The Goblin's Heir

Chapter Eleven: Spilled Wine

I had known having Bran around was dangerous for multiple reasons that exceeded the fact that a god used him as a meat puppet. He was too handsome, too charming, with a sad little sob story to make him all the more alluring. Cat never stood a chance. A cold sort of anger, altogether different from what I'd felt earlier, settled into my bones as I watched them maul each other. 

"Go! I mean it this time." Cat pleaded, pushing against his chest to stop him from claiming her mouth again.

"But your bed was so warm." He laughed.

Cat swatted his shoulder. "You're going to get us caught saying stupid shit like that." She hissed beneath her breath. She stepped back inside, starting to close the door.

"Come on, just let me sleep an hour more."

"Goodnight, Bran." Cat chimed, closing the door in his face. 

Bran stood there a moment, laughing, looking at the door like he could see through it then started to walk back in my direction. 

I drew myself up to my full height and rounded the corner. Somehow he managed to pale at the sight of me. I didn't say anything at first and neither did he. We walked towards each other, each of us pretending nothing was amiss. It felt like we were two knights taking part in a joust, hurdling towards each other, preparing to strike. 

"Empress Matilda." Bran gave me a nervous nodding bow, lowering his wings slightly. 

I smiled at him as we passed each other. A closed-lipped, deceptive sort of smile. I could hear his relieved exhale of breath as he walked away without me saying anything, assuming I hadn't seen or heard the latest of his transgressions. He was almost at the end of the hallway before I opened my mouth and let the cold hatred out of my lungs. "A little late for visits isn't it?"

He stopped cold and turned toward me and I did the same, glaring down that long hallway at each other. His wings and feet shifted anxiously. He cleared his throat. "Cat and I were playing cards and lost track of time." He lied boldly to my face. 

"Do you always kiss your friends like that after a game?" I asked. His jaw clenched causing the muscles there to twitch beneath his skin. I took another deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. "The next few days are going to be hard for everyone, especially your father. Don't you think your time would be better spent with him rather than fooling around with my niece?" I spat the last few words. 

I saw a brief flash of anger pass through his features, his brow pinching, his mouth twisting in an ugly way as he fought against a building snarl. He quickly doused it. "Fooling around?"He scoffed in a huff. "Is that what you think we're doing?"

A smile that could shatter glass stretched my mouth painfully. "Enjoy your stay. I can promise it will be your last." 

"No, please, don't send me away." He reached out to me. His throat bobbed, panic, fear, seeming to choke him. "I love her." He said softly. 

"No," I hissed, silencing him, "if you did, you would've stayed away from her." He looked him up and down, disgusted by what I saw, squirming beneath his skin. "You know what you are."

"I couldn't." He admitted, his entire being tense with dread. "I tried. Believe me, I did, but I-"

"I should've left you in the Abyss." The words scraped out of my throat without a thought. He visibly flinched at them. I'd dealt with The End to get him back. A bargain to undermine another's. I'd traded numerous souls for him. They were Seelie souls, so the price had seemed cheap at the time, but he wasn't even worth that much. I'd done it mostly for Ib, hoping to spare him the heartache I was going through, but there wasn't a day that had gone by that I hadn't regretted it, not a second that I did not hate that he still breathed while Magni did not.