I sigh, retracting my hand and allowing it to fall limply at my side. It will take time to explain.

I’m not going anywhere. Dagny raises her arm with a wince, rustling the chains on her wrists to showcase her words. Start talking.

I run a clawed hand over my face, fighting off the desire to pin her to the wall and do the things I really want to instead of talking.

What I said about Zairn earlier is true—he will not tell Slaine about what he saw in you, or what he knows of your heritage—but that does not matter. Slaine is already beginning to suspect you might be a halfling, and before long, he’ll try to kill you, and then me, I say, my voice coming out a lot stronger than I feel.

Why you? Dagny demands, her tone skeptical. You’re his loyal little minion. Surely, he wouldn’t harm you.

I bristle at the insinuation, but I can’t show my hand too early. She has to be kept in the dark somewhat for any of this to work. So instead of telling her the whole truth, I opt for a part of it.

Why? Because if he so much as laid a finger on you, I would be forced to burn his kingdom to ash. Those types of actions tend to get people killed.

She frowns as the bond flares to life, attempting to pull us together. But I have to resist—Dagny doesn’t want me to go near her right now, let alone touch her—despite what the thrum of emotions down the bond would have me believe.

If you can burn this whole place to the ground, why not do it? Or at least, use some of your spooky magic to get us out of these chains and away from here.

I frown. It’s not that simple.

She rolls her eyes. Of course not—I shouldn’t have asked. For one blissful moment, I forgot how impossible you are.

Heat roils in his veins as a bright red filter falls over my vision. Suddenly, I’m in front of her, my hand wrapped around her neck and body pressing flush against her.

I lean down to her ear, allowing my true voice to rumble out in a dark whisper. “You don’t know the first thing about me, little one. Though I gave you the chance once…” I nip her lobe, a silent chuckle shaking my chest as her lips part with a gasp. “Do you remember what you said to me that day?”

Her breath catches as she leans into my touch, the ring around her iris sparking with a blinding silver light. Unable to form words, she shakes her head as the silver consumes the warm chocolate of her eyes. I brush my lips against hers, the intense thrumming of the bond making it nearly impossible to concentrate.