Page 64 of Castle of the Cursed
“Is that really all this is about?” he prods.
I don’t meet his gaze as I nod in assent, and I know I’m going to have to sell this better. “Today, I was on the other end of what I did to you,” I say softly, “and I didn’t like it. So I want you to know I’m sorry, and it won’t happen again.”
I feel him leaning into the counter, and without looking up, I know his face is just a couple of feet from mine. “What do you mean?”
“Felipe came over,” I say, closing my eyes so Sebastián won’t glean more than what I choose to share.
“What happened?” There’s no hint of a smile in his voice anymore.
“I saw the black smoke.”
“Describe it.” He sounds even closer, but I keep my eyes shut.
I flash to Felipe grabbing me, forcing his tongue—“It happened when Felipe kissed me,” I say, blinking my eyes open to keep tears from forming.
Sebastián’s face is just inches away, his intense stare locked onto mine, and I have to remind myself to breathe.
“I think you’re probably right about a spell protecting me,” I go on, because I need to keep talking so I won’t break my vow not to touch him. “The black smoke took over everything, like on the subway, then it receded into Felipe’s eyes—”
“Did he hurt you?”
Sebastián’s voice is quieter now, and more lethal.
“He didn’t get to.”
Sebastián doesn’t move away, nor does his stare break with mine. He’s the Iron Prince, supernatural royalty with a penchant for bloodshed, and every instinct in my mind is telling me to stay away from him.
But I can’t.
He’s intoxicating. The Vampire Prince belongs to another world, but the shadow beast is all mine, and I don’t want to share him.
“Every time I am about to see you,” he says after a stretch of silence, “I wonder if this will be the night I take what I want and leave you a bloodless corpse.”
I swallow, my heart sputtering. Are we really back to the subject of my murder—?
“And yet,” he murmurs, a softness coming over his silver gaze, “every night, when I am with you, I feel… content.”
He frowns, like that’s wrong, and both my breath and heartbeat seem to hinge on what he says next.
“I am not sure if that is the word,” he says, “but it makes me want to have you around.”
Warmth spreads through me, until I hear, “Yet I know there is more you are not telling me.”
I feel the dirt crusting my nails, even though I washed my hands clean. I know I should tell him who he is, but as soon as I do, I’ll be awakening Prince Bastian and killing Sebastián. And I can’t bring myself to do that.
“I have a new lead,” I say, over the renewed racing of my heart. “Remember how I told you the smoke receded into Felipe’s eyes? Well, then he spoke to me, only I don’t think it was him. His voice sounded different, and he said: If you want answers, come to the woods at midnight.” I swallow, hard. “I’m going to check it out.”
“Comedy is not your thing.”
“I’m not joking.”
“Then this is the worst idea you ever had.”
We disagree, yet our faces lean in. The closer he gets, the harder it is to keep my lips to myself. “We’ll find out,” I say through gritted teeth.
“No.” Sebastián’s grimace turns into a glower. “You are not going.”
His body is an immovable wall blocking my way.
