Total pages in book: 362
Estimated words: 347293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1736(@200wpm)___ 1389(@250wpm)___ 1158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 347293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1736(@200wpm)___ 1389(@250wpm)___ 1158(@300wpm)
“You haven’t accepted or rejected mine,” Kolis pointed out.
“You do not need to right now,” Aydun broke in. “Neither of you does. You both have time to think it over.”
“That is true,” the false King said. “But do you really need the time?”
“Do you?” I shot back.
Kolis’s lips curled up in a poor replica of a smile, and then he towered over me, no more than a foot of space separating us. Gasping, I jerked back out of shock as my heart kicked violently against my ribs. Even with my newly heightened senses, I hadn’t seen a flicker of movement from him. That was how quick he was.
Not even Ash could move that fast.
The bastard may look weak, but he was still incredibly powerful.
And I was…I was still very much afraid of him.
His smile widened, reaching silver eyes full of swirling crimson flecks. The tips of his fangs appeared. My stomach twisted sharply as my very insides flashed cold. An icy sensation crept down my spine, stroking the essence. It flared hotly as I forced myself to hold still and not back off, even though every instinct screamed for me to do just that.
“Kolis,” Aydun warned, his voice low. “You know the rules.”
“And I haven’t violated a single one,” Kolis replied, his gaze locked onto mine. “I’m only speaking to her.”
“And that could not be done as you were before?” the Ancient countered.
“It could.” Kolis’s head tilted and lowered, sending a lock of hair falling against a sculpted cheek. He inhaled deeply, and his lip curled. “I can smell him on you.”
Tiny bumps of dread broke out all over my skin. Revulsion rose, choking me.
That fucking smile grew even wider. “I could’ve punished you for the lives you took when you were here as a guest.”
“A guest?” I sputtered.
“I could’ve punished Nyktos more severely for killing one of his brethren,” he said, his voice clear but his lips barely moving. “And for attacking me, his King. I would even be within my rights to punish you for your blatant disavowal of my authority and for calling another ‘King.’ Wouldn’t I be, Aydun?”
“You sit upon the Throne of the Gods,” the Ancient replied stoically. “But she bears the Crown of Crowns.”
The flesh beneath his eyes thinned until I could see a sheen of crimson bone. “I could’ve killed her many times over,” Kolis answered, those swirling eyes still fixed on mine. “Easily. But I didn’t. Does that not matter?”
Aydun may have answered, but I didn’t hear him. I didn’t even see anything beyond Kolis. It was almost like it was just him and me. Breathe out. And it didn’t feel like we stood in Cor Palace’s atrium. Hold. It felt like we were in the Sanctuary, in his private chambers, and I was—no. I was not caged. I was free.
“Instead, I was generous and kind,” Kolis said, but I swore his lips didn’t move. And—
Gold glinted dully from behind Kolis. My gaze darted over his shoulder. I didn’t see the throne. Panic trickled through my veins as I saw bars, but that was impossible. I’m not there.
“I was gentle with you. Considerate.” Kolis’s voice throbbed. “Even pleasing.”
There had been nothing pleasing about what Kolis had done. I hadn’t wanted to feel anything. He’d forced it. But I wasn’t there. Kolis was standing in front of me—
Or was he? Panic surged like a trapped, wild animal because I could feel him behind me, beneath me, his arm too tight around my waist, and his hips rocking—
Every inch of my body was drenched in an icy downpour of raw, sharp fear as I felt that twisted tremor in his arms as he held me. Pressure settled on my chest, causing my breath to hitch as I felt the rapid pounding of his heart against my back, his hand sliding down my side, grazing my breast and clutching my hip. Breathe in. The essence swelled at the memory of the unwanted heat of his bite. Hold. My fingers twitched, tingling. Breathe out. I couldn’t stop him. I couldn’t do anything but sit there and take it, just as I had with Tavius, with all the training, with—
I was trapped.
“Kolis.” Aydun’s voice suddenly thundered, snapping me into the present. “That is enough.”
Breathing heavily, I stepped back as I stared up at Kolis. We were in Cor Palace. The gold behind him was from the throne and all the other tacky décor. There were no bars. He was standing in front of me, and…
I glanced down. Was the floor trembling? My gaze flew around the atrium. The thick swaths of material covering the windows were swaying. A fine layer of dust drifted down from the ceiling as stone cracked like thunder somewhere in the chamber.
“Do I scare you, Seraphena?”
My head whipped back to Kolis as eather pulsed through me.