Throne of Secrets (Prince of Sin #2)

Twenty-Three Prince Gluttony

W HAT’S WITH THAT look?” Val asked, eyes narrowed as she entered the war room tower.

I raised my brows, all innocence. “What look?”

“It’s the face you make when you’re close to winning a hunt. Or scheming.”

I shrugged. “When am I not partaking in either of those wicked delights?”

“Hmm” was all she said before flipping through the new files my scholars had brought. I’d already gone over them—nothing new to help us uncover the underlying cause of the dragons’ condition. I glanced at the clock. It was almost dusk. Tonight, if the dragon had come to, I’d give Sil the vampire venom and hope to every wicked sinner in the realm it worked.

Val’s mouth pursed as she tossed the files aside.

We’d known each other too long for her to take my response at face value. Before I’d asked her to step into her current role, she’d been one of my best hunters.

She’d grown up in a small village just south of Merciless Reach and its wall and had spent almost all her time as a child in the woods stalking dragons. Val lived for adventure almost as much as I did, but she was much more cunning in her approach.

I hadn’t filled my second in yet on my plot to tie Adriana to me. And even though she’d counseled me several times throughout the years to either bind the reporter, banish her, or stop sparring with Adriana Saint Lucent in public, I hesitated to share my plan.

I replayed the glorious run-in with the hellion this morning.

I’d learned several valuable things from our accident. My spies reported that Adriana had left her home in a rented carriage, and it was heading toward my House of Sin.

Intrigued, I’d waited in the parlor, watching from the shadows as the conveyance rolled to a stop. All eyes had been on Adriana, tracking her every move, so they hadn’t been paying attention to who she’d been traveling with.

Her arrival was an unexpected delight, especially when I saw who’d gotten out of the carriage with her. Sometimes Fate was a cunning bastard. I owed him a drink.

I manufactured a meeting, knowing it would grant me a prime opportunity to take her measure, physically comparing her to my secret paramour from the Seven Sins.

Glamour could create a fine illusion, but some basic truths remained, such as height and size. When she’d run her hands up my body, all quiet temptation and hooded eyes, I’d been distracted from my mission, struck with the memory of my dreams.

Twice now, the female who hated me above all others had been aroused. Her animosity wasn’t for show, either. I sensed the emotion on more than one occasion. But that arousal—that was also present. She desired me physically and despised that fact.

If we hadn’t had an audience, I would have slowly stroked my hands along her sides, just to see if she’d roll her hips forward, seeking friction against me.

Or if she’d lean close and wrap those pretty hands around my neck instead.

There was one instance where I might permit that delicious debauchery, and it involved her—I slammed the image away before it devolved.

The point, I’d gathered, was I could use that attraction to my advantage. There might be hope of distracting her with my charms yet. Somehow, I doubted it, which was why I’d gotten another idea. I was eager to sort out all the pieces of the competition, give Sil the venom, and get to the Seven Sins. Tonight, I’d be victorious in at least one endeavor.

“You need to be careful,” Val said, wrenching me from my silent plotting.

“Regarding?”

“Whatever you’re planning with the reporter. I heard about your little collision.”

“Accidents do happen, even to us princes.”

She shook her head. “You have seven suitors living here now. They’re not going to want to share your attention with anyone else, let alone the reporter you hate.”

“Any other words of wisdom on how I ought to behave?”

“You don’t need the realm turning on you now. If I’ve noticed how much attention you’ve been paying her, how distracted you’ve been, others will too.”

The room chilled with my annoyance. I didn’t come here to be counseled on my public image or deterred from my plan.

“Your job, dear second, is to ensure the competition goes smoothly. And my job is to play my part during the day and solve our little issue by night. What I plan in between is no one’s business. Need I remind you what they say is essential in war strategy?”

She crossed her arms, annoyance radiating from her stance.

