Serpent's Claim (Serpent's Touch 2)

Not anymore.

“The High Lord of Ellohi sold you,” he reminded me.

I met his stare. “And you gifted me. Please explain to me what's the difference?”

He bristled with indignation. “I gave you to the King of Lorsan. And look where it has brought you. I made you the queen.”

“You…” His audacity rendered me speechless.

“Amira…” He caressed the side of my face. “You’re young. So beautiful. You have a whole life ahead of you, but you do need a man by your side. Someone who could protect you.” He slid his hand down and under my veil, gliding his fingers along the sensitive skin of my neck. “Someone who could be a true husband to you, in every sense.”

His touch sent a ripple along my skin, but it was in alarm, not pleasure. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, sending a shudder across my shoulders.

He misread it.

“Look how your body reacts to me,” he murmured, hovering his lips over mine. “You’re trembling with need, and I can take care of it for you. I can take care of you, Amira.”

I knew Lord Adriyel wanted me from the moment he saw me, but he wanted my crown more. It was the reason he gave me to the king in the first place, to gain favor with him, to come just a step closer to what he truly longed for—the throne.

He gripped my hip through the layers of my skirts.

“Marry me, Amira. Make me your king. And together, we’ll be unstoppable.”

His other hand slid down my shoulder. He hooked a finger into my neckline, stroking the top of my breast.

I shrank back.

“You didn’t make me the queen, my lord. The king did it because he believed in me. I earned his trust. He saw his successor in me. You have nothing to do with that. And no, I don’t need a man to prove myself worthy of this crown, definitely not a man who sees me as a piece of property to be bought and gifted.”

I shoved hard at his chest, needing to get his hands off me. The board lurched. Lord Adriyel lost his balance. He tipped backwards, his arms flailing in the air. Then he fell into the lake with a splash.

I didn’t wait to see him climb back up. I guessed he’d have less dignity and far more fury then.

Leaping from rock to rock, I dashed to the other side of the Funeral Mound, then waved to the guards floating on their paddle boards by the tree roots to pick me up.

Loud cursing and spattering came from where I’d made Lord Adriyel take a tumble into the lake, but I didn’t look back. One thing was clear, by refusing the lord as my ally, I’d made him an enemy.