I ignored him, yet I couldn't stop thinking about the way to die he'd suggested. The image played in my mind—the sharp rocks below, the cold embrace of the sea. Would it hurt? Or would it be as quick as he promised?
He couldn't resist sneering, "Do you really think he's worth this sacrifice?"
"Worth it?" I laughed, but the sound was hollow. "I'm not doing this for him. I'm doing it for me."
"I won't discuss emotions with a cold-blooded monster. It's like casting pearls before swine." I turned away, my voice sharp. "Did the Duke come here just to annoy me?"
"Annoy you?" His lips curled, but his eyes remained unreadable behind the mask. "No. I came to watch you suffer. But now that I'm here… I find it less entertaining than I'd hoped."
"How disappointing for you," I muttered.
"I came to ask you one question."
"Say it, then leave. This beach is mine."
