Lexi recoiled. “What’sthatmean?”
“Only that I don’t think you know what you’recapable of doing. I bet you never considered harboring a warcriminal or lying to the side yourfatherfought on. Warchanges us and makes us do things we never thought we would. Itbrings out the worst and best in us.”
“The war is over.”
“Now you’re lying to yourself.”
She frowned at him while he ate more of thebread. After a minute, he licked his fingers and looked up at heragain.
“The rebels lost the war, but the battlestill wages,” he said. “And eventually, you’re going to have todecide what you will and won’t stand for.”
“I can tell you that I won’t stand for anarrogant fae trying to tell me who or what I am.”
His arrogant grin set her teeth on edge.“Obviously, you will, because I’m still here.”
“I didn’t have much choice,” she reminded himthrough gritted teeth.
“You might be lying to yourself again.”
Having had enough of his crap, Lexi openedthe bag hanging from her arm and removed a jug of water. She placedit beside him. Then she took out a couple of flashlights and setthem down too.
“I won’t be back for a few days,” shesaid.
“And why is that?”
“Because I can’t keep taking the risk ofbeing discovered emerging from one of the tunnels. You have enoughfood and water to last you for a bit, if you don’t waste it.”
“The dark fae must feed in other ways,” hereminded her as his gaze perused her.
“Then you’ll have to leave here soon becauseI’mnothelping you with that.”
She didn’t wait to hear any more of what hehad to say before she turned and walked away. She was glad to beaway from him and glad she didn’t have to return for a few days,but as she made her way into the darkness, with only a smallflashlight to guide her, she couldn’t help pondering his words.
He was right; the rebels had lost the war,but the battle still raged, and she had no idea which side shestood on.
No, that wasn’t true. Her father was loyal tothe Lord because he believed that was right, but there was no wayhe could have foreseen the devastation the Lord would unleash onthe mortal realm.
He never would have fought on the Lord’s sideif he’d suspected the amount of misery and death the mortals wouldendure. And she couldn’t be loyal to a man who killed withoutremorse and slaughteredbillionsto get his way.
However, she couldn’t see herself as a rebeleither. She wasn’t a fighter, but she couldn’t stand by and donothing while others suffered. She had no idea what to do or thinkanymore, other than wanting himoffher land.
Lexi tried to figure it all out as she madeher way through the tunnels, but by the time she reached the end,she felt as confused as when she started.
She cautiously poked her head out of theopening. Sure she was alone, she slipped out of the tunnel and intothe barn. The sounds of the horses munching on their hay andshifting in their stalls greeted her. Inhaling deeply, she allowedthe much-loved scent to calm her, but she doubted her calm wouldlast.
•••
Sitting at the table, Cole studied the club as twowomen danced around his brother. Brokk ran his hand over a dancer’sass before pulling her onto his lap. The woman squealed as shedraped her arms around Brokk’s shoulders.
When another woman approached him, Cole shookhis head at her and tensed. Normally, he enjoyed coming here, buttonight, he wanted out of this place.
Unfortunately, Brokk wasn’t interested inleaving.
The woman took a couple more steps towardhim, but when Cole’s eyes narrowed on her, she turned to someoneelse. It had been a few days since he fed, and the dark fae stirredinside him as the scent of sex filled the air, but the idea oftouching one of these women repulsed him.
From the corners of the room and the hallwaysdeeper within the building came sounds of ecstasy. This clubspecialized in making sure men and women got exactly what theydesired when they came here.
The workers were trained in the art of sex,and many of them were shadow kissed. Corrupted by the touch of thedark fae, those shadow kissed worked here to satisfy their hungerfor more sex. But they would never appease that need.
