands curled into fists. “You’re disgusting.”
“That’s not what Ren thought,” she replied, pulling the key out. “Especially not when I had my mouth on his skin, my tongue on his, and his—”
Screeching, I lurched at her. Breena easily evaded me, stepping just out of my reach, causing the chain to painfully jerk my neck back. “You sound proud of forcing yourself on someone,” I shouted.
“Who’s saying I forced myself?” She laughed darkly. “I can be very, very convincing.”
“And you’re going to be very, very dead,” I promised.
Breena snorted. “My pet had the most amazing tattoo. I traced those vines with my tongue.”
“Shut up.” Rage filled me, mingling with the bitter sting of jealousy. It was stupid to give her that kind of power, but I couldn’t help it. I knew that Ren didn’t want whatever had gone down between them. I wouldn’t have done what I’d done with the prince if I’d known it wasn’t Ren, and the mortification over that still burned brightly, but she was getting under my skin and setting up a home there.
“Give me the key,” Faye ordered.
Breena handed it over without taking her eyes off me. “He tasted like man and salt. Not a bad combination. I may have to pay him a visit.”
“You won’t get the chance,” I said as Faye approached me. My gaze snapped to her.
She stopped, wariness etched into her face as she lifted her hands. “I’m going to unchain you so you can shower. That’s all.”
The moment I was unhooked, I was going to take this chain and wrap it around Breena’s neck.
“Please don’t.” Faye’s eyes met mine, and it was like she’d read my mind. “If you go after her or cause any trouble, one of the males will come in. Do you understand?”
My jaw ached from how tight I was clenching my mouth shut.
“They’ll be in here while you shower,” Faye explained, tone almost pleading, which surprised me. “You don’t want that, right?”
“No,” I forced out.
“Then please don’t go after her,” she said, voice low. “She wasn’t with him that long. She fed on him, but that is all.”
“Keep telling her that if it lets her sleep better at night.” Breena’s laugh tinkled like wind chimes.
“Ignore her,” Faye insisted. “She just wants to get a rise out of you, see you punished. Don’t give her that.”
The breath I took felt like fire in my lungs. “Why do you even care?”
Faye's gaze flicked away from mine, and she didn’t respond. I honestly didn’t get why Faye cared if I had to strip down in front of an army of fae, but she was right. I didn’t want them in here while I showered, and I really,
really
wanted a shower.
“Okay,” I said.
Relief shot across Faye’s face, but Breena smiled like she had won some kind of battle. My answering smile was grim, because
after
I took a shower and had clothes back on, I really didn’t have anything to lose, and that bitch was going down.
Faye unlocked the chain, but held the end in her hands. “You ready?”
I nodded.
We walked over to the bathroom, and Breena followed. I did my best to ignore her presence, which was probably one of the hardest things I’d ever done in my life, especially when she started talking again.
“You need to leave the door open,” she said, smirking.
Faye winced.
“That’s not necessary,” I told them. “What am I going to do in here?”
“I don’t trust you.” Breena bumped my shoulder as she walked past me and sat on the ledge surrounding the tub, gracefully crossing one leg over the other.
I tensed as Faye unlocked the band around my neck and removed it. Immediately, I reached up, touching my bare skin, and swallowed carefully while Faye moved to the shower stall. She turned the water on, adjusting the temperature.
“Strip,” Breena ordered.
I lowered my hands, glaring at her.
Her smirk grew. “Either you take off your clothes or I will take them off for you.”
Faye sighed. “Breena.”
“It’s not an empty promise,” Breena added.
My skin prickled with anger and irritation. Part of me wanted to let her try to strip me down, but the last thing I wanted was a room full of fae while I showered. Breena had already gotten to me—she’d done things to Ren, with Ren, and now she wanted to intimidate me. No way was I giving her one more thing.
I reached down, wrapping my fingers around the hem of my thermal, and yanked the soiled material off. Then I threw it at her.
Breena’s hand snaked out, catching the shirt. The smirk faded from her face as she dropped the material onto the ground. “Cute. Does your bra actually have daisies on it?”
