Chapter 22

A s Ember followed Lily back to her room, she had the impression that the castle was busier. In the common areas, dozens of fae servants hurried about, ferrying bundles of linen and mysterious boxes to who knew where. In Cole's domain however, the halls were at peace, everlasting candles flickering gently, twilight pressing against the windows like a soft blanket. The gloom grated on Ember's nerves, oppressive and somehow menacing. What was wrong with sunlight? Perhaps too much sunshine would cause Cole to melt or catch fire and that's why he had made everything shadowed and dark.

"No, that's vampires," she said aloud, and Lily paused, throwing her a quizzical glance. "Never mind."

There came the sound of marching feet and she turned, thrown to see Lissa, flanked by several guards in full military uniform, marching toward her. Grudging relief passed over Lissa's face and she gestured at Ember, saying to the guards, "There. I knew we'd find her," and then to Ember, "Where have you been?"

"What do you care?" said Ember, hardly able to believe her ears. "You could have killed me!"

"I know. I'm rather surprised I didn't. Still, all's well that ends well. For you, that is." Her tone was flippant, but she wasn't quite her usual cocky self and there were livid bruises on her wrists, as though someone had grabbed and held her while she struggled. "You'll come with me now. The prince will be eager to see you. He's had all the guards out searching for you. Is it true when humans die, your body just … rots? Revolting." She gave a delicate shudder and then jerked her head at Lily. "Get out."

Lily gave Ember a quick, apologetic glance and scuttled off, but in her anger, Ember barely noticed.

"Never mind me. You say you support Cole, yet you'd do that to him? Distract him, make him worry about me so soon before the tournament? That's a terrible thing to do."

Ashe might have told Cole she was unhurt, but naturally, he would have used her disappearance to upset his rival and gain advantage. Ember had played into his hands all too well. The idea upset her. She was Team Cole, not Team Ashe. She should have gone to Cole immediately to tell him she was okay. It was all her fault. The collar around her neck suddenly felt comforting and warm, and abstracted, she stroked it.

Lissa said nothing more, but turned on her heel and strode down the hall in the opposite direction, the guards falling back and waiting for Ember to catch up. The guide bobbed up and down uncertainly, and Ember called to it over her shoulder, "Sorry! See you later." Holding her skirts up out of the way, she rushed after Lissa, and the group hurried through the castle.

They came to the doors of the magnificent ballroom, where Ember had first met Cole. The waiting guards flung the doors open and Lissa swept through, Ember trailing in her wake.

Unlike before, the room was empty, save for a few servants and guards. Cole sat on the great white throne on the dais, chin in his hand, grimmer than Ember had ever seen him. When he saw her, his eyes lit up, and he leaped to his feet, moving to her.

"Your Highness!" Ember said, and that was as far as she got before he crushed her in his embrace. He kissed her forehead, her eyelids, and then her lips, and then pulled back, green eyes searching her face.

"But you look well! Not a scratch."

"I had a slight tussle with a …" she couldn't remember the name for a moment, "a scylla, but I got away. I'm not a bad swimmer."

She was loath to mention that Ashe had blasted the poor creature into a charred corpse. She had a feeling Cole wouldn't like it. A glint showed in Lissa's eyes however, as though she had picked up on something in Ember's tone and suspected Ember was hiding something.

"Lissa should not have done that to you," Cole said, without so much as a glance at Lissa. "She will be punished. And then perhaps she will remember that she does not interfere in matters of the throne, no matter how important she thinks herself."

Lissa whipped her head up, hands upturned in appeal. "Your Highness, I apologise again. I can only say that I did what I did, to protect you and the Swords. This… creature… is disloyal and —"

"Disloyal?" shouted Cole, glaring at her, and instantly the servants and guards fell to one knee, heads bowed to the ground. The silence was absolute. A chill of fear crept over Ember, turning her stomach to knots. "When she wears my mark? How can she be? She is mine!"

There it was again, that presumption that she could be owned. And what mark was he talking about? But she wasn't about to interrupt Cole when he was like this. She felt an overpowering urge to sink to the floor as well, avert her eyes from him, make herself as small as she could so that his fury would pass over her. But to her grudging admiration, Lissa held herself motionless, as though Cole's temper were of no consequence at all. She hadn't even flinched.

"Come," said Cole to Ember and held out a hand. She took it with trembling fingers, and he led her up on to the dais. He arranged himself on the throne and pulled her onto his lap. She sat gingerly on his knee, looking down into the ballroom. Lissa stood alone on the floor below them.

