Starkeeper of the Fractured Crown

I inhaled a shuddering breath, heart racing. A year? “Why?”

“It started out as a curiosity, but the more I watched you, the more I realized how terribly you wanted to be seen. Now I see you. Now you’re mine. My little plaything, my toy. My Angel. My little addiction.”

My eyes widened, my entire body frozen in terror. No, no, this couldn’t be happening.

His chinlifted, his eyes flicking to something else on my face.

The bruise around my eye.

He stilled. “Who hurt you?”

I inhaled sharply, my expression shifting from terror to pure hatred. Had he watched it happen? Did he get off on watching humans beat the shit out of other humans? Or maybe he just liked how weak it made me look. “Shouldn’t you know that?” I spat. Whatever it was, I hated him more for it.

“As much as I want to dedicate my entire life to you, I simply can’t yet. I’ve got other business.” A tendril of shadow drifted up, carefully grazing over the edge of that bruise, cold, but not chilling like the others. “All I need is a name.” His eyes found mine again. A request as if I owed him something. As if we were comrades.

Instead of answering, I did exactly what I loathed my mother for doing. I spit in his face.

He didn’t even flinch. Didn’t wipe it away. In fact, I think he might have enjoyed it and that horrified me even more.

His smile widened, revealing his perfect teeth, stained red from the blood. “Do it again, I liked it.”

I snarled, fighting against the restraints only tiring myself out. “Fuck. You,” I hissed vehemently.

He ran his tongue over his bottom lip. “I won’t keep you waiting long, I promise, but unfortunately I do have things to do, so be a good girl for me and don’t let anyone else touch you. If you do, well…” He inhaled deeply. “You’ll force my hand.”

I swallowed against his hand, too hot against my skin. “You can’t control me. I don’t evenknowyou.” I knew of him, and the stories were not good. Not even a little bit.

“Oh, I can, and you’ll enjoy it. Every second of it. You’llbegfor my control. You just don’t know it yet.”

I shook my head, tears threatening my eyes, but I forced them back. “I won’t.” Is this what he did when he kidnapped people? He sends his High General ahead of him to scout out potential victims with some stupid story and a week later, he swings by and scoops them up?

Gods, I was sofuckingstupid. So stupid.

What was I supposed to do now? He knew where I lived. If he truly had been following me for a year, he knew where my brother lived too. He knew I had a brother. He knew our names, what I did to survive. He knew everything.

I swallowed again and shook my head, switching to something I knew. Something that would hopefully calm me enough to think straight again. “Satarmore Irsch knows the witches aren’t there,” I began evenly, even though my insides were shaking.

His eyes flashed. “You want to give me information?”

“That’s what you’re here for, right?” I asked. “That’s all you people care about. What I can do for you.” I just needed to get away so I could get home. I needed to check on Mark.

He shook his head, rage burning in the depths of his eyes. “No.”

“Malaki signed a contract with Aurora after Elrikant,” I went on.

“Stop,” he ordered, his hand returning fully tomy throat.

Immediately my air was cut off, but I kept going. “So long as the reports were true, there was no need to bother them. There are enough witches, Evanora only had to leave enough behind to write those reports. Satarmore kept receiving them, there was no point in checking them. He knows, he just doesn’t care.”

He pressed his hand tighter, until I saw spots. Until my vision began to narrow. “You don’t get it, Angel, you are my new little addiction. My newest obsession—”

“In a long line of them, I’m sure,” I choked out.

“Wrong,” he whispered, his eyes flaming.

He didn’t like to be interrupted. Noted.

“I have never been consumed like this before. You are mine and you will be consumed by me in every way a person can be consumed, however long that takes, but,” he went on as something cold, something heavy, formed around my neck just below his hand, “I don’t think it’ll take long. Not with what I smell dripping down your legs.”