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"Why did you ask me to stop? I was this close to waking him up."


"Can't you see it?" I asked, facing Thane.

"See what?"

"The tattoos. Can't you see it?"

"What tattoos?" Eloive asked as he rose up, moving his head.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Eloive," Thane announced. "Can't say I'm too happy about that," he added.

"I could care less about your happiness, uncle! You fucking broke my neck!"

"And I would do it again if you keep making my little girl cry."

"She won't be your little girl anymore, uncle. One day she's going to get married, and someone is going to play with her boobies," Eloive spat.

Thane stalked towards him. "What did you just say?"

"Um…that I will try not to make her cry again."

Thane smiled. "Good."

"Eloive, aren't you too young to be getting tattoos?"

"Getting tattoos? What the fuck, Crinka? I don't even like them needles."

"He's right about that," Thane agreed. "Eloive hates needles."

"Then how did you get the tattoos?" I asked him.

"What tattoos?" Thane asked.

"Can't you see it? The tattoos on Eloive's left arm."

Eloive checked his arm. "Can't see shit."

Thane checked as well. "Me too. Can't see anything."

"But..but..they are so many! How can you not see them?"

"I don't know. Maybe 'cause we're not crazy like you," Eloive replied.

Thane slapped his arm. "Be nice. What do the tattoos signify? Why am I the only one that can see them?"

"Maybe it's a wolf thing," Thane muttered.

"Or her imagination," Eloive said.

Thane and I shot him a look. "What? I once imagined freckles on Waxlyn's face."

"Well, I'm not you. Look, I'm just going to bed. Maybe if I have a nice nap, I'll feel a lot better.

"Maybe," Thane agreed. "Good morning, Crinka."

"What?"

"It's already morning, Crinka. Maybe a few hours before sunrise."

"Oh right. I'll see you guys later."

[...]

I nearly have a heart attack when I see Mila in Sia’s room.

"I didn’t send for you, so why are you here?" I ask, eyeing her.

"I am here for the prince, my lady. He sent for me."

"And what right does he have to send for you?" I ask angrily.

"All the right in the world, given the fact that I gave her her job."

I turn around, nearly screaming when I see the tattoos.

"That's not the prince, Mila. Run."

Sycamore turned to her. "You'll sit there if you do not want to lose your job."

"Mila, run."

Sycamore glared. "Sit down."

"My lady..."

"Why are you doing this?" I ask him. "It's bad enough that you are possessing Sia's body, and now you want to destroy his reputation."

"Be quiet!" he snarled. "Sia is the one who sent for her, not me. I merely took over because I wanted to ask her some questions."

"You don't have any right. Neither you nor Sia."

He merely turned to Mila. "Earlier today, you went shopping, didn't you?"

She nodded. "Yes, my prince."

"Don't call him that," I sneer. "He's not a prince."

"I was once. And can you stop interfering? This is none of your concern."

"She's my friend!" I snarl.

"I mean no harm, Crimson. I just want answers," he said before turning to Mila. "And why did you go shopping?"

"My lady asked me to get her some items."

"When was this?"

"Christmas day. After mass. Somehow she doesn't remember."

"Okay. Was this after Sia marked her?"

"After. I came in to see if she was okay, and that's when she asked me to get the items."

"Okay. What did she look like then? Can you describe how she looked when she wrote you that list?"

"She looked pretty normal to me," Mila responded.

"Why are you asking her these, Sycamore? What do you want?"

He turned to me. "I want to know why you can't obey instructions."

"You're an asshole."

"You didn't seem to care about that when I pounded you from behind."

My cheeks redden. "You… We have company, Sycamore."

"I'm well aware, Crimson, but I don't care. Now don't interrupt me again," he warned, before turning to a confused Mila.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Yes, Sycamore. Everyone knows who you are."

"That means you know what I am and what I can do."

She nodded. "If you are well aware of my capabilities, then why did you lie?"

"What?"

He pulled me to his side. "Crimson here was unconscious when you walked in. How could she possibly have written the note when she was unconscious, huh?"

"I…I don't know."

"Mila," he warned.

"I only wanted to help. I wanted to give her an edge over the others, that's why I went all out to get those items."

My eyes widen. And…and she made me look crazy!

"Where are the items now?"

"By the Christmas tree in the drawing room. I meant no harm. I just wanted to help."

"Do you know how you can help? By being dead!" he snarled, talons shooting from his fingertips.

Mila stepped back, eyes wide. I push Sycamore back. "Leave her alone."

"She's supposed to die."

"She only wanted to help! Mila, leave us please." I don't release him until she's out of the room.

"I don't trust her," he yelled as he stepped away from me.

"But I do. Mila is my friend, Sycamore. She'll never do anything to hurt me."

"You sound so sure," he muttered.

"I am. So please calm down. Your fingers are scary."

He calmed, and I stared at him, breathing hard.

"Are…are you going to give Sia back control?"

He eyed me. "Is that your way of saying you would rather talk to your lover than me?"

I laugh nervously. "That's some question. Well as you said, he's my lover so…"

"Oh right. I forgot."

Alarmed, I grasped his arm. "I didn't mean it like that, Sycamore, I swear."

He glanced at me. "I'm not supposed to like you. I'm not supposed to let you live, but…"

I don't let him finish. "But you needed my child, so…."

He pressed a finger to my lips. "It was never about the child, Crimson."

"Then what… Why did you let me live, Sycamore? Why do you like me?"

"I don't know okay? But there's something about you that draws me like a moth to a flame, and every time I look at you, all I can think of is how good it will feel to drain you of every drop of blood in your beautiful body."

Wow. That's…. "Does that mean you'll kill me now?" I ask, looking at him.

He laughs. "Baby girl, if I kill you, Sia dies. And if he dies, my spirit would prance around, the witches would notice and trap me in a bottle while they use me to play dodgeball. So no, you've got to be alive. Why do you think I turned you?"

"Um, because you like me?"

He laughed again. "You don't turn people because you like them. You do it because of the purpose they'll serve."

"So what's my purpose if not breeding heirs for Sia?"

He smiled. It was evil. "You just have to find out. Meet me at the royal garden after you've rested."

I frown. "The royal garden? Whatever for? And why can't we go there now? Together?"

"You wanted to take a nap, didn't you? So take one."

"Screw the nap. Let's go."

"No. You will rest, Crimson. It's important you do so. For the child."

I sigh. "I feel that's just what everyone cares about. The child and not the mother."

"Then it's a good thing I'm not everyone, isn't it?" he asked, tapping my nose. "Rest, Crimson. It's important you do so, for you."