Girl, Serpent, Thorn Read Online Free PDF

throat.
    â€œI wouldn’t take another step,” a familiar voice growled in the darkness.
    She was lucky he hadn’t killed her on the spot, but upon hearing Ramin’s voice, Soraya felt truly cursed. Of all the people to catch her, why did it have to be him?
    â€œIt’s me, Ramin,” she said. The darkness swallowed up her voice, so she said again, louder, “It’s Soraya.”
    Anyone else would have backed down at once—whether because she was the shahzadeh or because of her curse—but Ramin’s sword lingered at her throat a breath too long, as if he were battling some inner temptation. Finally, he sheathed the sword, his hands going to rest on his hips. “Soraya. I wasn’t expecting you.” He took a step closer to her, forcing Soraya to take a step back.
    â€œI was just—I wanted to see—”
    Her voice was still too quiet, and so he started to approach her again, leaning in to hear her. She backed away, but he only followed, never letting her stay more than one step away from him. “You’re too close,” she whispered hoarsely.
    He let out a derisive snort. “I’m not afraid of you, Soraya.”
    Her hands balled into fists at her side. You should be afraid, she thought. But Ramin knew from experience that she would rather fold herself into nothing than risk hurting him. As the son of the spahbed, it must have galled him to know that a timid, shrinking girl his younger sister’s age was more dangerous and fearsome than he could ever be. And so he had always looked for ways to provoke her, as if in challenge. He would step in too close and gesture too widely near her, or speak to her in the most insultingand condescending tones. And every time, Soraya would tuck her hands away, lower her head, and try to ignore him, like a flower trying to force itself back into a bud.
    â€œTell me—what are you doing wandering around near the dungeon at this hour?” Ramin continued. “Have you spent so much time among the rats in the walls that you’ve forgotten how to sleep at night?”
    Irritation made her blurt out, “We both know what’s in that dungeon and why I’m here.”
    He frowned. “So you do know. Did Sorush tell you?” He paused in thought, and even in the darkness, she saw him bristle. “It was Laleh, wasn’t it?” he said, his voice hardening. “You were always following after her. That will be over soon, though. Once Laleh marries Sorush and becomes the shahbanu, she won’t have time for you anymore.” He crossed his arms and aimed a pointed look at her. “Maybe then you’ll learn to leave her alone, for the sake of your family’s reputation if not for hers. I always knew you would try to hold her back—that’s why I kept her away from you.”
    Those words nearly knocked the breath out of her as years of loneliness and disappointment came together to form a knot in her stomach. “ You kept her away?”
    â€œIt wasn’t difficult. Someone like Laleh doesn’t belong hidden away. All I had to do was distract her with new friends at court until she finally forgot about you.”
    Soraya went still—except for the blood rushing through her veins like liquid fire. She had always found Ramin irritating, but she could ignore and push down irritation until it dissolved. The fire going through her now would not dissolve or fade away. It would eat them both alive.
    You should be afraid, she thought again. But this time it was not a hopeless wish, the complaint of a girl who always gave in, but a realization, a truth she finally believed. It was also a threat. If he thought he could hurt her and boast about it to her face, if hewanted to test her limits, then he would have to face the consequences. In a way, she was relieved that all her formless frustration now had a name. A face. Something she could touch.
    â€œBut no matter how you