MATURE FANTASY** slow burn* 🔥 He is a predator who thought he captured an ordinary girl... but her mind is sharper than any of his claws.
Ariana lives in the shadow of her monstrous father in a world barely held together by a treaty. Until her l...
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The Lysian female sauntered closer.
"I cleaned up the mess on the outskirts as requested," she stated with a voice incredibly sweet. That was when I noticed the sword strapped to her hip and the blood dripping from it. Her pale gaze turned once more to me, noting my attention on her wet blade, and she smiled callously. "The great Bavadrin Leader Superior," she mocked, coming to stand beside Clause and folding her arms over her chest. "You look no more than just a meek little Bavadrin."
Clause clicked his tongue, leaning back in his chair with an arrogance only a King could have. "Behave yourself, Malavika. These are my dinner guests." He pretended to lightly reprimand, though by the glint in his eye, he was clearly intrigued. There was something unyielding to the Sidhe King. His presence and control had an ultimate finality to it. There was no way he did not know the Lysian would enter the room, that she would be displeased by my presence. In fact, it was likely to have been all orchestrated, but to what end? Allowing someone to insult his dinner guests did not seem like a good way to make friends. However, I did not know if friendship was even his goal.
"I apologize." She flashed a hostile smile. Not at all sorry. Her gaze drifted over me once more, full of judgment. "So, let's see your conjuring. It must be pretty spectacular for someone like you to have single-handedly freed yourself from the control of the Lysians."
They seemed to know so much about what had happened. With dread, I realized that someone must have shared the information with the Sidhe.
Could they truly have spies in my lands?
"I am not here to entertain you," I stated dismissively, wondering whose blood left a trail behind the Lysian. Who's blood still dripped from that blade on her hip?
She ignored my words. "Why did it take you so long to finally free yourself? Was it because you couldn't get enough of the royal Lysian brothers? Tell me, did you sleep with all of them like a true Bavadrin tramp?"
Heat blossomed in my stomach at her words.
Landin's gaze drifted to me as he clenched his jaw. Thankfully, he remained silent and seated as instructed by both Edda and myself before we ever came to the Sidhe.
Clause kept his focus on me the entire time, monitoring my movement and the emotions that he would not see because of my wonderfully schooled features. I had years of practice controlling my face to hide the thoughts that passed through my mind. Those thoughts from the past were not so different from those I was currently having.
It was clear the Sidhe King wanted Malavika present. He wanted her to push my buttons, likely hoping to anger me into using my conjuring. I expected him to at least ask to see my gifts first before trying to force them from me. He did not even give me that chance. Instead, he decided to play things out by force. That only irritated me further, for I did not appreciate their games. I was not a puppet. And if they wished to fight dirty, then I could do that too.
