I hear the sound of heavy footfalls crossing the room towards me. It takes most of my willpower not to stumble backwards.
“I would not have imagined the great King of Chaos to choose a slave for himself.” The man stops right in front of me.
I jolt when I feel his touch along my cheekbone, which must be glowing by this point. “Not even one such as you.” He runs a thumb along my lower lip. “The people here call you an enchantress. But tell me, human, could you enchant me?”
Instead of answering, I swat away his hand with my shackled ones. The action earns me a chuckle, and then his hands are back on my face, stroking my skin.
“Stop touching me,” I growl.
“Oh, my lady, have you not heard?” I feel his hot breath against my ear. “That’s what I’m best at,” he whispers.
The siren is restless inside me.
He wants an enchantress, let’s give him an enchantress, she whispers. Let him think we are willing right up to the last second. Then we’ll stand over his body and laugh as he takes his own life. Foolish to cross us.
My siren either doesn’t realize or care that this man cannot be glamoured. Not if he’s fae.
He pulls the blindfold off my face, and I blink against the light. The first thing I notice are the man’s antlers. Sharp, towering antlers that add another two feet to the already large stature. Silky chestnut hair frames his tan face.
It’s the man from my dreams.
The slitted pupils of his golden eyes expand as he takes me in.
“You are quite beautiful,” he says. “I can see why the Lord of Secrets has taken you for his mate.
“But you are painfully weak,” he continues. “What a vulnerability. He should know better.”
“Who are you?” I ask, my voice ethereal.
“My manners!” He bows. “I’m Karnon, King of Fauna, Master of Animals, Lord of the Wild Heart, and King of Claws and Talons.”
The King of Fauna? The mad king?
Fuckity fuck, that’s not good.
He straightens, splaying his arms out to display the room around him. “Welcome to my kingdom.”
I glance around at the room—bedroom, I amend. The place is covered in furs. Thick wood and ivory furniture is scattered throughout the room, each piece intricately carved, though none are so impressive as the staggering headboard on his bed. A hunting scene is carved into the wood, embellished with bits of ivory, mother-of-pearl, semi-precious stones, and flecks of gold.
A bed for a king.
Out of all the rooms to meet him in, this is the one he chooses. Also not good.
I tear my eyes away from the massive bed to look at Karnon, who’s studying me with a small smile, his eyes narrowed.
His eyes dance at the sound of my hypnotic voice. He leans in close, his antlers nearly touching me. “I already have a casket picked out for you. A special coffin for a special lady. We’ll deliver you right to your mate’s feet.”
He knows Des and I are mates?
Karnon’s finger hooks over the low neck of my dress. “I wonder if it will break him to see his love like that—still as death and holding another man’s baby. Will he kill it? Keep it? Oh the possibilities …” He runs the backs of his fingers over my chest. I notice that blood’s dried into the creases of his hand.
I swallow at the sight. So far he’s only been a bit eccentric, but I have no doubt that at any moment he could snap.
“I’ve never been with a human woman,” he continues. He lowers his voice. “In the Kingdom of Fauna it’s taboo to sleep with a slave. You earthly beasts are so dirty. But you are pleasing enough to look at.” His eyes run over me. “Yes, quite pleasing. I’m eager to see the rest of you.”
Jesus.
No one will ever hurt us like before, my siren promises. He will pay.
The King of Fauna tilts his head. “Perhaps we should begin now?”
Before I have time to react, he grabs my jaw. Looking me in the eye, he leans in and presses his lips to mine.
It’s not a kiss. Not in the truest sense. Instead, he forces my mouth open, then exhales.
A rush of magic is forced down my throat, tasting like rot. I struggle against him even as my knees begin to buckle.
His arm comes around my waist, holding me up as he continues to breathe into me.
I try to bring my knee up to his crotch, but my leg only comes up inches before the shackles around my ankles jerk tight.
Karnon doesn’t even notice.
My chained arms are trapped between us.
Completely immobilized.
As a last ditch effort, I jerk my head away, then head butt the King of Fauna. He staggers back, placing a hand to his forehead.
Without his grip holding me up, my legs now do buckle.
Karnon’s lips curl back into what might be a smile. All I see are several sets of fangs. “The slave has a little fight in her.”
I force myself to stand, swaying on my feet. I’m choking on whatever corrupted magic he force-fed into me. “What did you do to me?” I croak, my voice hoarse.
He tilts his head, surveying me with those strange eyes of his. “I look forward to seeing more of that pretty skin,” he says. “Guards!” he calls, not glancing away from me.
Two fae soldiers rush in, one who has feathers for hair, the other who has claws.
“We’re finished here,” Karnon says.
Again, I sway on my feet, feeling dizzy and disoriented. Each moment I stand here, I weaken. Something’s very wrong with me. Everything’s moving slower—my limbs, my mind.
