Malicious Prince by Mary E. Twomey

Author:Mary E. Twomey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mary E. Twomey LLC

15

Vera’s Love and Madness

Lilya

It was Salem’s voice that roused me, and I’m still not sure where I am or what’s going on. All I know is that Vera knocked Salem out with the business end of a shovel, and now she’s bound his hands behind his back with thick ropes. I struggle against my own bindings, but my wrists are secured behind my back. I glance around to take in my surroundings. It’s freezing, and my teeth actually chatter in the light that’s cast by a single lantern on the hook in the corner. Are we in a stable? Somewhere underground? Are we in Jacoba still? I can see my breath, it’s so cold.

Salem’s sprawled on the floor not far from where I’m sitting, barely upright. My big hero being furiously hogtied in the middle of the dirt-packed floor stirs something both feral and tragic throughout my insides. The sight breaks something precious in me, forcing me to acknowledge the very real fact that Salem is mortal, and capable of being bested. I’ve never felt more mated to him than I do now. Though the magic doesn’t touch me in the same way it’s awakened him, I feel connected to him in some unshakable way. My mate is knocked out, so part of me feels the pang of potential defeat.

When Vera follows my eyeline, she does me the courtesy of explaining. “In case ye get grand dreams of either of them coming to and shifting themselves free, think again. There’s silver in these ropes. It won’t hurt them like it would a vampire, but it’ll stop them from shifting. Silver keeps a shifter’s magic weak, so the boys won’t be going nowhere. I just have to…” She swallows hard, and I can tell she hasn’t thought this part through.

“What’s the plan?” I ask her, my head dizzy. “You can’t possibly want to kill them. You love the Butcher boys. You’ve been their mom while Queen Butcher’s been sleeping.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “I never wanted to kill them! It’s ye who came into the picture and messed the whole territory. Polluting the throne, they are. If I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, I never would’ve believed it. No boy of mine would be caught dead with a fae.” Vera punctuates her hatred by spitting at me. Then her eyes fall to the left of where I’m tied on the floor, secured to a support beam. Her silver brows tent with sudden worry. “The plan wasn’t to hit Justice. But I saw the two of ye sleeping next to each other, and I lost it. Now I’ve got to think. Maybe Justice didn’t see me.”

I can’t tell if she’s right or not, but that hardly matters. I turn my chin with great effort, angling my head to the side so I can see more of my surroundings. My head hurts so terribly that I nearly vomit with the slight movement.

Justice is bleeding from his temple, his jaw slack and eyes closed.

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