The embers pulsed in my chest, almost as a reminder that I had them.
And I did.
Except, I didn’t think using them was all that wise given the headaches I’d been having.
Callum reached the doors just as they swung open, smacking right into him. He staggered back, cursing as a trickle of blood leaked from his nose. A startled laugh left me, but it faded quickly when I saw a stunning vision in off-white cross the threshold.
Veses.
Anger pounded through me, causing my muscles to tense. Faint twinges of pain radiated through my limbs. The crown was absent, and her blond ringlets were swept up and pinned with rubies, but she looked even better than when I’d seen her in the Council Hall, her color completely returned to her cheeks.
The Primal goddess glanced in Callum’s direction. “Oh.” Taking in the bloodied Revenant, a light brown eyebrow arched as I caught sight of a thin-lipped Elias outside the chamber. “You were standing behind the doors.” Her attention shifted from him to the cage—to me. Her full lips rose in a smile. “My apologies.”
“Apology unnecessary.” Callum dragged the back of his hand under his nose. “If you’re looking for Kolis, he is not here.”
“I’m not looking for him.” Smoothing a hand over an ivory-clad hip, she took a step forward. For once, her gown was more modest than the one I wore. I couldn’t see even a hint of her breasts. “Hello.”
“Fuck you,” I replied.
Her throaty laugh grated on my skin as she took another step.
Callum shadowed her. “Why are you here?”
Slowly, she turned her head to Callum. The air charged, sparking over my skin. Callum felt it, too. His spine stiffened, but he didn’t back off. Reluctant respect flashed through me, but it was brief as he sheathed his dagger. “Again, why are you here, Your Highness?”
Her smile deepened. “As I already told Elias, I came to speak with Seraphena.”
“That’s not—”
“And as I also informed Elias, denying me would be seriously unwise.”
Callum held his ground. “It would be seriously unwise for you to defy His Majesty’s orders.”
Veses’ features tightened as she raised one hand. The doors swung shut in Elias’s face. She focused on Callum, and for a moment, I wasn’t exactly sure who I’d root for in a fight between them.
“I do not intend for Kolis to know I’m here.” Veses placed a finger on Callum’s lips, one with a black-painted nail instead of red. “Which means I do not intend for you or any of his guards to run and tell him. But I don’t think you will. I also believe you will ensure his guards don’t.”
“And why would you think that?” I asked, walking toward the chests. “Callum is an…ever-faithful servant.”
Veses smirked as her gaze flicked to me. “Because, unbeknownst to Callum, he and I share something in common.”
“Being obnoxious pieces of shit?” I smiled.
Callum’s head whipped to me. “Silence.”
I lifted a hand and extended a middle finger.
“She’s so classy, isn’t she?” Veses purred, facing me. “But no, my dear, that is not what I was referencing.”
“What do you have in common, then?”
Her syrupy-sweet smile returned. “Loyalty.”
I stared at her, stuck somewhere between disbelief and revulsion. And gods help me, a little bit of pity rose because if she truly were still loyal to Kolis after the events in the Council Hall, and was still in love with the false King, then she hopelessly hated herself.
“I know you’re loyal to Kolis,” Callum said, stepping closer to her. “But you still cannot be here, Veses. Even if I said nothing to him about this visit, he could find out. And that would not end well.”
“He will not harm you.” Veses kept inching forward. She was close enough now that her rose scent reached me. “You’re like a son to him.”
For some reason, that disturbed me as much as her loyalty to Kolis.
Callum’s jaw tightened. “I’m not worried about me.”
My gaze shot to him. Was he…？ He worried about Veses?
“That’s sweet of you.” Veses touched his cheek this time, just below the golden paint. “But I can handle Kolis and his punishments.”
His chest rose sharply. “Can you?”
A pink flush stained her cheekbones. “I can.” She withdrew her touch. “And, actually, that is what I wanted to speak to her about.”
He stiffened. “Veses…”
“I’m not going to hurt her.” Her chin lifted. “I’m not foolish.”
His pale eyes widened. “I wasn’t suggesting you were. That is the last thing you are.”
Besides the fact that Veses was very, very foolish, Callum did not seem concerned for her. And he obviously harbored some level of fondness for the awful—albeit pretty—monster. I didn’t know what to think about any of that. Actually, I simply didn’t have the mental capacity for it.
“Look, I just want to talk to her about what happened. You know why I would want that. You were there, after all.” Thick lashes lowered. “All I want to do is speak to her about…”—her delicate shoulders shuddered—“about that in private.”
My eyes narrowed. Yeah, I didn’t think that was why she was here at all.
Callum’s lips pursed as he glanced in my direction. “Fuck.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “You have ten minutes.”
“That’s all I need.” Veses smiled brightly, taking his hand and squeezing it. “Thank you.”
Shooting me one last look, he cursed again and then left the chamber.
Leaving me with the Primal who had already tried to kill me once.
Not that he knew that.
The door snicked closed, and Veses said, “Just so you know, I’m not here to thank you for attempting to intervene the other night.”
“It didn’t even cross my mind.”
“Good. Because I actually enjoyed it,” she said. “Kyn has a certain…sadistic edge to him that just gets me…” She shivered. “Wet.”
“Sure.”
“What? You don’t believe me? That wasn’t the first time I’ve been punished in such a way. If one can call it punishment.” She trailed a finger over the neckline of her gown. “If you really anger Kolis, and he’s in the mood to be entertained, he’ll give you to one of his draken for the evening.” She drew a plump, pink lip between her teeth. “And trust me, when their claws and scales come out, they fuck hard.” She laughed softly. “Normally, Kolis likes to watch, and I enjoy it even more. When I come, it’s while looking at him. Sadly, whatever you said put an end to things before they got real nice and—”
“Convincing me you speak the truth seems really important to you,” I interrupted, not wanting to hear any more. “Or are you trying to convince yourself that you liked it?”
Her finger halted in the center of the bodice.
“Maybe you did.” I stepped close to the bars. “I’m sure Kyn’s sadistic roughness speaks to your sadism. That is what makes you wet.”