Chapter 10

10

“ T

he king will be here within the next few hours,” a deep voice says from the doorway. I look up from the book I’m reading and find Dax in the entrance to the library.

Bene is sitting beside me with his own book and looks up with a huff. “ I am surprised it took him this long to visit.” He sets down the book he was reading and stands, hesitantly turning to hold out a hand to me. “ We should get you ready for the king's arrival.”

I arch a brow as I set my book aside, then take his offered hand. “ What do you mean?”

Bene’s eyes dart to Dax before landing back on me. He sighs before saying, “ You must look and act the part of the prince’s toy while he’s here. The king has certain expectations, and how we’ve treated you here, and allowed you to do certain things, is not even in the realm of what the king would find suitable.”

My eyes shift to Dax , and I allow his name to slip from my lips. “ Dax ? He won’t take me back with him, will he?”

His eyes widen in surprise for a moment before his expression turns neutral again. “ No , he will not be taking you back with him.”

My grip on Bene’s hand tightens as I quietly ask, “ You promise?”

He arches a brow and smirks. “ I said you were under my protection, did I not?”

Taking a deep breath, I nod. “ Yes .”

He crosses his arms over his chest as Bene and I make our way over to him. “ I suppose this means you’ll have to trust the villain.”

My eyes meet his bright blue ones as I nod. “ I suppose it does. I do hope if you plan to betray me, you will kill me before handing me back over to him.”

Dax offers me his elbow as he gives me a small smile. “ I have no reason to betray you.” I slip my hand through the crook of his arm as he lowers his voice to a whisper. “ If I were planning to kill you, I would have done it the day we met. I would not have allowed my men to be beguiled by your beauty.”

My eyes widen at his words. “ Beguile your men, huh?”

He chuckles as he and Bene usher me down the hallway. “ Yes , beguile my men. Whether you believe it or not, Little Raven , you hold more power than you think. I know you have put Asher under a spell for sure.”

I gasp at his accusatory words. “ I am not a witch! I have put no one under a spell.”

“ You do not have to be a witch to put my men under a spell, Little Raven . You cannot convince me you haven’t enchanted Asher . He does not shut up about you. He constantly asks me to be your permanent guard.” He gives me a wink before he adds, “ The only reason I have declined is because he is amazing with the new recruits. He sets them at ease during training.”

My cheeks heat as Bene opens the door to my room before releasing my hand. Stepping aside to guard the door, he says, “ I’ll wait outside to take you to the great hall to receive the king.”

Dax unwinds my hand from his arm. “ I set out an outfit for you. Forgive the lack of material, but it is what my father will expect to see you wearing. Once he leaves, you may return and change.”

I peer into the room to find the outfit laid out on the bed. He’s right, there isn’t much material to it. It will cover my breasts, but the long slits up the sides will leave my legs exposed and barely cover my vagina. I suppose if his father expects Dax and his men to treat me the way he and his men did, they will need easy access.

I shiver at the memories. Dax gives my hand a squeeze before releasing it. “ Are you alright, Eira ?”

Jerking myself out of those nightmares, I give him a smile. “ Of course. Thank you for the clothes.”

He watches me for a moment, his eyes narrowing on my face, then he looks at the outfit laid out for me. When he turns back, his eyes are black as night. “ He did not clothe you, did he?”

The thought of lying to him crosses my mind, but it feels wrong to do so, considering the freedom he has given me here. Biting my lip, I shake my head. “ No ,” I say softly.

His voice shakes as he asks, “ His men… he allowed his men to visit you?”

I feel myself shrinking away from the anger that radiates off him. “ Yes .”

With a stiff nod, he says, “ I must take my leave now. I will see you in the great hall.”

I watch him march off, swirls of darkness trailing behind, and I jump when Bene speaks quietly. “ Dax has lines he will not cross, and his father crosses many of them.”

“ Is that why he left so quickly?”

Bene nods. “ Dax has great control over the darkness. Better control than his father has. It helps that the six of us hold a piece of it as well, so it is not as overwhelming.”

My eyes widen. “ You each hold a piece of the darkness?”

He nods as he points to his chest. The same spot where Dax has a handprint scar. “ His father branded him with a curse. It slowly eats at your soul until there isn’t much of you left. We each hold a piece for Dax , so his soul won’t be torn apart like his father’s.”

I point at my eyes as I ask, “ Is that why his eyes sometimes turn black?”

He nods. “ The darkness thrives on dark emotions. Anger . Grief . Envy . Things like that. And when the emotions become too much, the darkness will try to overwhelm him. He walked away because he did not wish to hurt you.”

I look in the direction Dax left before I turn back to Bene . “ Are you guys safe? Am I safe to be around all of you?”

He laughs. “ We are the safest people in all the kingdoms for you to be around.”

“ How do you figure?”

He smiles and takes a step closer, invading my space. Reaching up, he brushes a thumb across my lips as he replies, “ You aren’t ready to hear the answer to that, Darling .”

“ What … what do you mean?” I ask breathlessly as I watch his eyes bleed to black like ink. Those ebony pits of his drawing me in while he stares at me.

“ The truth would make you run.” He leans closer until his lips are a hair’s breadth away from mine. “ And that would be dangerous for you.”

“ Why is that?” I whisper.

His tongue darts across my lips before he replies, “ I wouldn’t be able to control the darkness.” He shifts, so his lips caress my ear, making me shiver. “ It loves a good chase, Darling . I’m sure Ash would love to hunt his little snow bunny.”

Heat builds in my stomach as my breathing becomes choppy. I lick my lips and say, “ Then I’ll make sure not to run.”

With a laugh, he pulls away, backing up to stand next to the door again. He gives me a wink and teases, “ Unless you want to be caught.”

With a stiff nod, I scurry into my room, slamming the door behind me. I take a deep breath and fall back against the door, fanning my face when I feel my cheeks burn. I’ve never been this flustered over a man before. Although , the men I have spent most of my days with were the king’s men.

None of the men I’ve met have as much charm as these males do. Thumping my head against the door, I sigh. Even though Kasim infuriates me, he is still attractive. Taking a few more deep breaths in and out, I push away from the door and begin to undress, knowing I will have to trust these men to protect me in the presence of the king.

I could see the truth in Dax’s eyes when he said he would protect me. But that doesn’t stop my heart from pounding with fear at the thought of having to return to that awful place I once loved so much. The fear of being helpless and back at that man's mercy causes my stomach to flip. I shake myself to banish those thoughts and feelings.

I know one thing for sure. I would steal a sword and kill myself before I ever allowed the king’s hands on me again.