Hazy, drug-muddled images come rushing back all at once.

I know you’re in there. You can’t hide from me.

In the fragmented memory, the pale female’s face obscures my vision of the dungeon, but her steely breath brushes my clammy cheeks as if she’s still in the room with me.

It’s foolish of you to resist. Think of what we could do together.

Before I can untangle the rest of the memory, a dim light catches my attention in the corner of my eye. I jerk my neck to the side as the light brightens, revealing a stone staircase and a grated door.

Footsteps follow the light, and soon three figures descend the staircase.

Metal screeches, the door opens, and the three fae step into the room.

The first is the pale female who I suppose owns me now, thanks to my gold-licking stepmother. Half of her silvery-white hair flows loose at her shoulders, the other half secured in a knot at the top of her head. That same red-jeweled bracelet dangles from her wrist. She looks more irritated than she did the first day I met her, and I derive no small amount of satisfaction from that.

I’m not sure how I acted when I was drugged, but I hope I had her reconsidering whether I was worth whatever she paid for me.

Behind her stand two males, both of whom have their hoods drawn low over their faces, so I can’t see their eyes. Their jawlines are set, but they’re too still to be human.

“You’re awake.” The female states it as if she’s reading off the accusation of a crime. She sniffs at the air, disgust marring her otherwise elegant face. “You’ve soiled yourself.”

“Twice,” I correct her before I can stop myself. She stiffens, and I should probably take that as a signal to cease talking, but I don’t. “I’m not sure what you expected after keeping me tied up for so long. But who am I kidding? You’re high fae. Tell me, how often do you have to pee? Probably once a month at most.”

The shoulders of the hooded males shake slightly, the sight of which grants a smirk to my cracked lips.

At least someone here thinks I’m funny.

The female, clearly, does not. But she plasters a vindictive smile upon her stony face all the same. “My apologies. I’ll be sure to have Farin clean you up when he’s done with you.”

The male to the female’s right stiffens, and so do my insides.

Farin has yet to reveal his face, but if he’s fae like I assume, he’s probably the kind of attractive that’s almost always a positive thing, except for when you need your bottom wiped.

I also don’t like the sound of “when he’s done with you.”

“I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced,” I say, eager to turn the conversation in any other conceivable direction.

Lantern light flickers in the female’s icy blue eyes. “How inconsiderate of me. And to a guest, of all people. I am Queen Abra of Mystral.”

My stomach drops. I knew her ruby bracelet looked familiar. Because it’s not a ruby at all. It’s a magical pendant that holds the poison she used to murder her husband, the King of Mystral.

Allegedly.

Though the fact that she keeps her torture dungeon in good use lends credence to that particular rumor.

“I’m no lawyer, but I’m pretty sure bribing a foreign kingdom’s jailer and purchasing one of their prisoners is considered an act of war.”

Queen Abra just smiles, and that’s all the answer I need. Her identity isn’t the only thing that inspires dread. That she’s been open about her identity can only mean one thing.

She doesn’t intend for me to make it out of this dungeon alive to tell anyone.

Yep. Really hoping Evander has my jailer tied to a table with a poker at his eye right about now.

“I take it my little friend hasn’t been cooperative,” I say. The shot lands, and for half a moment, the queen looks taken aback. Like she thought she’d waltz into the dungeons and explain my situation to me.

But for the blip when her confidence falters, it returns with full-force. “No, she hasn’t,” she says, her lips curving in derision.

She approaches the dais on which I’m currently splayed and, Fates, she’s going to touch me, isn’t she?

The queen brushes a fingernail against my cheek, and I don’t bother to fight back a shudder at her frigid touch. “You know they have healers who specialize in decreased circulation, right?” I say.

That earns a sneer, as well as a slap across the mouth.

Like I’m a child.

I want to ask what happened the night the queen stole me away from Evander’s prison. What the psychotic magic that takes over my body once every full moon did while I was locked away somewhere in the dark corners of my own mind.

But for all I know, the queen doesn’t know yet that I don’t remember anything that happens when it takes over, and I’d like to keep it that way.

“You won’t like it down here, you know,” she says, almost crooning, like she’s trying to convince a naughty child why it would be to its benefit to behave.

“I don’t know. I think it’s rather cozy once you get used to the smell and befriend the rats.”

The queen ignores me. “I can already tell you’re destined for more. You won’t be content here, unable to move. But with me…” She tucks my matted hair behind my ear and I have to fist my palms to keep from cringing. “You wouldn’t have to be helpless anymore. Imagine what we could do together.”

Oh, right. She’s not talking to me.

She’s talking to it.

It’s sort of bad manners, for a queen.

But I suppose she did marry into royalty.

“I don’t know. Cindy’s pretty attached to me at this point,” I say, almost through my teeth.

My psychotic body-possessing magic prefers to go by Cinderella. Once the full moon comes out, and she’s broken my hipbones and rearranged my face to her liking.

Cinderella—it’s a stupid thing to call oneself, but I’m hoping that somewhere within me, she’s seething at the nickname.

The queen’s icy eyes flick to mine. “Surely you want the parasite out.”

Parasite?

Oh, that was so much better than Cinderella. I’d consider thanking the queen for putting into words exactly how I feel about the ancient magic sulking inside of me, had she not tied me to a dais.

It’s true. I want the parasite gone. I’d like to keep my body to myself, please and thank you.

I don’t want the parasite.