Chapter 6
The half-naked man closes the distance between us in two long strides.
The crowd swells, pressing close, and for a heartbeat, I’m trapped between the bodies and this towering wall of golden muscle and heat.
My breath catches, and a pair of pale-blue icy eyes hold me captive. The man’s presence wraps around me like a physical force.
He’s tall. Towering. His shoulders are wide enough to block the sun.
Waist-length hair the color of polished gold frames a face that’s both rugged and beautiful in a wild, untamed way.
The strands fall over the hard planes of his bare torso.
Gray fur pelts sit over his back and shoulders, the primitive style of clothing out of place amid Port City’s vibrant streets.
Gods.
I swallow hard.
Is he even human?
The thought jolts me.
My gaze snaps up, but his ears are hidden beneath those golden waves.
“Mmm.” His voice is deep, smoky. “I do enjoy it when a woman admires my physique.”
It takes a moment for me to understand his strong accent. When I do, I stiffen.
His grin spreads, slow and deliberate, flashing bright-white teeth against the stubble darkening his jaw. Every inch of him radiates confidence, strength, and danger.
“What’s your name?”
I step back, but the bustling crowd around me closes in, not letting me get far. I straighten when someone knocks into me and press my heels into the ground.
The stranger watches me expectantly. Behind him, someone shifts. Two more fur-clad men stand a couple of feet away. They aren’t as broad as the man in front of me, but their golden blond strands are a close match to their companion’s.
The two men scan the streets with hawk-like eyes. Swords are strapped to leather belts wrapped around the middle of their naked torsos. His guards, maybe?
“My lady?” The words sound more like ma leedy and are laced with amusement. “Did you hear me?”
I frown at the title, but the politeness that’s been engrained in me since I was a child prompts me to answer, “Elara.”
He dips his head, lips curving. “How fitting.”
“Pardon?”
Broad shoulders rise with a deep inhale, and his nostrils flare. “You smell like moonlight and the dawn of day. Like the night and sun’s rays. But the light is more potent. Your namesake suits you.”
Um…okay. This guy is mad.
“Thank you…” I angle my head to look around him.
Jaxon and Darius remain preoccupied with the barmaid, leaning their elbows on the bar top, not even looking in my direction.
“You are most welcome.” His eyes sparkle. “What would you say to having a drink with me?”
I blink.
I’ve witnessed men and women flirt my entire life, but rarely with me. Not since Lev and I became a couple. No man in Verdanthia would dare cross an Ironheart in that way.
So while this song and dance isn’t new…I don’t know what to say.
I stare at his pale-blue eyes and recognition tickles the back of my mind.
Have I seen him before?
Instead of responding to his invitation, I ask, “What is your name?”
He opens his mouth to speak, but before he can make a sound, a tendril of darkness snaps in the air between us, wraps around my arm, and pulls.
I stumble back and collide with a firm torso. The markings on my forearms go crazy.
Rian.
The prince’s shadows press into my new gown, roll down my spine, and gather at my feet. The clouds above darken, as if prepared to shroud the world in black to conceal whatever violence Rian is about to unleash.
My heart slams in my chest. The anger radiating from the male behind me is palpable, sharp enough to draw blood.
And yet heat pools in my belly. Every nerve alights where his body presses against mine.
The reaction is so out of place for the situation I’m in that I have to wonder if perhaps I suffered more damage from Fief’s beatings than I thought.
Maybe my power didn’t mend me completely.
“Ah, Rian,” the blond man says, his smirk curling cruelly. “I was wondering when you’d show up to ruin my fun.”
The guards behind him shift, hands dropping to their swords’ hilts, eyes narrowing on the Shadow Prince.
A growl vibrates against my spine. The tendril wrapped around my arm tightens.
“You go too far, Erling.”
The man, Erling, grins. “Do I? Apologies. I was simply acquainting myself with the newest member of your entourage.”
Blue eyes lock with mine again. Pointed curiosity swirls in their cool depths. “I know how you shadows like to keep your pets.”
I clench my hands into fists.
What an asshole.
“And I was curious what special perks this one holds,” Erling continues, gaze drifting over the length of my body. “Aside from the obvious, of course.”
I suck in a breath. How dare he!
Another growl vibrates in Rian’s chest. “Watch yourself.”
Erling’s grin sharpens. “Or what?”
Shadows pulse along the ground.
Several passersby gasp, confirming this display is catching attention.
Instead of backtracking, Erling chuckles, as if the formidable Shadow Prince isn’t moments away from smothering him with darkness.
“Speaking of pets, how is my dear cousin? My spies didn’t see him enter Port City with your traveling party.”
Cousin?
Spies?
Who the hells is Erling?
