Every fragile kernel of hope I’d allowed to take shape had been smashed beneath Gavin Blackwood’s devious, infuriatingly smug boots.
He’d tracked me down. Seduced me. Then beat me at my own game, all without letting me know we were even playing.
What a snake.
Cass retrieved the note and handed it to me with a sheepish smile. “Looks like you’ll have to take him with you.”
Chapter 22
Gavin
Who knew my fatewould hinge on a handful of measly seeds?
I kicked off my boots and collapsed onto the cushioned couch in Bowen’s living room. It was well after midnight, and the house was silent except for the steady snap and crackle from the fire in the hearth. I still wore my jacket from the ball and tossed my mask onto an ottoman, glad to be free of it.
What a mess.
Approaching Marin in disguise had been both brilliant and an act of torture. She’d let me look my fill and touch her warm skin, knowing it was the gateway to more.
I’d meant to remove my mask immediately, but she’d steeled herself in that shadowed alcove, shifting our places, shifting the power in her favor, and it made me ache to touch her. To press my mouth against her scars.
Towant.
I’d never wanted so much. It encompassed everything, from hearing her laugh to hearing my name on her lips, filled with that same desire.
I wantedallof her.
And I knew the second I took off that mask, I’d be barred from it all; her walls unscalable.
Bowen had been right. The wounds Marin carried weren’t the kind to heal on their own. Like broken bones, they had to be reset, inflicting more pain. And I was the enemy planning to break them.
Damn, I hate this.
I pressed the heel of my hand against the ache in the center of my chest.
For the moment, I had the upper hand. I had the seeds. By now, she knew I’d won that round, and she was either regretting not stabbing me in the alcove or dreaming up new, more creative ways to kill me. Probably both.
I shouldn’t take pleasure in it, but I would have done just about anything to see her face when she read my note.Ah, it’s no fun when you don’t get to witness the fruits of your labor.I’d have to settle for her face when she showed up on my doorstep demanding retribution.
Because she would show up. It was only a matter of time.
Scraping a hand over my jaw, I dropped my head back and closed my eyes. There was still so much to plan. So many things that could go wrong. This wasn’t just any hunt.
I’d started making inquiries, checking in with some of my less-than-savory associates, and navigating Aetheryal was going to be tricky. If not outright deadly.
The realm was an island in the sky, ruled by the people and not by a crown. It was a lawless paradise, drenched in legend. Full of lost treasures, ruins, and ancient castles surrounded by an untamed landscape of jagged peaks and low valleys covered in clouds.
And we didn’t have a map. No knowledge of local flora and fauna. We could walk straight into a cloud of deadly spores or find ourselves overrun by iridescent beetles that mummifytheir dinner. I’d seen my fair share of mummies.No thanks.
And that was before we even made it to the castle, where an evil giant waited, cursed to eternally guard the treasure room.Talk about all work and no play.
Then there were the traps. The maze.
A hunt like this would take months to plan.
We had days.
Soft footsteps tip-toed past the living room entrance. I rolled my head to the side, peeking one eye open. Annie leaned her head through the doorframe and spotted me.
