Fate of a Royal (Lords of Rathe, #1)(63)

“You ask that like I’m going to tell you.” He moves across the room, his arm brushing mine when he meets the curtain, moving it out of the way. An air of comfort washes over me and it makes no sense, so I do my best to block it out. I’m really good at blocking things out.

“Get comfortable,” he says, tossing a bag onto the bed. “You’ll be staying here until I say.”

“I’ll run away,” I whisper, inching around to get closer to the door. The corner of his mouth tilts up in a smirk.

“Yeah?” He slowly turns to face me, pinning me with a stare. “Go on then. Make my day and run.”

I swallow, but it only feels like sand. “I don’t understand, Knight! You can’t just…keep me here. I have an uncle—friends! I need to go back to them or they’ll think I’m dead.”

He shrugs. “They still could be right. The night is young and my patience is yet to be tested.” He closes the distance between us, bringing his hand to my chin and forcing my face up to his. “They know you’re fine, London. Sit the fuck down and wait this out.”

My fingers flex at my sides. “Where are we?”

His eyes bore into mine for a long moment, and I almost think he’s going to soften. That I’m not imagining the tenderness buried deep behind those brilliant blues, but then he blinks, and just like that, I’m staring into the eyes of a psycho. An angry one.

“You’re in my world now.” Knight roughly releases my chin. “Welcome to Rathe.’’

Before I can ask him another question, he’s gone.

Blowing out a breath, I think over my current options.

I don’t have any.

Quickly tearing into the bag he set down, I pull on leggings and a matching cropped hoodie, sliding my feet into the simple runners as well, ignoring how everything is exactly the right size.

I rush to the other side of the room, my hand coming to the handle. Twisting it, I feel it slip as I pull it open. In a matter of a month, my world has completely shifted. I don’t know what is right and what is left. Up or down.

Real or not real…

What’s crazy? I scoff a laugh.

God, everything is fucking crazy at the moment, but what feels the strangest is the fact that all this? Doesn’t feel so strange or crazy at all. It’s intriguing.

I look around, from the ceiling with roaring thunder and bright lightning, to the fountain in the center of the room, the water gently spurting upward, but then curling into a beautiful swan. Its head shifts, looking from right to left, its wings spanning wide and stealing my breath. I move closer, reaching out to touch the water droplets, but just before my fingers reach it, a harsh spray of water rises from the stone below, taking the shape of a snake. My heart beats a little faster as it shows its fangs. The swan sees it coming and flails, but it’s too slow, and the snake sinks its teeth into its neck.

I gasp, and then the water crashes back into the stone circle, slowly rising once more.

I blink and blink again, pressing my hand to my chest.

Get a fucking grip, London. It’s water, for fuck’s sake!

“Bad ass, right?”

I jerk around at the intruding voice, afraid of being caught wandering by the wrong person. But this is not the wrong person.

I glare.

Dark hair and blue eyes shine back at me. “Thought I told you to get comfortable.”

“I’m not very good at doing what I’m told.” I push closer until my chest is pressed to his abs, my head tipping all the way back to keep my eyes on his.

He sinks his teeth into his bottom lip, his thumb coming up to run along mine. “Such a pretty human, you are…do you want me to kiss you, little toy?” he rasps. “Take you back to your room and fuck you ’til you can’t walk?”

I push up on my toes, stretching my neck, and he understands, giving me his ear. “I think it’s exactly what I need to relax.”

He groans, his hands finding my hips.

“It’s just…” I pause. “I’m not really interested in fucking someone whose name I don’t know, especially when I’ve already fucked his twin.”

Fake Knight tenses then flies back, eyes narrowed but mouth hung open.

I cross my arms, popping my hip out. “Don’t look so shocked.”

“Nah, baby girl…I’m fucking shocked!” He looks me over like I’m the fucking crazy one. “No one, and I mean no fucking one, can tell us apart. Not even our parents. That’s what these are for.” He lifts his shirt, flashing me his abs where a burn mark flashes opal. “It’s these or dipping into our heads when we allow it.”

A frown builds over my brow. First, because of what he’s trying to tell me, and second, dip inside their heads?!

“Oh my god, can you read my mind?”

His smirk is instant. “I could tell you, but I think it will be more fun for you to figure all this shit out on your own. You know, before we wipe it all from your mind.”

A strange sense of dread slithers down my spine, and I fold my toes in my shoes. “You can do that?”

“Don’t look so sad about it.” He chuckles and then cocks his head. “You know, this is kind of fun, having a Giftless here. It’s not like what I thought it would be.”

There’s that word again.