Chapter 27

‘How did you get in here?’ I swallowed.

His head cocked to the side, eyes narrowed in suspicion. ‘The same way you just arrived.’

I suppressed a curse, wishing I’d included him in the wards that I placed around my room to keep undesirable people out.

I casually walked towards the day bed in the corner of my room, intentionally creating space between us. Plopping down, I was careful to come across as nonchalant, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. As if my heart hadn’t just broken into a thousand different pieces.

‘It’s a bit risky coming to my quarters like this. Never mind that we have royals here at the moment, trying to listen in on conversations,’ I said.

‘Please, no one is going to be able to hear us,’ he scoffed.

‘Not the point. You’re letting your emotions get the best of you. You know better than that.’

‘A bit rich coming from the girl who reeks of a man who’s neither her husband, nor me.’

‘I think you need to get your senses checked,’ I sniffed.

‘Classic Valare, trying to put it on everyone else but herself.’

Is he serious? For over a year he’s been telling me everything is my fault, never admitting his role in the situation. But I’m putting it on everyone else?

I’m done. I’m done with men, with this man. This man is no better than the Salistyan pigs I grew up with. He’s just another pain in my ass and I want out of this situation, consequences be damned.

‘That’s your opinion, and you’re allowed to have it. But I disagree,’ I said evenly, despite my emotions.

He shrugged dismissively. ‘Of course you disagree. You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t.’

‘I think it’s best if we call it quits on you and me,’ I stated out, going straight for the jugular.

‘Call it quits?’ he stuttered, eyes darkening.

I nodded, not trusting myself to hold it together in front of the man who knows how to rile me up like no other. Well, until recently. My True Infinite was proving to be the best at that.

‘Oh, Valare.’ He slowly, threateningly stepped towards me, flickers of fire coming out of his fingertips. ‘You don’t really mean that, do you, my sweet?’

I simply stared at him, finally seeing the threat for what it was. I let my actions speak for themselves. I pulled in air from the open window and slammed it into him to trap him inside a circular barrier. His flames flickered out.

He laughed darkly. ‘His cock must be something else if you’ve had one fuck with this guy and you’re ready to drop me. Really, Valare, I thought you’d be a bit better than this. Maybe you’ve been playing the Arloman whore too well because you’re coming across a little too easy, my sweet. Back in my day, I had to wait a year to get inside that tight pussy. Well, at least it was tight back then,’ he sneered.

I lashed out using the nearest plant in the room to create a long branch that wrapped itself tightly around his neck. I watched his eyes light up in glee at my reaction. The sadistic fucker always enjoyed getting a reaction from me.

‘Your opinion of me personally is irrelevant, and I’d strongly advise you remember where your loyalties lie,’ I said firmly, surprising myself that I kept the shake out of my voice.

‘Oh, I do know where my loyalties lie,’ he wheezed out. ‘With my ruler.’

My hold on the branch loosened a fraction, the only sign that his answer shocked me.

Slaviya. His ruler is Slaviya. He’s admitting outright he no longer sees me as his queen.

‘What do you think Slaviya would say if she knew you were holding me against my own will right now?’ he threatened.

‘Oh, darling, I didn’t think you were that na?ve,’ I crooned condescendingly, anger building while I clicked my fingers. Water appeared in front of his cheeks, half an inch above his skin. I made it run up and down his chin, imitating a condescending caress. ‘I’m the Queen of Arlom. The most powerful physical mage on Fyriane and the key to getting Slaviya what she wants. Do you really think I’m more indispensable than you?’ It brought me great joy to see the sweat trickling down his face, courtesy of the water’s proximity to him. The element was suffocating to a fire wielder.

‘Who the fuck are you? This isn’t you, Valare,’ he said softly, dropping his threatening stance to portray himself as a lost, lovesick boy. Pathetic. I saw right through the manipulation. It’s funny how the tactics turn when you stand up for yourself and they know they don’t have a leg to stand on.

‘Oh, that’s where you’re mistaken. This is me. Just the version you get when you’ve fucked me over one too many times. I refuse to be beaten down anymore. A word of advice for future relationships. Never, ever push loyalty and never, ever push love. Because if you do, it’ll always have a time stamp on it. Now, your time’s up, and I no longer give a fuck.’

Standing up, I strolled towards him to slowly circle around the shield. His eyes assessed me and followed my every move until I stood right in front of him.

I allowed the tree branch to loosen on his neck, it’s point pressing his chin up, forcing him to meet my gaze.

‘So, this is how it’s going to work. I’m working with your queen towards a mutually beneficial goal. That means our interests align, and you’ll do your part as I’ll do mine. Business as usual. But when it’s all over? We never see each other again. My name and our history don’t come out of your mouth. We’ll both move on with our lives. If I hear that you go back on any of this, you’ll answer directly to me, my sister be damned. Do we understand one another?’ I spat.

‘Valare –’

‘Do we understand one another?’ I pressed.

A slight downwards inclination of his head was the best response I was going to get. I released the shields I’d placed around him, the magic gone as if it had never been there in the first place, and unexpectedly heard the directions of his thoughts as though he had spoken out loud.

Quickly realising I could utilise this, I thought it best to drill into him the enemy he’d created.

‘Oh, my sweet, before you go.’ My voice sounded sickly sweet.

He stared at me rage sizzling in his eyes, clearly wanting to be anywhere but here.

For the record, I’m not picky, and it isn’t hard to make me come. You’re just a lazy prick. And no. You wouldn’t have kept me if you’d made me orgasm all these years. But you would’ve had far less time, what did you call it, ‘riding my emotional roller coaster’. I sneered in his head.

His eyes bulged, disbelief taking over his face. ‘How did you know that was what I was –’

‘Looks like a new scent wasn’t the only thing I acquired tonight,’ I winked, a satisfied smirk lighting up my face. ‘You’re dismissed, pal.’

If that didn’t drive it home that we were done, I don’t know what would.

The moment he teleported away, I adjusted my protective wards around the room to keep him out for good.

Confident I wouldn’t be disturbed again, my fa?ade dropped at the same time I collapsed on the floor, quivering. I didn’t hold back the tears, the crippling anxiety taking over my whole being, swallowing me whole.

What had I done?

I lay there for a long time, until exhaustion won out, pulling me into sleep. For the first time in a long while, the nightmares appeared. But instead of my Father, it was Sir I saw. Hatred swam in his moss green eyes.