“He’s safe…” Draven steps up to stand at my side, his smoky, dark eyes locked on the blond as he adds with an ominous lilt, “For now.”
Erling rolls his eyes. “Please. You won’t hurt him. You Highland Fae don’t have the stomach for it. At least, you don’t, princeling.”
The darkness above detonates. Shadows erupt like smoke and storm, swallowing the street whole.
Screams pierce the air.
I gasp and press into Rian’s chest, trembling as black tendrils slither past.
One heartbeat passes. Then two.
Then the darkness lifts.
The tendril holding my arm loosen.
My head whips from left to right. The screams and shouts from the surrounding crowd have stopped. Men and women go about their business, their bright, rich clothes swishing on the breeze winding through the street. No one looks our way.
What in the hells…
Erling whistles low. He claps with a slow, dramatic rhythm and looks at Draven. “Impressive.”
Draven’s face remains unreadable, though a faint shimmer of darkness clings to his irises.
“What do you want, Erling?” Rian asks, voice clipped.
“Nothing.” The blond man’s grin returns. “I was merely saying hello to the lady. Wasn’t I, Elara?”
His voice coils around my name like a threat.
Rian’s voice is soft but lethal. “Do not speak to her.”
“Or what?” Erling’s smile widens.
His canines gleam, sharper than before.
My stomach drops. He’s Fae.
But unlike the males beside and behind me, Erling looks nothing like the dark, ominous Fae who wield shadows like extra limbs. Whose darkness can block out the sun in the sky and slice my skin into ribbons.
No, Erling is sun-kissed and bright. Open and bold. I scan his entire body, searching for any hint of the dark power, but there isn’t a shadow that isn’t cast by the dim sunlight shining through the cloudy sky.
My gut says these males are not Shadow Fae. But that doesn’t make sense. Shadow Fae are the only Fae who exist.
Aren’t they?
“Do I need to remind you of our treaty, Erling?” Draven’s low voice promises violence. “Or the cost your people will pay if you break it?”
“Typical Shadows,” one of Erling’s guards sneers. His words carry the same thick accent. “Always with the threats.”
Draven’s lips curl. “Typical Mountain Fae… Pretending at civility while wearing the skins of beasts.”
Erling’s fangs descend even farther, the sharp ends digging into his chin, close to drawing blood. “Watch your tongue.”
Draven throws his words back to him. “Or what?”
Rian’s shadows slink around my waist and draw me back so he can stand in front of me. “You walk a thin line, Erling.”
“Funny, I could say the same, Highness.”
My temples throb.
Erling knows Rian is the Shadow Prince. He’s Fae, but he isn't deferring to the future ruler.
What in the Gods’ names is going on?
Highland Fae… Mountain Fae… So many unfamiliar phrases exchanged. My fingers itch to search my Fae tome or diary for answers. Because even though Rian lifted his shadows, I remain in the dark. And I will stay here for the foreseeable future.
Unless I do something about it.
“What’s this? A party?” Jaxon’s voice cuts through the tension like a blade. “I must have missed my invitation.”
Erling’s men stiffen as Jaxon and Darius appear, shadows already swirling in their eyes. There’s no hint of intoxication in either of the males’ stony, fierce expressions.
“Ah, another one of your pets.” Erling smirks at Jaxon. “Tell me, Ashfall, is using your incredible gifts for the prince’s every whim as fulfilling as your dear, departed mother would have hoped?”
“I don’t know.” Jaxon’s smile turns cold. “Would you like to ask her yourself?”
Erling’s laughter rings out. “Ah, Jaxon. What a shame it is that you didn’t decide to seek sanctuary among our people.”
“A blessing, really. Considering how you barbarians treat those who are different from you.”
“Those are baseless accusations,” Erling snarls.
A pulse of invisible power pushes against my skin.
“Careful, Erling,” Rian warns. “You are outnumbered.”
Erling’s blue eyes sweep over the four Shadow Fae, and the flash of irritation is impossible to miss.
The gray fur covering his shoulders shifts, and the tension releases from his body as he lifts his chin. “Very well. It seems our conversation should come to an end.”
“Indeed,” Rian drawls.
Erling smirks. His eyes find mine, and again, I’m hit with the strangest feeling that I’ve seen him before.
“I look forward to seeing you again, Lady Elara.”
The magic in my chest bristles at the declaration. I press my lips together, not saying a word.
Erling and his guards pivot on the heels of their fur-lined boots and stride away. Their heads bob over the much shorter crowd, their attire and massive size catching the attention of more than one passerby.
It isn’t until they turn the corner, closer to the harbor, that Rian speaks. “Let’s go.”
The Fae move as one. Each step in sync. Each arm swings in time. I am somehow placed between Jaxon and Darius. Draven and Rian follow behind us.