Chapter 27
Rian’s shadows coil tighter as we slip through the streets, pulling me with him, moving farther and farther from the celebration in the square. Away from lantern light, away from the safety of the crowd.
The shadows’ featherlight touch grazes my arms, my waist, my hips. The soft caresses ignite a storm in my soul, a knot of heat and uncertainty that makes it impossible to breathe steadily.
Boisterous children dart past us, their faces and hands sticky with sugar, grins wide. Tankards slosh in careless hands, mead spilling as neighbors stumble by, their laughter tangling in the crisp night air.
I wish I could enjoy the celebration. I wish I could forget all the reasons I have to be afraid. But as I walk beside Rian and think of all I’ve learned in the short time I’ve known him, it’s as clear as the cloudless night sky that I cannot.
I glance at our joined hands. Mine looks small curled inside his strong palm. His pulse thrums between our laced fingers, the steady beat much slower than mine as he leads me through Verdanthia as if he’s walked these roads before.
There’s no sign of the pain that once assailed me when I brushed against his skin. Only quiet anticipation of what’s to come…what he plans to tell me.
My magic warms my veins, flowing down my arms and settling into my palms. My power has always been a part of me, but I feel it growing stronger every day.
There will come a time when I will not be able to hide it from my neighbors, a time when I will need to make a decision about what to do. Where to go.
And though the idea of leaving the only home I’ve ever known frightens me, the notion of seeing the rest of the world is also…thrilling.
A moan drifts from a nearby alley, sultry and unashamed.
Heat sears my cheeks. Unbidden, an image sparks. Me and Rian, pressed into the shadows, hidden from the world, doing everything I’ve told myself I shouldn’t want since the day he pinned me to the cot in his tent.
“Mother, save me, Elara,” Rian groans. “Temper your thoughts.”
I jolt and tug my hand, but his grip holds fast.
“What—”
“Your scent.” His exhale is sharp, uneven. His nostrils flare. “Your…arousal.”
The last word rumbles out of him, slamming into me with a wave of desire that overpowers my mortification.
Gods.
I would rather streak naked through the market square than endure this.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” My voice is thin, my denial weak.
I try to tug away again, but he doesn’t release me.
Another growl. “Liar.”
In a flash, Rian drags me flush against the hard line of his torso. Then he twists us into an alley exactly like the one I just imagined.
My pulse hammers against my neck. Silver flares in his eyes, searing through the dark, carving every sharp line of his handsome face into something both beautiful and terrifying.
“There is only so much a male can endure, Elara.”
Heat burns me from the inside out.
“Sideways glances and the feel of your skin are difficult enough. But scenting your desire is a trial even the strongest male cannot bear.”
My stomach clenches, and I drop my gaze. “I-I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” His voice roughens with hunger.
A shadow slides around my neck, featherlight.
His mouth lowers until his lips graze the same spot as he adds, “Mother knows I’ve dreamed of this moment.”
I tremble. “You have?”
His lips curl against my skin. “Every night.”
The words crack something in me. Anticipation coils hot and relentless, stripping away reason, tugging at my soul. I yearn to give in to this attraction I’ve been so determined to ignore.
And I almost do.
But a thought lingers in the back of my mind, compelling me to take a breath. To pause.
Rian’s lips trail up the column of my throat.
My toes curl, and I groan. “Why are you telling me this?”
Is it because we danced? Is this because I have magic?
Is the one thing that marks me as an abomination to humans the very thing that would entice someone as alluring as Rian to feel this way about me?
Is it why I am also drawn to him?
Shadows caress my cheek, leaving tingles in their wake. One tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
Instead of answering, Rian leans back. I barely refrain from whimpering in protest.
“You wanted me to tell you about the monsters in the forest.”
My soul cries out at the subject change, but good sense urges me to grab onto this lifeline, to not question why he offered it.
I chew the bottom of my lip, my eyes searching his, and I nod. “I do.”
A chorus of laughter passes. I catch a glimpse of the groups’ colorful dresses and ironed tunics before they move past the alley.
Rian’s shadows coil tighter around us, a living cloak that presses in, shrouding us in darkness.
“The beasts that roam your forest,” he begins, voice low, “are contained by a Fae ward.”
I blink, startled, and stare at him.
His eyes continue to gleam in the dark, but they’ve lost their lusty, dazed haze.
“A ward?” I echo.
“It’s a magical barrier,” he reminds me. “Similar to the one I utilized in the tent. But significantly more powerful, created by dozens of Fae.”