“Keep your enemies close, Val. Don’t, for one second, think I don’t know exactly who Adriana is to me.” I narrowed my eyes, my jaw straining from biting back the force of my own aggravation. “That hasn’t changed in a decade. Right now I need to keep her where I can see her. And I don’t particularly care how it looks. If you notice anyone growing suspicious, I expect you’ll see any rumors squashed. Understood?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Good.”

I scanned the latest report she’d brought from Merciless Reach, my good mood darkening. “Is it true the dragons might be turning on their mates?”

She heaved a sigh. “Hunters reported blood in nests, indicating brawls between mated pairs. Nothing concrete to go on yet, but we’re closely monitoring the situation.”

I raked a hand through my hair.

Every time I thought the situation couldn’t turn bleaker, it did.

Val went to leave, then paused in the doorframe. “Your Highness?”

I glanced over. “What is it?”

“When you omit the truth, your eyes narrow right before your jaw tightens. You might want to address that so no one else picks up on it.”

“It’s impossible for me to lie. You know that.”

She gave me a rueful smile. “Are you certain?”

Before I could demand that she clarify, she turned and exited the chamber, leaving me to wonder about our odd exchange.

I decided the stress of our situation was to blame and headed down to the dungeons.

Silvanus stirred as I entered his cell, the first sign of alertness he’d shown in days.

Hope burned in my chest as I made my way over to where he lay in the straw. He’d nestled down into it, another sign he’d been active or aware enough to move his body.

“Sil?”

His flank lifted on his next breath, working slightly faster at the sound of my voice.

Praise every wicked god there was.

I knelt beside him, withdrawing the vampire venom from my jacket.

I only had an hour or two before I needed to make an appearance at the welcome dinner. Now was the best time to finally see if the dragon could be thralled into speaking.

I didn’t waste one moment. I carefully peeled back his lips and shoved the tiny vial into his mouth, holding it shut with both hands as the mighty dragon finally came alert.

Silvanus thrashed against me, nearly knocking me off-balance as he staggered to his knees, then pushed up to his feet. I held on, my feet dangling five feet off the ground, until I saw the column of his throat finally work. He’d swallowed the vial whole.

I leapt backward, giving myself enough room to look directly into his eyes.

They were as red and vacant as the last time I’d seen him awake. I had no time to mourn.

“Silvanus. Tell me if you’ve had any meetings with witches over the last three moons.”

His pupils constricted, his mouth yawning wide. A stream of icy fire spewed around the cell, coating the stone in thick slabs of ice. I dove at the ground, rolling out of the way.

Suddenly, I heard his thoughts.

Chills raced down my spine as I grabbed my dagger.

Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.

Enemy.

Kill.

“Silvanus. Do you know who you are?”

The ice dragon’s shrill war cry was the only response I got.

Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.

“Silvanus. Stop. ”

That time, I’d used the power of a Prince of Hell to force compliance.

The dragon’s frantic chant ceased.

I leaned closer, ready to hear whatever he said next, my pulse pounding wildly.

With a roar that shook the room, the ice dragon lurched forward and collapsed. I rushed to his side; my own breath lodged in my chest.

I waited another beat. Silvanus didn’t stir.

He was out cold again.

I watched as his flank finally lifted with his shallow breaths. He was alive, thank the gods, but I’d used all the venom.

“Silvanus?” I slowly dragged a hand down his icy side. There was no tensing of muscle, no sign of movement to indicate he’d heard me.

I straightened from where I crouched and began pacing. The dragon remained in that unconscious state.

“Fuck!”

I kicked the ice-covered wall, ignoring the pain that lanced up my leg.

I was no closer to knowing what plagued the dragons now than I had been before. I wasn’t sure if Sil’s worsening condition was due to his injury or if being away from his pack was somehow to blame. He’d never fully recovered after our fight and I wondered if he ever would.

I shoved my hands through my hair, spared one last look at the dragon I’d raised and loved fiercely, then made my way to the cursed welcome dinner, praying to any god that would have me to make it through the night without raising suspicion.