Chapter 6

Barbie

Underhill shifted its scenery.

The vines released me and dropped me gently into the lake. The water was warm instead of its usual iciness.

I closed my eyes, soaking in the wild energy freely given by Underhill. Wild magic changed to a flaming ribbon, twirling around me, until I was submerged in the water.

A splash sounded in my ear, the water lapping around me. A large, powerful arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me out of the surface. I blinked away the water and peered into the chaos prince's gorgeous face.

He'd gotten himself into the lake too. He must've thought I was going to drown, not knowing that I could breathe under the water. He knew I was powerful, yet he still treated me like I was made of fragile glass, partly because of the scare I'd given him today—I'd been kidnapped from under his nose, after all, and partly due to his overprotectiveness toward me. He was also a control freak, for which Louis had called him out.

His wet shirt sleeked down his torso, showing off the contours of his taut muscles. I wanted to trace his chest with my good hand, but I restrained myself. I could never be as aggressive as Sy. She was a bad, horny witch with a killer instinct, and I was just me.

Sy growled at my description as she stood sentinel, for the first time not distracted by the high sexual tension and tender moments between the chaos prince and me.

I remained shy as I gazed up at Killian, even though we'd shared a fierce kiss right after he rescued me, even though he'd dream walked to Underhill and given me oral pleasure before he rescued me.

"You came for me, Killian!" I said again, my eyes misty with warmth. "I can't believe you came for me."

"Never doubt it, little scorpion," he said. "I'll always come for you."

My heart fluttered at his fierce protectiveness until Sy started singing and ruined the moment?—

Barbie and Killian are sitting in a tree,

K-i-s-s-i-n-g

First comes love, then comes marriage,

Then comes a baby in a carriage.

Fuck off!I barked. Or I'll sing Phantom of the Opera off key when you fuck Rowan next time.

Sy yawned, but she stopped singing. Her cunning and intelligence shone through. She was different now. It was like she'd evolved overnight, no longer being driven by her primal needs and instincts. Somehow, she'd become well-versed in many things.

Killian dipped his head and slanted his mouth over mine. A heartbeat later, I realized that it wasn't just a kiss, as his energy poured into me. I clung to him, drinking in his endless supply of starlight. Sy joined the feeding and giggled.

So addictive,she purred.

How did Killian know about my feeding habit? Had he guessed what I was? Maybe he'd gotten the idea from seeing me sip blood from the vampire prince?

A tingling sensation buzzed from my stump, until I could wiggle my fingers. I was regenerating in record time. I pulled away from Killian and stared at my hand, no longer a stump.

"I'm whole again, sir," I said. "I'm no longer deformed. What a relief! What a day!"

"You're beautiful no matter what," he said.

I beamed at him and punched his forearm playfully with my regenerated fist. "You aren't as bad as they say."

See, I was good at flirting too, when given the right environment.

"I don't care what others say, but I'll never be bad to you." He smirked at me, running his hand through my curls fondly.

"Yeah?" My heart stuttered. "And I want you to take me seriously. When your men debrief you on what they find about the kidnapping, I want to be there."

"You'll have to recover fast."

I studied my new hand. "This is a piece of cake. I've had much worse."

His face darkened to a storm. "When? And who else hurt you?"

Even if he knew, he couldn't take on an original god who ate my essence to nourish himself. It'd been a horror show to regenerate only to be his food again.

"Nothing to worry about." I smiled at him and turned my new hand. "It's all in the past now."

I'd focus on only here and now, and this moment with Killian was precious. I wouldn't let anything spoil it. I'd outlived being a victim long ago. But this time, instead of fighting my own way out or engineering my escape, I was rescued. I had people behind me now. I had Killian! How awesome was that?

I came up swinging, babe, so what was there to be sad about?

"I"m good, yeah, I"m feelin" alright

Baby, I"m having the best fuckin" day of my life

And wherever it takes me, I"m down for the ride

Sy hummed with me, mimicking the tap dance I'd done on the heirs' table in the mess hall.

"We'll get them, we'll get all of them, and we'll tear them apart!" Killian vowed.

"I couldn't see their faces, since they wore stupid masks. There were only two magic users, one mage and one something else. I killed the mage, but I think the other one got away by teleporting. They kind of know my type of power. When they got me and put that fucking iron mask on my face, I got scared. Killian, I didn't know you'd come, or anyone would come for me. I got so scared!"

"You're still in shock," he stated, pulling me to him. "But I'm here now."

"I'm in shock." I nodded. "You're here now."

To have an iron mask swallowing one's head could mess up anyone.

He stroked my cheek, sending electric shivers down my neck to my toes.

I leaned into him. "I thought no one would come for me. But you came! You came for me, Killian!" I repeated, as if I still couldn't believe it.

"I'll always come for you," he said. "But let's not get into the habit of being kidnapped. You'll not go to Underhill alone from now on. I've assigned Rock as your bodyguard."

"I don't need a bodyguard," I argued.

"You do," he said firmly. "And you should learn to be more scared."

I blinked at him. "But didn't you say not to fear?"

He gave me a long look. "In your case, fear is good, so you won't rush into danger. But don't fear too much. You're safe now."

For how long? I still couldn't tell him about Ruin, afraid this cozy and wonderful connection between us would be ripped away, afraid of seeing disgust on his face if he learned about my origin and the curse I bore. Who wanted a girl who could eat magic for breakfast and bring blight upon the land?

They say relationships can't be built on lies, but then, I could never really have a relationship with the heir of the House of Chaos, could I?

Fuck it.

I wasn't going to make my head spin by thinking further.

Live in the moment,I reminded myself.

"I brought this on you, Barbie," he said regretfully.

Yes and no. Even if I'd stayed a boy, trouble would still have come for me. That day in the ice rink, Headmistress Ethel and the druid had planned to take me and put me in a cage, and Killian had saved me, though his method was questionable.

I'd thought I could ditch Ethel, the druid, and their sentinels, but if they had anything to do with the kidnapping, they knew more about me than they'd let on. I shuddered inwardly at the alternative of the druid taking me and holding me captive.

Killian pulled away, self-loathing in his storm-blue eyes, as he thought that I also blamed him for what had happened to me. I'd been snatched under his watch.

I seized the front of his shirt, clinging to him and refusing to let him go, and an electric connection hummed between us.

"I'm here. I won't go away." He sighed, light swimming in his eyes, banishing his negative emotions. He liked to see me cling to him.

"What happened to me was bound to happen sooner or later, sir," I said. "It's silly to blame yourself. I wouldn't blame myself for being reckless either. I'm glad to be in your house, but it seems I'm a little unpopular."

"That's the understatement of the century." He cracked a smile. "You were born to annoy the hell out of people." He traced his thumb over my cheek. "Even so, I'll keep you safe."

Now that her hand has grown back, you need to go. You have run out of uses, chaos heir, Underhill said mercilessly, and the shadow beasts growled threateningly.

On the bank, a bed paved with flowers arose.

Barbie needs to sleep for a full recovery,Underhill added.

"I can watch her," Killian said.

And you don't think that's creepy? Underhill asked. Get out!

A black wind whooshed out of nowhere, tossing Killian out of the dark fairy forest.

I opened my mouth but was too stunned to voice my objections.

A moment later, I heard a loud thud outside Underhill, accompanied by the chaos prince's profane curses and the other heirs' vengeful roars of laughter.

"That must hurt, Killian!" Silas purred gleefully.