“Exhausted?” She paused long enough to see him nod, and then continued, “Dizzy? Weak?”
“I am the High Queen’s Bloody Hands. I am not weak.” He scowled at her. “I’d had much to do of late, but—”
She interrupted again. “I drain the energy from faeries… and mortals.”
Devlin watched her, but he’d locked down his emotions. She hated the fact that he’d done so, almost as much as she hated that he hadn’t done so when they were kissing.
She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her folded legs. “If it’s emotion, but no touch, I do okay. If it’s touch, but no emotion, I do fine. Sometimes, though, when it’s both… I was drinking your energy that night, Devlin.”
For a long moment, he didn’t respond, and then he asked, “And tonight?”
Ani took a deep breath. “I could feel your emotions, so I stopped.”
“I see.” Devlin walked toward her. When he was directly in front of her, he knelt down on the carpet.
She lifted her gaze. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I do need to be well to keep you safe.” His voice was emotionless.
“That’s not why.” She closed her eyes. Having him so close was cruel.
His hand stroked her hair. “I am sorry I caused you upset.”
She opened her eyes to look at him. “I could kill you.”
“You could’ve just now,” Devlin whispered. “I don’t think I would’ve stopped you.”
She shivered. “I don’t want to hurt you,” she repeated. “I want… you.”
His emotions remained locked down as he ran his hand down her arm. “I talked to Irial.”
Few sentences could’ve startled her as much as that did. She stared at Devlin. “You…”
“He told me to be careful, but not why,” Devlin whispered. “I told him I wanted to take you away, to make you safe, and… he said only if it was your choice.”
“Oh.”
He leaned in and kissed her lightly, lips closed. “How deadly are you?”
“I could drain every faery I touch if they don’t know how to keep their emotions contained. I could funnel that energy to my court; I could feed them all.” Ani couldn’t hide her shudder. The idea of drinking down lives, of feeling bodies grow cold in her arms, was horrific. “Banan—she probably wants my blood for that reason. I’m not sure how, but if she could use it, she could feed on mortals, halflings, faeries…. Killing would be a way to feed the court. She likes killing.”
Devlin held her gaze. “I won’t let her use you.”
“Iri would use me too. He told me to kill you if I needed to.”
“And would you kill me, Ani?” Devlin held out his hand.
Ani slipped her hand into his, and he stood and pulled her to her feet and into his arms. “I don’t want to.”
“But if your kings ordered it?” he prompted.
“Disobeying my king… or Iri would mean leaving my court.” She stepped out of his reach. “But I’d rather not kill you.”
“And I you.” He kissed her forehead, and then he walked over to the bed.
She stood motionless.
“Come. I will keep my emotions hidden away so I can be next to you.” He folded the covers back.