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"No And I wish they had You’re quite good"

"You will be, too I’ to train you"

"Really?"

"Yes, really"

"But other men will make fun of you if they find out"

"Why would they care?"

"Woht," she said, "and anyone who dares to teach us is shunned"

"That’s dureed In the Fae realm, men were supposed to be their protectors, but as Leopold had proven, protection was often overlooked in favor of lust and greed "You don’t care about being shunned?"

"By these people? I’d consider it a blessing"

She twirled a strand of hair around her finger "I have to ask you a question"

"Anything"

"Are you seriously going to marry Synda?" She’delse, but that hadn’t exactly happened She’d whispered, instead, all of her hopes seeping fro

Well, that was answer enough, wasn’t it?

Disappointer pooled in the pit of her stoe his course

"On days like this, I wish I had Dear Heloise on speed dial There’s blood on irl’s dress," he irl’s dress, he’d said My girl Josephina

Argh! You can’t have more than one, Kane, she nearly shouted

The water shut off "Throw me a towel"

Josephina pulled a white cloth from the cabinet, then volleyed the material over the rod

"Thanks"

"Welcome," she said with more sharpness than she’d intended

The curtain was brushed aside, and she had a brief realization that there was no steam--why?--before her mindcompletelyderailed Kane was still naked, of course he was, but noas glistening His hair was darker when it et, and dripping water down his face The dragon brand on his chest was no longer red, but already scabbed and black The toas draped around his hips, hiding his butterfly tattoo--and other things

Breath caught in her throat as he hooked her dress to the bar The soaked ends of the cotton s to wear I need to leave the rooet away froet I don’t like to share

"I’ll see to the duties You’re going to stay in here and rest"

Her eyes widened with bafflement "You can’t I can’t"

"I’d love to see you try and stop me Or leave this room Now make a list of what you have to do"

If he wanted to do her chores, fine Opulens would see hih Even the servants would snicker Josephina would finally have tis he stirredshe was beginning to hate theary sweetness, she stalked into the bedroohtstand Then she wrote And wrote And wrote He used the silent h the contents of the closet and dress in the clothes the king had provided for hi by the ti a black shirt and black pants, and looking absolutely edible despite having covered up his azed at it, scowled "You do all of this?"

"Almost every day"

He read over the list a second tiht now"

"And be hunted by the Fae for the rest of your life?"

"That doesn’t worry me," he said, and he sounded sincere

"It should I know Tiberius has allowed you many liberties, and you probably think my entire race is a joke--otherwise you wouldn’t be so cavalier--but you haven’t seen everyone revved up for a blood vendetta I have"

"I’m still not worried"

She anchored her hands on her hips "If the Fae want you dead and fail to find you, they’ll find your closest friends and torture the Even the famed Lords of the Underworld"

"And if I’m already dead?"

"They’ll do it just for fun"

CHAPTER TWENTY

IN SECONDS, KANE had the lock on his bedroo Tink in and everyone else out Ropes of guilt threatened to jerk hi her a favor She needed rest and he needed to make sure she was safe and, prisoner or not, this was the only way to ensure those things Maybe one day she’d even thank hile" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>