It did. Whatever. Unbuttoning my cargo pants, I shimmied them down my hips and thighs, then stepped out of them. Steam was quickly filling the bathroom.
“Pink panties?” Breena snickered. “How old are you?”
“Go fuck yourself,” I said, reaching behind and unclasping the hooks of my bra. My cheeks heated as the straps slipped down my arms.
“How about I go fuck your boyfriend?” Breena responded.
I’m gonna kill her.
My hands trembled as I let the bra slip to the floor.
I’m gonna kill her.
I kept repeating those words as I slipped off my undies.
“I have no idea what he sees in you,” Breena observed, arching a dark brow. “Your tits aren’t that bad. The rest of you? Probably a good thing you skipped dinner.”
“Shut up, Breena.” Faye shot her a dark, scolding look. “Just shut up.”
Breena ignored her. “Oh, look. Your tattoo is in the same place as your boyfriend’s. How cute.”
I stiffened. The tattoo—the symbol of freedom that all Order members had—was way too low on Ren’s stomach for her to have seen it without his pants coming off. Stomach twisting, I struggled to take my next breath. Our gazes met. Challenge filled her pale eyes.
“Shower, Ivy.” Faye lightly touched my arm. “Go ahead and shower.”
Skin burning, it took every ounce of self-control to turn and step into the shower. The warm water hit my skin, stinging the bruise along my hip. Faye closed the door behind me, but it was clear glass, so there was absolutely no privacy. Embarrassment made my movements jerky as I picked up the bottle of shampoo.
Breena talked the entire time I showered. She spoke of how alive she felt after feeding on Ren, and how his muscles had flexed under her hands. Then she moved on to how things would be with the prince once I got “knocked up” and delivered his child. I’d be cast aside, and she would take my place. From what I was gathering, she had a lot of experience with Drake.
So cliché.
I ignored her and focused on the simple joy of being clean, even though I wanted to shove the bottle of body wash down her throat. I was biding my time. So I swallowed the humiliation and held the anger close as I finished showering. The door opened once, and a disposable razor was offered to me. I stared at it and then slowly lifted my gaze to Faye’s.
Pink flushed her silvery cheeks. “He wants you to shave.”
“He wants . . .” I knew why. Sickened, I swallowed a dry heave. “No. No way.”
“Gross,” muttered Breena. “Humans are so hairy.”
Did the fae not get hair in the same places we did? I had no idea, and frankly, I didn’t care. I wasn’t shaving. “It’s not happening,” I said.
Something akin to approval flashed in Faye’s gaze, but I figured I had to be seeing things. She nodded and stepped away from the shower. I wanted to be clean, but if being hairy and dirty kept the prince away from me, then I’d gladly be as gross as humanly possible. When I was done, Faye handed me a towel.
Goosebumps raced over my skin as I stepped out of the shower. It was then that I realized Faye was holding a bundle of black cloth. Water dripped from the ends of my hair as I clutched the towel close to my body.
“The prince wants you to wear this,” Faye explained.
This
turned out to be a black gown. It was long-sleeved and low-cut with a high waist. Without even touching it, I knew it was incredibly thin.
“Are you serious?” I asked, and when Faye nodded, I grimaced. “There has to be something else.”
“It’s either that or you’re naked.” Breena rose fluidly. “Your choice.”
I watched her roam out into the bedroom and then I faced Faye. I didn’t get why she was being kind or helpful, but I hoped it extended to finding me something else to wear. “Please. I can’t . . . I can’t wear that.”
“I’m sorry.” And she sounded sorry. Again, I was surprised by this.
The chain and metal band lay on the bed, waiting for me. Frustrated, I took the dress from her. There were no undergarments, and I figured that was on purpose. Disgusted, I turned my back to Faye.
She stepped outside the bathroom, giving me the closest thing she could to privacy while I dropped the towel and slipped the silky dress on over my head. The hem fell to the floor, and my toes peeked out from underneath.