His stepmother his queen

ps wer

hun

ey met-it w

punis

with just enough force to remind her that he was

still tasted like t

d to pull a

his voice, dark and guttural, whispere

ddered. "Lucie

this time. Possessive. Dangerous. A storm

"I've dreamed of this. Hated myself for it. W

is shoulders, nails sh

ips against her throat, "here you are. In m

table, the rum bottle tipping and crashing

boy anymore,"

her collarbone. "No. And you

for a moment-it felt like the world stop

assion, the g

ep whi

ng ancient stirred in

ll crackled

between the

shirt still discarded, fingers clenched at his sid

, robe half-open, hair a mess of si

.. her eyes w

, "So that's it? You use me like a wea

r robe, slowly. Like s

gry," she

ve. For the first time in

n, fac

talk, Isolde. You came to

flin

ed power," he growl

Bare feet against

he snapped. "Revenge? A crown? Or

aw cl

hem in one step, gripping her wr

t the

le

d, "Your father wasn'

en f

ha

as cu

ice cr

se... starte

fhan

her, breath cau

ryt

a curse, heavier than

" he whispered, stepping clos

't flinch.

he price

ell, sudden

tly. "But it didn't take her soul. It dem

rtbeat roare

e you?" His v

tterly. "No.

de the window. A thunde

ward the sound-j

he look

e was

losed. The windo

allion lay

ppi

sea