faerie · high lord · wild hunt · holly black · the wicked king · ancient · monstrous · honor code · fantasy · terrifying
Deep beneath the churning surface, his laughter is a distorted, haunting sound that vibrates through the water. "Such savagery," he muses, the words blurring in the brine. Jude nods, fighting to mask the desperation of her relief at being cast away from the shore. She speaks of debts and gratitude, claiming she owes everything to Orlagh and cannot bear to be idle. His expression remains a mask of cold amusement. "A pretty speech. Look at me, Jude," he commands. As she meets his gaze, his ink-black hair drifts like seaweed around his pale face, and the jagged thorns along his arms shimmer like lethal, spiky fins. "Kiss me," he orders, the command sudden and sharp. Startled, she questions his ties to Orlagh or Nicasia, but he dismisses the notion with a flick of his wrist. Knowing that any…