Before he’d left Calliope earlier, he’d stared down at her. Hating her. Loving her.
He’d fallen for her utterly. And now that he knew what love felt like, he realized he hadn’t yet been in love with Kari. Maybe he’d been too young, or he’d needed more time. Maybe Calliope’s passion had pushed him over into the brink.
I loved her.
He swiped at his face, surprised to find two humiliating tears running down his cheeks.
The last time he’d learned that she loved another, he’d disfigured himself and offered up the remains. Now he would spurn Calliope, behaving as coldly with her as Kari had with him. Never would he let his mate know he’d been stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice.
The more pain he felt when he confronted Calliope, the calmer he would be.
He envisioned his revenge. It was because he’d set aside his trickery that he’d left himself vulnerable. Now she would pay—as she should have from the beginning.
His wrath knew no bounds. So hot, it felt . . . freezing.
He held his breath, and the sea stilled. Ice formed around his knees. A sheet of it crept out from him.
Cold. Like his crumbling stone heart. . . .
FIFTY-TWO
Abyssian wasn’t there when Lila woke the next morning. Disappointed, she looked for his note.
He always left a note.
She frowned when she didn’t find one. Maybe he was talking with Uthyr in the throne room. Strange, the weather had grown blustery again, the temperature dropping.
As soon as Abyssian returned, she would sit him down. Her resolve to tell him everything hadn’t wavered over the night.
After dressing, she gazed in the mirror and traced her neck. She couldn’t see his mark—only demons could—but she felt different.
Bonded.
Last night, she’d dreamed about her past, reliving milestones in her relationship with her former fiancé. Her mind’s way of severing all ties with him?
About time.
Though the specifics of her pie-in-the-sky wishes had changed, her hopes would all come true—with Abyssian. Unable to stop grinning, she stood in front of the fire and rubbed her hands together.
“Good morning, love.” He appeared in the bedroom. He was freshly showered, his hair still wet.
Her heart pounded just from the sight of him. My mate. “Good morning,” she said. “Were you outside? It’s really cold.”
He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her neck. “Is it?” Even his lips were cool.
“What were you doing?”
“Arranging a surprise for you.”
“Another one? You’re spoiling me, demon. But maybe we could—”
“I can’t wait to show it to you.”
“Um, okay.” But after this, they would have their talk.
“Are you ready?” He clasped her elbow, his hand as cold as his lips. “Close your eyes.”
She trustingly did. He traced her somewhere musty and dank. Her ears twitched. Were those . . . rats squeaking?
“You can open your eyes.”
She frowned to find them inside a cramped cell in some kind of dungeon. “What is this, Abyssian?”
Face expressionless, he traced to the other side of the bars. “Your new castle accommodations. The tower was much too nice for you.”
And for my next trick . . . “This isn’t funny.”
“Isn’t it, Princess Calliope?”
Oh, shit! Her breath caught in her lungs. She finally managed to say, “Just wait, and let me explain.”
“No explanation necessary. I know you’re a spy for N?x and Saetth—your fiancé. You came here determined to destroy me.”
“Yes, I did.” Surprise crossed his expression. Had he thought she’d deny it? “But then I got to know you. I learned not to fear you, learned to trust you.”
“If true, then I won this round, and all the rounds.”
“What are you talking about?”
He leaned his shoulder against the bars. “You always suspected I was setting you up for some trick, but you still let me enjoy you, let me use your body to rid myself of that problematic seal. You fell prey to the ultimate setup. Now that I have no seal, I have no need for you.”
How could he act this way just hours after what they’d shared? Could he truly have faked his feelings all night? She shook her head. “Bullshit. You feel more for me. Just like I feel more for you.”
Switching to Demonish, he said, “You were particularly suited to spy here—since you know my tongue.”
In English, she said, “I do. And I was sent here as a spy. But that doesn’t change what happened between us. Look at me, demon.” She pinned his gaze with her own. “I’m in love with you.”
Seeming to grow even more bored, he said, “Save it. I’ve heard all your lies. And I know that you’ve loved Saetth since you were a little girl. Just like Kari loved her fey king. History does repeat itself.”
“I did love Saetth. But then he killed my mother and father and exiled me to the mortal realm. He didn’t come see me there for that entire time.”
Abyssian exhaled. “More lies, princess? I delved into your dreams. I saw you kissing him in the mortal realm. Recently, in fact.”
“He finally showed up my last night there—the exact same night the Sorceri caught me,” she said, realizing that her story sounded far-fetched. “And I did kiss Saetth, to see what it’d be like. I found it lacking, but I didn’t care, because I was desperate to return home—so I wouldn’t be vulnerable to Rune. Saetth and N?x offered me a deal. I would journey to hell to spy on you, learning about your alliance and Orion. After they extracted me, I would get to go back to Sylvan as queen.”
“I hate to be the one to tell you this . . .” Abyssian trailed off. “That’s not true; I relish telling you this: I have it on good authority that Saetth, the male you love, your ‘brave’ king, was in league with N?x to sacrifice you. You were his virgin offering to the king of hell. No one was ever coming to extract you.”
So her cousin had known everything. She’d figured, but it still stung.