Page 57 of The Blade in the Ashes
“I already have, darling. I’m not inclined to return anytime soon.”
“Stop calling me that!”
I stormed into the parlor, poured myself a glass of whiskey and downed it. The liquor scorched the back of my throat, and I savored that tiny bite of pain.
“You could start by thanking me for saving your friends,” Caldrius hissed, venom leaking into his words as he turned the corner to join me in the parlor. “Then you could thank me for ensuring Nessira was returned to you. A thank you could be in order for convincing the guards to leave you be. Andyes, I certainly deserve a thank you for making sure your recklessness didn’t expose the fact that Hyrax should lock you in a cell and not let you roam around his castle like the enemy to him you are! Any of those would be more than welcome.”
I slammed the glass down on the drink cart, spinning to face him with narrowed eyes. “If I had my powers—”
“You don’t, Theodora!” He shouted the words, pausing only when he noticed my flinch. With a heavy swallow, he sighed. “You have no powers. You can’t kill people with a thought anymore or blow away your enemies. Stop acting like you have powers to justify your actions.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I glared daggers at him, my upper lip curled back from my teeth.
Caldrius laughed darkly. "That you don’t know what I’m talking about proves my point exactly.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and lifted my brows, waiting for a further explanation. Caldrius mirrored the stance, taking two steps towards me as he did.
“You’re fucking impulsive, Thea, and frankly arrogant. In fact, you may be the most overly self-assured person I’ve ever met. Which is saying something considering how many people I’ve met over the millennia I’ve existed in the Underworld.”
My skin heated in anger, the weight of my dress against it becoming uncomfortable. “Keep waiting for that thank you from me.”
He moved towards me so rapidly that I stumbled backwards, bumping into the bar cart. Glasses fell, shattering onto the hard floor around us. It was only the overwhelming amount of dark tulle in my gown that kept it from piercing my ankles.
“You’ve always done whatever you damn well please because deep down you knew no one could stop you.” Caldrius continued without blinking, not paying any mind to the glass shards that now crunched under his boots. “No one was anywhere close to standing against you. But now? Without that magic, you’re the weakest person in this entire castle.”
“You’re wrong,” I whispered, but his smile only sharpened viciously as he took in the tears welling in my eyes.
He took one more purposeful step towards me, and this time, I had nowhere to run away to.
“Am I?” Another step. “I believe that I’m not the only one who has pointed out this flaw of yours before. That prince you love so much recognized it too, didn’t he? He also criticized you for not considering the consequences of your actions.”
Another step. His chest brushed against mine.
“The game has changed now, darling, and you are ill-equipped for the new rules. If you want to play with Gods, you need to think smarter.”
My hair brushed against my cheek as I turned away from him, unable to meet his gaze as the first tear streaked down my face. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of letting him see me cry.
“And what would you suggest?”
Fingers wrapped around my chin, forcing me to meet his dark eyes even as I tugged away.
“I lost my magic once too,” he confessed softly, his head angling down towards mine. “When a Descendant dies, the connection to their ancestor does too. I arrived in the Underworld as a king without a crown and a warrior without powers.”
His skin against mine was uncomfortably warm to the touch, and yet he gripped my chin, refusing to let me look anywhere but directly into the depths of his eyes.
“So, what did you do?” I whispered, voice quivering.
“I did what I had to do to become second only to Hyrax himself. I did what you now need to do. If you don’t have any power, Theadora, then you need to figure out how to claim some.”
He dropped my chin, staring down at me for a brief few moments before backing away. Without his body pressed against mine, I felt freezing, moments away from erupting into tremors once more. I gripped the edge of the bar cart, relying on it to steady myself.
We stared at each other, matching expressions of disappointment on both of our faces.
“I have work to attend to,” he announced, folding his hands into the pockets of his trousers. “I’ll return for dinner.”
“Don’t do me any favors.”
“I’ve done plenty for you already.” Caldrius didn’t bother looking over his shoulder at me as he left. “And I’ll do more before this is all over.”
