Page 11 of Jack of Diamonds
I smirked and shrugged at him. “It’s comfy as hell. It’s designed to give me full range of motion.”
“Yes...I can tell...” he purred while sidling up to me. His hand slipped around my waist, then caressed my ass before sliding between my legs. He let out a low, irritated growl. “There’s only one flaw in the design. How am I supposed to fuck you through this contraption?”
“You’re not—that’s the point,” I snickered while pushing him away. I walked over to the nightstand and grabbed Ransom’s gold ring, slipping it onto my thumb. “If you’re a good kitty, maybe I’ll let you tear this thing off of me tonight.”
Chess’s grin spread from ear to ear, and his brilliant green eyes sparkled like emeralds. Then he gave me an obedient nod and went to open the door.
“Of course I’ll be good. I’ll be anything you want me to be.”
I had to do a double take, but Chess simply stood by the door, patiently waiting for me to join him.
The shift in his demeanor was so drastic, so obvious, that I glanced down at the gold band around my thumb. Even though I’d been told that the Ring of Temptation could make others bend to the will of whoever wore it, I hadn’t expected it to be so strong, or to work on demons.
I’d just put it on, and I could immediately feel the temptation to keep it and use it to my advantage.
But the Ring of Temptation didn’t belong to me. For all I knew, the Red Queen might’ve infused it with evil magic, or put some kind of tracking spell on it. Even though I was already running late for my training session with Jack, I had to find Ransom first.
The sooner he got his ring back, the better.
* * *
As I walked through the halls of the castle, the scent of fresh flowers and spiced breakfast foods filled my nostrils, mixing with the lingering odor of burning candles and incense. I hurried past sculptures of strange animals and gargoyles, all made of frosted crystal.
Their eyes seemed to follow me as they watched my every move, but even though it was creepy as fuck, I had more important things on my mind.
I gently knocked on Ransom’s door and waited for a response. When there was none, I slowly turned the knob and peeked inside.
He was lying in a luxurious hospital bed, propped up with a complicated arrangement of pillows that prevented him from putting too much weight on his outstretched wings. Strange cages were wrapped around the thick bandages, keeping his wings from bending or shifting. The black feathered tips were the only part of them that were visible outside of the bandages, which were still oozing blackish-green poison.
White sheets were tucked around Ransom’s waist, and one side of his handsome face was nestled against yet another pillow. One of his demon horns was buried deep between two pillows while the other one curled in a skyward spiral. He looked so vulnerable in that moment.
I slipped into the room and let the door click shut behind me. Ransom immediately snapped awake, his body tense, his eyes wild, until he registered who I was.
“Alice,” he croaked, his voice dry and scratchy and barely audible.
“I came by to check on you, my king.”
Ransom’s gaze softened and he relaxed against his pillows as I stepped to his bedside.
He looked up at me with half-lidded eyes, his face pale and beaded with sweat. The pain in his expression made my stomach twist. I lifted a leg and sat on the edge of the bed, our thighs brushing against each other through the sheets.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, reaching out to gingerly stroke his cheek.
“Like I’ve been trampled by a herd of grumplehoofs.” He tried to smirk but failed. Although I didn’t have the first clue what a grumplehoof was, I raised an eyebrow in concern. Now was not the time to be brave.
“Is the White Queen giving you anything for the pain?”
A weak sneer passed across his face as he faintly shook his head.
“Apparently it’s better to feel the pain with this type of poison. As soon as it’s drawn out of my body, the pain will be gone.”
I sucked in a breath through my teeth.
“It seems pretty bad.”
“I can handle it. Especially if you keep wearing outfits like that one. I’m getting stronger by the second,” he sighed, although his tired eyes betrayed him.
Afraid that my touch might cause him more pain than comfort, I let my fingers fall away from his cheek and return to my lap. I bit my lip, feeling my heart sink in my chest.