Fear lanced through Dareena’s heart as Rantissa rose from her chair, conjuring a whip of light not unlike the one Dareena herself used. She braced herself inwardly as Rantissa struck, and though pain seared her chest as the whip connected, leaving a trail of fire across the front of her body, she could not move or even cry in pain.
Rantissa’s eyes widened at Dareena’s complete lack of response. “What is wrong with you?” she cried, striking Dareena again. This time, the whip bit into the side of her body, sending agonizing pain through her arm. The wound on her chest was already healing, but Dareena knew that if Rantissa hit her hard and frequently enough, she would not be able to withstand it. The elven assassin—or at least that’s what Dareena assumed she was, based on what Rantissa had told her—raised her whip to strike again, but this time, she hesitated.
Please, Dareena cried out silently, meeting Rantissa’s eyes. Please, help me!
“There is something very wrong here,” Rantissa murmured, right as the tip of a blade plunged through her throat. Shock hit Dareena hard as she watched Rantissa clutch at her neck, blood bubbling from her rosy lips as she hit the ground. Soldian was standing just a few feet away, a smug smile on her face.
“Can’t have more than one spy hanging around here,” she told Dareena. “She was quite good—even I didn’t suspect her. Do me a favor and remove that dagger from her neck, would you?”
Dareena did so. As her fingers wrapped around the handle, she wished she could fling it at Soldian and put an end to her misery. Instead, she pulled it out, then crouched beside the body, waiting for Soldian’s next command.
Soldian smiled, then let out a horrified shriek, loud enough to wake the entire castle. “She’s dead!” she cried as the guards came running in, pointing at Rantissa’s dead body with a shaking finger. “Lady Dareena has lost her mind! She killed poor Rantissa, merely because she talked back to her!”
The guards hesitated, looking back and forth between Dareena and Rantissa. “This wound looks like it came from behind,” one of the guards said, crouching to examine the body.
“Y-yes,” Soldian stammered. “She stabbed her when Rantissa turned her back.”
“She did more than talk back,” Dareena snapped, rising to her feet. “She tried to steal from me!”
“And so you killed her?” Drystan asked, sending a bolt of shock through Dareena. He was standing in the doorway, his face a picture of shock and disgust. Just how long had he been there? “I don’t care what Alistair thinks. You have clearly lost your mind.”
Dareena’s heart ached so badly at the look of disappointment and anger on Drystan’s face that she wasn’t sure how she would survive it. Her mate ordered the body removed and the blood cleaned up, and then he instructed the guards to put Dareena under house arrest. She was not to leave her quarters except to use the privy, and even then, must be accompanied by her guards and at least one of her ladies.
As Dareena sat woodenly on the couch, not even bothering to read the book Soldian had permitted her, she wondered if Lyria would come and find her. But her remaining lady-in-waiting—and the only one, Dareena suspected, who was loyal to her—had her day off today. She was probably in town, and had no idea what had transpired.
Night fell, and Soldian made Dareena change into a nightgown and retire to bed. Dareena felt a wave of disgust as Soldian climbed into bed with her. It seemed she could not get even a moment’s peace away from her captor. Though Soldian did not touch her—she merely turned over and went to sleep—it still felt like a violation. Was Dareena not even allowed the privacy of her bed?
Despite being unable to close her eyes, Dareena tried to sleep. She did eventually drift off, but nightmares of a horned beast with glowing red eyes plunging a black blade through her belly forced her awake, and she could not even scream from the horror. Gods, would this madness never end? Silently, she cried out to the dragon god for someone to come and end her suffering.
She had barely thought those words when the outer door to her rooms opened. Heart hammering, she listened silently as footsteps came closer. Soldian was instantly awake, a dagger palmed in her hand as she turned toward the door, but when it opened, Alistair was on the other side.
Dareena braced herself for yet another forced altercation, but Alistair didn’t say a word. Nodding briefly to Soldian, who had lain back down, he swiftly gagged Dareena, then gathered her in his arms. Soldian made Dareena struggle against him, but Alistair merely gripped her tighter as he strode out of the room. As soon as he closed the outer door behind him, he took off running so fast Dareena almost wondered if they were flying. A few seconds later, he darted inside another room and locked the door shut behind him.
Dareena’s throat swelled with tears as she realized they were in Alistair’s old bedroom—the place where they had made love for the first time. Gently, Alistair laid her out on the bed, then stretched himself out beside her and stroked her face.
“I don’t know what is going on exactly, but I know you’ve been bespelled,” he whispered, his amber eyes bright as he locked eyes with her. “I know that Drystan is angry with you, but I see the truth. I know this is not you.”
Relief swept through Dareena as Alistair pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. “I am working on a solution.” He stroked her back. “Is there any way you can give me a signal? Something to let me know that you are still in there, and that you understand me?”
Dareena wished with all her might that she could. But without Soldian to pull her puppet strings, she could do or say nothing. Alistair seemed a little disappointed at her silence, but he did not give up, instead rolling her onto her back and pressing little kisses all over her face.
“I love you,” he said, brushing his lips against hers in a caress that was both soothing and sensual. He ran his tongue along the seam of her mouth, and Dareena wanted so badly to reciprocate, to open herself up and let him in, as she’d done countless times before. Lovemaking was what had gotten them through their terrible ordeal in Elvenhame, but Soldian would deny her that now.
“I know you still want me,” Alistair breathed in her ear as he kissed a path along her jaw. “I can smell your need for me.” His hand slid between her legs, which had grown slightly damp despite the magic that worked to suppress her natural reactions. Even warlock spells were not enough to hide her desire—her blood burned with it, making it even more torturous that Dareena could not return his affections.
Alistair continued his ministrations for a little while, kissing and nibbling and running his hands all over her body in a clear attempt to snap her out of her frozen state. Dareena desperately hoped he would discover the invisible bracelet clamped around her arm, but he never touched it, despite putting his hands nearly everywhere else on her. Frustration gnawed at her as Alistair finally curled up with her in bed, spooning her from behind.