I frown. “Why would the Fae bother trapping those creatures in the forest?”
“I doubt it was done for the good of humans,” he admits. “Though your neighbors’ ancestors certainly benefited from the protection left by Fae who once lived in this land.”
The memory of the temple fills my mind. The elegant Fae script carved in the pillars and beams. It wasn’t humans who wrote the words…
“Where did the beasts come from?” I ask.
Did the ancient Fae bring them here?
“My understanding is they have always roamed this continent.”
“But…” My forehead furrows. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“In what way?”
A shudder jolts down my spine as I remember the klarv’s claws…the natchling’s burning saliva. “How could humans have survived in this land before the Fae arrived? Those monsters would have torn everyone to pieces.”
Rian’s thumb brushes the back of my hand. “You are assuming Fae weren’t here first.”
I suck in a sharp breath. “Were they?”
His meaningful stare confirms the truth.
I blow out a heavy exhale. “So…what? Fae roamed these lands alongside humans?”
“From what I know, Fae and humans lived separately. But the histories indicate they got along well enough.”
If that’s true, then what changed? When did Fae decide to use their formidable power to keep us under their thumbs?
Before I can ask, Rian continues. “The ward around your Forbidden Forest was designed to last long after the Fae’s departure. And it has…but recent events have undermined its integrity.”
My blood chills. “What recent events?”
The weight of his assessing stare is a tangible force. “The same thing that’s happened to Darius.”
Another bout of shock courses through me. “A curse?”
He nods. “Created by the same caster, though with very different, unexpected results.”
My heart thumps against my sternum, pumping fear throughout my body.
Someone intentionally cursed Darius?
I assumed his ailment was caused by something he did. Some artifact he touched. Or tainted substance he ingested. Albeit, unintentionally.
I never considered it was done on purpose.
“I…” I swallow down my confusion and shake my head. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s probably best if you don’t.” He squeezes my hand, then releases me. “But your lover is right to be worried. The failing ward will result in unfathomable death and chaos. A battle between humans is likely to begin once they start to blame each other for their troubles. You should prepare.”
Great…
“Can’t you stop it?”
The glow from Rian’s eyes illuminates the agitated shadows curling at his back. “I cannot.”
My lungs clench. It’s difficult to breathe.
“But I can enact protective wards around Verdanthia.”
The pressure around my chest lessens.
“You…you would do that?” I search his luminous eyes for any hint of deceit.
He inclines his head, jaw set. “I would.”
“Why?”
Once more, a shadow trails along my neck, right where his lips brushed my skin. “I suspect you know why.”
My pulse races. It takes all of me not to lean in, not to let my lips trace the sharp line of his jaw.
This is not how I imagined the night going, but I cannot deny the way Rian makes me feel. The dangerous lure I feel anytime he’s near wraps around me, blanketing me with dark promise and blissful anticipation. I can’t resist.
I don’t want to.
I inch closer and slide my palms onto his chest.
His hands catch my wrists firmly. “Wait.”
I still. Mortification pulses through me. Did I read him wrong?
No.
Rian’s eyes are silver pools with streaks of blue and purple, swirling with desire and restraint. He wants this, too. I know he does.
“I forgot to tell you earlier,” he says, voice controlled. Steady. Belying the lust in his gaze. “We are leaving in the morning.”
“What?” My voice cracks. The heat that had been curling low in my belly dissipates in an instant. “But Darius…the deal… I have more time…”
“Relax, Sunshine.” His lips twitch with a shadow of amusement. “Your deal has been fulfilled.”
“What—” I gasp, and my eyes fly down to my forearms.
I fist Rian’s tunic as the dark markings sliding over my flesh bristle, then begin to fade. In seconds, they are gone.
“But…” I stare at the unmarred skin, then drag my disbelieving eyes back up to his. “But I haven’t cured Darius.”
“But you have helped him.” Rian smirks. “Feeding him mortal food was not something we considered before, but the nourishment has strengthened his body. The curse would’ve wreaked far more damage at this point without your assistance.”
Food? The broth is what freed me of my debt? Not magic. Not some impressive feat of medical prowess? But food?
I stare at the base of his throat, overwhelmed. Partly with relief. Partly with the strangest sense of loss.
A dark tendril taps my chin, tilting my head up. Silver pools pour into me. “What are you thinking?”
“That you should have told me you were leaving sooner.”
“Is this your way of saying you will miss me?”
Heat rises to my cheeks. “I’ll miss my magical tutor.”