"Lissa," Cole said in a grave tone. "You have caused grievous harm to the throne, and you shall suffer the consequences. Ten lashes."

For the first time, a look of fear passed over Lissa's face, and Ember felt a wave of pity for the girl. She whispered to Cole, "Your Highness, it's alright, I'm fine. Maybe just a telling off? She was just cross. Don't hurt her, please."

"Your mercy does you credit," Cole said, and his hand snaked around her waist, drawing her closer to him, so that her back rested against the broad warmth of his chest. His fingers angled themselves in her skirt and brushed against the warmth between her legs. She squirmed, wondering if anyone in the hall could see this, but all had their eyes to the ground, even Lissa, and no one was paying any attention. He pressed harder, his fingers stroking her, and her muscles clenched with pleasure beneath his hand. He lowered his voice and murmured in her ear, "A merciful princess. A merciful queen."

Two guards brought over a purple velvet-covered bench from the side of the room. One forced Lissa to her knees and pushed her down so that her torso rested on the bench, head hanging low. Then he took her dress at the neck and tore it off.

The delicate fabric came apart easily in his hands, baring the length of her back and the top of her buttocks. Her skin showed the tracing of light shadowed marks across it, the scales of her heritage. Lissa raised her head and gazed up at Cole. Her eyes were liquid with pleading, and even in her awkward position, she still gave an air of grace and beauty.

"Your Highness, any injuries to me could jeopardise my standing in the tournament," she began.

"It had better not," Cole snapped. He crooked a finger to another guard, who immediately came forward, although with his head averted, he couldn't possibly have seen Cole's gesture. The guard's gloved hand went behind his back, drawing forth a long leather whip tipped with gold tassels. He coiled the end around his fist and let the length hang, the braided leather swinging slowly, back and forth.

"You can't choose this… this human , over me," Lissa cried, her control slipping for the first time.

"It's none of your business whom I choose," said Cole, and as if to make his point, put a gentle hand to Ember's face and kissed her full on the mouth, a deep, passionate kiss that made her melt into him, arching her hips against his hand. When he pulled away, his eyes glittered, his mouth curved into a smile. He didn't take his eyes off Ember as he said slowly, "Perhaps, after the tournament, when I'm the Sword, I'll make her fae, and then she can stay forever."

Ember gazed back at him, her eyes wide. Become fae? All thoughts of home flew out of her head. All she saw was Cole, the dimples in his cheeks, his eyes burning into hers. She kissed him again, harder, her tongue deep in his mouth, as though they were the only two in the hall. He slipped a hand under her dress, and she parted her legs, wanting to give him easier access to her slick heat. She'd forgotten about Lissa, forgotten about everything but the wild desire building within her under his teasing fingers.

There was a whistle of air, a loud crack, and then Lissa cried out in pain.

Ember jerked away from Cole as though torn from a slumberous dream. A bloodied welt showed stark against Lissa's skin as the guard raised the whip again.

"No," Ember cried, and half rose from Cole's lap in protest, but Cole dragged her back again, his grip unrelenting.

He whispered in her ear, and despite the horror she felt at seeing Lissa beaten, the warmth of his breath sent pleasurable shivers down her back as he murmured. "No. You watch."

He licked her earlobe and kissed her neck, and her head fell back against his shoulder. She tried to close her eyes, tried to turn away from Lissa, writhing and crying out with every harsh crack of the lash, but she couldn't. She could hardly even think straight anymore. Cole's hands were all over her now. He pushed the lace of her underwear to one side and dipped his fingers into her wetness before sliding them up to caress the hot bud of her clitoris, gently at first and as she moaned, with a steady deliberate rhythm. Two fingers slid into her, just a little, making her buck her hips, wanting him deeper. The length of his cock was hard against her, and images flew through her fevered mind, of her settling before him and running her lips and tongue over him, here in front of everyone. Her hands slipped down to caress him, and he growled approvingly. He kissed her again, and again the whip came down.

He's getting off on this, she thought, with the dim rational part of her brain that was growing more muddled with every caress of Cole's hands, every kiss he took from her. And then, like a slap in the face, she realised, and so am I .

The thought of being aroused by this, by this torture , was horrifying, instantly sobering, and with a momentous effort, she pushed away from Cole, shaking her head. "I don't want this."

Cole's eyes glittered and he let her up, doing nothing to stop her as she stumbled down off the dais, and fled the hall, but she heard his words as if they were being whispered in her ear.

"Yes. You do."