I barely have to think about it. “I’d take one or all of them. You can’t really undermine his business and standing with Poseidon, but the daughters are an easy target to hurt him. Which is exactly what you did in drawing me here.” Really, Ursa was smarter about it because I left of my own free will. That has to hurt more than if she kidnapped me. I frown. “What is your motivation? Beyond revenge.”
“Oh no, we’re not talking about me.” She laughs and gives my leg a tap. “We’re talking about you.”
“Me?” I shift a little. “Why me? Out of everyone involved, I’m the simplest to pin down. I wouldn’t have been so easy to manipulate otherwise.”
Her laugh seems to reach across the sparse distance between us to stroke me right between my legs. “Darling, give yourself a little credit. Your father had you nailed down and penned up. You were so desperate for freedom, you let yourself fall in love with a man you didn’t know. There’s no shame in that. Even the weakest person will find the motivation for strength if given the right set of variables. And you’re not weak.”
I don’t understand her. Is she comforting me? Setting me up for a bigger let down? I can’t begin to guess. “I feel pretty weak, and very foolish.”
“A weak person wouldn’t have gone to the lengths you did.” She glances at the doorway, where I can hear Alaric walking back toward the living room. “A foolish person wouldn’t be holding their own right now.”
I frown up into her beautiful face. “I don’t understand you, Ursa. You don’t have to be nice to me.”
“Darling, I’m not being nice.” She smiles kindly and stands. “I’m merely stating the truth as I see it. You are not part of my endgame. It doesn’t hamper me any to give you a little boost before I set you free next week.”
The reminder that this is only temporary feels like cold water dumped over my head. I have no right to the disappointment that sours my carefully balanced bliss at having Ursa’s full attention. Six more days and then I’m free. That should make me happy. This was only ever temporary, and if it’s a thousand times more pleasurable than I could have imagined? That should be a relief.
I don’t know this woman.
What I do know of Alaric is just a fake persona he projected to ensure I danced to the tune he and Ursa set.
I should be happy to leave them behind. Should use them for what they can give me and walk away stronger for it. Isn’t that what successful people in this world do? At least I can be assured that Ursa and Alaric are strong enough that nothing I can do will harm them. I can afford to be as ruthless as they are without guilt.
Except none of these thoughts gain any traction.
All I can think about as I watch Ursa offer me her hand is that I haven’t gotten nearly enough time with this woman. She exhibits a pull stronger than gravity, a slow spiral that tempts me into the deep where I’ll surely drown. It sounded like a fate worse than death a few days ago. Now, I’m not so sure.
Who needs air compared to the pleasure of drawing a smile from the Sea Witch?Chapter 18UrsaI’ve seen infatuation enough times to recognize it on Zurielle’s pretty face when she looks at me. I’m just ruthless enough to use it. She’ll walk away at the end of this week with her heart bruised, but she’ll survive the wound. She’ll be stronger for it. Or that’s what I tell myself as I lead her and Alaric into the secondary living room that I’ve converted to a playroom. It sits in the corner of my penthouse suite, so two of the walls are floor-to-ceiling windows. It pleases me in a perverse little way to know that anyone can look through these windows and see the games I play.
What can I say?
I’m a bit of an exhibitionist at heart.
“Kneel there. Eyes down.” I turn and stride back into the kitchen to retrieve the dildos. I have a wide selection of them in a variety of sizes and colors. It amuses me to play into the reputation I earned when I was young and impulsive. The Sea Witch. A woman not to be fucked with, not if one wants to avoid a death steeped in salt and brine. Carver City isn’t a port town, so finding a way to bring the ocean here to make examples of my enemies took some creative problem-solving. Creative enough that I haven’t been challenged directly in years now.
The territory is stable. More than stable, really. My people are flourishing. If I sometimes take little bites out of the Belmonte territory for my amusement? Well, I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t give in to temptation from time to time.