“You can’t fall in love with a monster, witch!” My Guardian stood up so suddenly that I flinched. It was one of his old tricks, he’d tried to pull this frequently with me. Whenever I had dared to question my imprisonment or demanded to be let out just so I could see the blue sky over my head, feel the sun or the rain on my skin.
“I already have,“ I told him firmly, even though my heart was beating frantically in my chest. Pulling Agnar’s sweater tighter around myself, I raised my chin to look at him. I had no problem calling my saviour a monster. He was. The kindest, hottest monster I had ever met.
“You’ve got to be kidding me, Faye!“ Ah, now he called me by my name. Another one of his little tricks, trying to worm his way under my skin, to burrow into my brain and pull me back under his spell.
Who is the monster here, Guardian?
“You’ve always been foolish, little witch.” His cold, calculating chuckle sent a shiver down my spine. It was the truth. I had been foolish.
“Yeah, you’re right. I believed my parents, and you.“ I raised my chin at him, wishing Agnar was here with me. I wanted to do the talking, but I craved him near, craved his fingers wrapped around mine and squeezing them gently to let me know that everything was going to be all right.
“Your parents,“ he huffed derisively. “Your father begged me to take you off his hands. Well, you can’t blame him.“ He dragged his gaze all the way down from my face to my legs, making me shiver where I stood. “Shame, untouched you could have fetched me a premium, Faye.” His voice was silky, dangerous. “But I’m positive I’ll still find a buyer for you.”
The tiniest of cracks sounded from somewhere behind me. “I will not be sold like a piece of cattle,“ I snapped, willing myself to keep my eyes on him. There was no way I would escape his henchmen who surely were creeping in the shadows behind me. I’d rather die, perhaps I could get one of them to shoot or stab me. I wouldn’t budge.