“I would not have imagined the great King of Chaos to choose a slave for himself.” The man stops right in front of me.
I jolt when I feel his touch along my cheekbone, which must be glowing by this point. “Not even one such as you.” He runs a thumb along my lower lip. “The people here call you an enchantress. But tell me, human, could you enchant me?”
Instead of answering, I swat away his hand with my shackled ones. The action earns me a chuckle, and then his hands are back on my face, stroking my skin.
“Stop touching me,” I growl.
“Oh, my lady, have you not heard?” I feel his hot breath against my ear. “That’s what I’m best at,” he whispers.
The siren is restless inside me.
He wants an enchantress, let’s give him an enchantress, she whispers. Let him think we are willing right up to the last second. Then we’ll stand over his body and laugh as he takes his own life. Foolish to cross us.
My siren either doesn’t realize or care that this man cannot be glamoured. Not if he’s fae.
He pulls the blindfold off my face, and I blink against the light. The first thing I notice are the man’s antlers. Sharp, towering antlers that add another two feet to the already large stature. Silky chestnut hair frames his tan face.
It’s the man from my dreams.
The slitted pupils of his golden eyes expand as he takes me in.
“You are quite beautiful,” he says. “I can see why the Lord of Secrets has taken you for his mate.
“But you are painfully weak,” he continues. “What a vulnerability. He should know better.”
“Who are you?” I ask, my voice ethereal.
“My manners!” He bows. “I’m Karnon, King of Fauna, Master of Animals, Lord of the Wild Heart, and King of Claws and Talons.”
The King of Fauna? The mad king?
Fuckity fuck, that’s not good.
He straightens, splaying his arms out to display the room around him. “Welcome to my kingdom.”
I glance around at the room—bedroom, I amend. The place is covered in furs. Thick wood and ivory furniture is scattered throughout the room, each piece intricately carved, though none are so impressive as the staggering headboard on his bed. A hunting scene is carved into the wood, embellished with bits of ivory, mother-of-pearl, semi-precious stones, and flecks of gold.
A bed for a king.
Out of all the rooms to meet him in, this is the one he chooses. Also not good.
I tear my eyes away from the massive bed to look at Karnon, who’s studying me with a small smile, his eyes narrowed.
His eyes dance at the sound of my hypnotic voice. He leans in close, his antlers nearly touching me. “I already have a casket picked out for you. A special coffin for a special lady. We’ll deliver you right to your mate’s feet.”
He knows Des and I are mates?
Karnon’s finger hooks over the low neck of my dress. “I wonder if it will break him to see his love like that—still as death and holding another man’s baby. Will he kill it? Keep it? Oh the possibilities …” He runs the backs of his fingers over my chest. I notice that blood’s dried into the creases of his hand.
I swallow at the sight. So far he’s only been a bit eccentric, but I have no doubt that at any moment he could snap.
“I’ve never been with a human woman,” he continues. He lowers his voice. “In the Kingdom of Fauna it’s taboo to sleep with a slave. You earthly beasts are so dirty. But you are pleasing enough to look at.” His eyes run over me. “Yes, quite pleasing. I’m eager to see the rest of you.”
Jesus.
No one will ever hurt us like before, my siren promises. He will pay.
The King of Fauna tilts his head. “Perhaps we should begin now?”
Before I have time to react, he grabs my jaw. Looking me in the eye, he leans in and presses his lips to mine.
It’s not a kiss. Not in the truest sense. Instead, he forces my mouth open, then exhales.
A rush of magic is forced down my throat, tasting like rot. I struggle against him even as my knees begin to buckle.
His arm comes around my waist, holding me up as he continues to breathe into me.
I try to bring my knee up to his crotch, but my leg only comes up inches before the shackles around my ankles jerk tight.
Karnon doesn’t even notice.
My chained arms are trapped between us.
Completely immobilized.
As a last ditch effort, I jerk my head away, then head butt the King of Fauna. He staggers back, placing a hand to his forehead.
Without his grip holding me up, my legs now do buckle.
Karnon’s lips curl back into what might be a smile. All I see are several sets of fangs. “The slave has a little fight in her.”
I force myself to stand, swaying on my feet. I’m choking on whatever corrupted magic he force-fed into me. “What did you do to me?” I croak, my voice hoarse.
He tilts his head, surveying me with those strange eyes of his. “I look forward to seeing more of that pretty skin,” he says. “Guards!” he calls, not glancing away from me.
Two fae soldiers rush in, one who has feathers for hair, the other who has claws.
“We’re finished here,” Karnon says.
Again, I sway on my feet, feeling dizzy and disoriented. Each moment I stand here, I weaken. Something’s very wrong with me. Everything’s moving slower—my limbs, my mind.
