It seemed like the food of Underworld sucked some serious ass, though Bree was fairly certain that wasn’t the real problem at all. The actual issue? Taveon had ordered the cooks to bring her their scraps or the worst combination of food imaginable. He was trying to get his point across, and it was actually working.

Do what I say. Don’t make an ass out of me. I can make your life better or worse. It all depends on you.

But despite knowing that she could catch a few breaks if she just played along, she couldn’t bring herself to back down. Her anger at Prince Taveon went too deep. She’d never wanted to punch someone more, and yet, the only thing she could do was stage small, silent rebellions.

Prince Taveon showed up at the same time—she thought, anyway—as the day before. He didn’t make her change into some fancy dress this time. Instead, he handed her some well-fitting fighting leathers, ones that were threaded with rich golds and reds. As usual, he stood on the other side of the cell bars, his back turned toward Bree as she changed. She tried to ignore the feel of his eyes on her naked back, but that was next to impossible.

A part of her wondered if he got some delicious thrill out of this, but she knew better than that. Every time he looked at her, there was nothing but disdain written all over his face. There was no intrigue or curiosity or attraction. In fact, it felt like the complete opposite. He couldn’t care less about Bree Paine.

“What’s your problem with me anyway?” she asked as she pulled on a thick but light-fitting boot.

A snort was Taveon’s only reply.

“Seriously,” Bree pressed on, yanking the other boot onto her foot. “What’s your deal?”

“You murdered me. Is that not enough?”

Bree rolled her eyes. “I didn’t murder you. You’re standing right there, alive and well, on the other side of the cell bars, glaring in at me with that gloomy look of yours.”

“Well, you attempted to.”

Bree let out a heavy sigh as she laced up the boot. “I was trying to get away from you, Prince Taveon. I don’t want to be your slave. I don’t want to kill people for you. You won’t let me go. What else was I supposed to do?”

A pause.

Bree whirled to face him, her fists clenched tight by her sides. “Tell me you wouldn’t have done the same if you were me.”

At that, the look of disdain flared across his face again. “No, I would not have. I would never be in your situation in the first place. I am not human. I am not Light Fae. And I am certainly not a shapeshifter.”

Ah, so there it was. He thought of himself as better than Bree, just because of what she was or what she had been. Of course he would look down on humans. They were his food. And he would look down on Redcaps as they were merely vessels to be controlled. And the Light Fae? Well, the Dark Fae practically controlled them, too.

“You’re an asshole,” she said.

He raised an eyebrow, seemingly unfazed by her insult. “Are you finished yet, human? Or shall I leave you in there all day and come back tomorrow?”

Panic flared in her chest. She hated that he knew her this well already. Bree couldn’t bear the thought of sitting in this dank, dim cell for an entire day. She wanted out. She’d do practically anything for a few breaths of fresh air, and that included snapping her mouth shut.

When Prince Taveon saw the look in her eye, he gave a nod and unlocked the cell door. Relief whooshed out of her, but as she stepped into the corridor, he snapped the wrist braces around her arms again. They were hard and cold to the touch, a grim reminder that he was her master and she was his slave.

He led her down the corridor, but this time, they didn’t go up the stairs. Instead, they continued on past a bend in the darkness, the fire-lit sconces dropping away to reveal nothing but black. Bree frowned but kept her feet moving. Where was he taking her? Surely he hadn’t decided to get rid of her already?

“Stop panicking,” he said in a gruff voice as he jerked on her chains. “I am not leading you to your execution. At least not today.”

Gee, that really put the warm fuzzies into Bree’s heart. “So you do plan on killing me eventually.”

“Not if you cooperate.”

Bree shot a sideways glance his way. He was nothing more than a silhouette in the darkness. His strong jaw. His broad shoulders. His tall form that radiated pure, chaotic power. There was something so unnerving about Prince Taveon, and it made her entire body shiver from the force of it. What was it about this fae? What was it that made her feel as though she could reach out and—

Bree blinked and ripped her gaze away, heart hammering. What the hell was wrong with her?

Prince Taveon seemed completely oblivious to her gaze. He just kept on striding forward, occasionally yanking hard enough on her chain to make her stumble. He really was a complete asshole, and it seriously pissed her off that he could look so good while being such an insufferable dick.

“Here we are.” Prince Taveon came to a stop just before a small wooden door. He pulled a heavy set of keys from his pocket, jammed an old silver key into the lock, and then turned. The door creaked as he pushed it open, sending a wave of shivers down Bree’s spine.

Yeah, this wasn’t ominous at all.

“What is this place?” Bree asked as she stumbled in behind him. She dropped back her head and gazed around, thankful that a few sconces had been lit in the expansive cavernous room.

It was empty, grim, and dark, the domed ceiling rising high overhead. There was a small square window at the very top, poking up into the sky. A sliver of the moon cut through, causing the cobwebs to glow.

“This is the new Academy of the Dark Fae,” Taveon said in a matter-of-fact tone, though Bree could see a hint of pride in the way he threw back his shoulders and lifted his chin. “You will be training here.”

“The Academy?” Bree raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you need, I don’t know, students for that?”

“You are our first student, and you will not be the last.” He took a deep breath. “It will take time to build it up to its former glory.”

“Former glory?”

He gave a nod. “We once trained many a fae here, though for different reasons. My father put an end to it, just as he put an end to all good things in this realm.”

Footsteps echoed on the floor behind them, and Bree whirled to find another fae whisper out from the darkness. Her heart battered her ribs. Where the hell had he come from?

“This is your first instructor, Rafferty,” Taveon said, gesturing to the male who approached them.

Bree’s eyes widened as she examined the new arrival, and her breath got caught in her throat. He was unlike anyone she had ever seen before. With bright silver hair and eyes that matched, he looked like the moon personified. He was tall and lithe, but he wasn’t skinny. His dark fighting leathers clung to his frame, highlighting his biceps and the strength of his thighs.

All Bree could do was blink at him.

“Right.” Taveon gave a nod. “I will leave you to it then.”

“Wait,” she said in a strangled voice. “I don’t understand. I thought you were the one who was going to be training me.”

It wasn’t that she was particularly disappointed that this gorgeous specimen would be training her. It was more that she was confused as to why Taveon had shoved her off onto someone else. She knew he hated her. The feeling was mutual after all. She knew she often angered him unnecessarily...okay, so maybe she did understand why he didn’t want to be around her anymore, but she felt more than a little nervous about being trained by this stranger. She’d just gotten used to Taveon’s presence. He was an asshole, but at least he was an asshole that she knew.

The truth was, she didn’t actually despise being around Taveon as much as she thought she would. She kind of liked irritating him. It made this whole new mundane existence as a servant of the Dark Fae a little more bearable.

“There will be different elements of your training. Rafferty will be focusing on the most important, and it is something that I am afraid I cannot help you with.” He gave a curt nod. “I shall see you later, Bree.”

And with that, he was gone, leaving Bree alone with this strange—albeit breathtaking—fae.