Jean tasted bile and blood. He sucked in a slow breath through the aching burn on his tongue and said, “It doesn’t matter.” When he dragged his stare back to Cat, the lighthearted teasing was gone from her expression. For a moment he thought she’d give up and grant him peace, but then she cautiously asked, “What happened?” A knife at his throat; cruel fingers in his hair. “Queers do not belong on my perfect Court. I will bleed this out of him within a week.”

