When It Reigns (Cursed Reigns, #1)

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

The first thought that went through my head was, I am in some hot water, and this time the pun was not intended. I found nothing humorous about being naked while I was amid a betrayal and about to be killed by a horde of who knew how many demons.

I bent my knee under the water, bringing my thigh towards my hand in what I hoped to be an inconspicuous fashion, and wrapped my fingers around the hilt of my dagger.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Zoran threatened, fluidly transferring his arm from my collarbone to my waist as he trapped my arms to my sides and managed to pull me even closer against him. I wasn't sure if it was his voice lowering several degrees that chilled the temperature of the water, or if his ice Insignia had more to do with it.

The hair along the back of my neck spiked as a chorus of disturbing howls joined the shriek. Zoran waded deeper into the alcove as a slew of splashes entered the pool on the other side of the waterfall. Flesh smacked against the water, sending ripples at us as the cries grew to a crescendo.

"Let me go," I rasped through gritted teeth.

"What're you going to do? Take on a bunch of demons like this?" he seemed to murmur as his fingers trailed a line of fire up the side of my ribcage. His arm followed the movement of his hand, sweeping over my exposed stomach before his fingertips tracked back down my side and came to a rest over my hip.

My body begged me to arch into his embrace and lean my head back on his shoulder. I wanted to feel his delicate fingertips and rough calluses scour every inch of me. I imagined his soft lips on my neck and experiencing the thrill of the pleasuring pierce of his fangs in the wake of a kiss.

The thoughts were vastly inappropriate considering I was fantasizing about the man conspiring with the demons and had led them here to kill me. Or worse, take me with them.

Just because my illusions were unfitting didn't mean I couldn't play into them. With that justification in mind, I tilted my head to look him in his dark green eyes. The amber ring in the center of his irises flared as his smoldering stare intensified. His hand leapt from my mouth to my throat and I bit my lip, drawing his attention to what I hoped was a seductive smile.

"Yes," I murmured, dropping the back of my head onto his shoulder as water gushed in front of us with more vigor.

"Princess," he grunted.

The huskiness of the way he said my nickname warmed the pit of my stomach. I moved an arm out from under his with an ease I hadn't expected, and cupped his cheek, guiding his face down to mine. When his lips were mere inches from mine, his eyes fluttered closed and his thick lashes fanned his cheeks. I snatched the dagger from my thigh sheath and twisted out of his light hold, whirling around on him. I shoved him against the wall, jabbing the tip of my dagger at his jugular. I nipped the skin and Zoran's face soured.

"What are you doing?" he grated.

"You tell me," I commanded. "Because it looks to me like you're handing me over to the Ravos demons."

Zoran's eyebrows narrowed. "Is that what you think is going on? I thought you were more intelligent than that."

Then his eyes dropped and a faint blush rose to his cheeks as he made a guttural rumbling sound at the back of his throat, tips of his fangs poking out. I glanced down at the bare skin exposed at the top of my breasts where the water lapped and felt my cheeks mirror Zoran's. He grabbed my wrist and removed the dagger from my hand, shoving me behind his broad frame as he drew his arm back and launched the weapon at the waterfall.

The water split as a Cursed demon fell through it with a yelp. It collapsed, face planting in the water with my dagger protruding from its eye socket. Thick, black blood oozed around the wound as the demon clawed at it. The substance poured down its face, melting its translucent skin as its dark veins throbbed and pumped more blood out the injury. The demon hissed, black venom dropping from its fangs as it thrashed in the water.