Page 94 of Death of a Mortal

“I could undress you, right here, do as I please to you and no one would stop me. Did you know that?”

My eyes went wide, terror gripping my heart. Gods, no, please…

The song ended, and he finally put me back on my feet with a last haunting smile, turning his back on me to head back to the table—a sign of disrespect.

Despite how shaken I was, I forced my chin up as I walked across the empty floor to my spot at the table. More whispers followed me all the way back, making the heat build in my chest.

“I had no idea you were such a dancer, Naci.” It was Varyn.

I bit my tongue on what I wanted to say. “I had a skilled teacher,” I said, barely keeping the anger from my voice.

“I see your manners have improved too. Although I must say I miss the spark.”

“Then maybe you should find another mortal to con into your bed.” I couldn’t stop myself, but at least I had the wherewithal to whisper it low so that the king couldn’t hear me on Varyn’s other side.

He barked out a laugh sharp enough to turn every royal head. “Ah, yes, there’s that spark.” And then he winked at me, making my stomach somersault.

“Naci, why don’t you be a darling and come tell me what you said that amused the prince so? I have a spot for you to sit righthere.” Zareth patted his lap, and bile rose in the back of my throat.

My stomach twisted, acid and fear tangling together. This male was truly vile.

“Actually, Ambassador, Naci ismyhonored guest, and seeing how the rest of the room is now dancing, I would like a dance. Naci?”

He held out his hand to me from my right, and I just stared at it.

Dance with the male who broke my heart and betrayed me or sit on the lap of the male planning to purge mortals from my home continent.

Death might have been preferable if it weren’t for Nella.

The fact that the prince outranked the ambassador, and that I couldn’t deny him whatever he asked of me, took away the need for me to decide. I had to dance with the prince, no matter what I would have chosen.

Would I have chosen the perverse ambassador over this male that I once thought I loved? Gods, I didn’t know. My thoughts were too clouded with emotion.

I took his hand and let him lead me onto the dance floor.

And when he pulled me against him to dance, I felt static charges everywhere our bodies touched. I closed my eyes and willed myself not to feel.

We started up the second dance Thalen had taught me, and we danced in tense silence for a while. It felt like a private grieving for what we almost had.

“Naci, I—”

“Please don’t, Varyn…PrinceVaryn. Just don’t.” This time, I failed to keep the hurt out of my voice.

His face dropped slightly, and I told myself it wasn’t regret I saw there. It couldn’t be. “I just wanted to say you look lovely tonight. Though I still prefer the purple.”

I hated what this was doing to my heart.

“That’s not fair. I trusted you, I…” I couldn’t say any more. I needed to get it together. The prince made it clear that none of it was real between us and that I meant nothing to him. There was nothing left to say. And I just knew the king was watching.

He cleared his throat. “Zareth looks to be dancing with someone else. You should be safe at the table now.” He said nothing in response to what I’d said. A small part of me desperately wanted him to deny his betrayal, but he didn’t, which was all the more proof of his treachery.

And so, when the song ended, we broke apart. He didn’t offer me his hand again, so I guessed the charade was over, however brief it might have been tonight. His mask was on.

Then again, had I ever seen anything real, or had it been yet another mask underneath the first?

We walked back to the table in silence and sat just the same until the queen came over with a fae female, who was striking with her bright blonde hair and massive breasts shoved up to her chin.

“The prince would be delighted to dance with you, dear,” I heard Malvina say.