“No.”
Whatever was happening with Cole, she didn’tthink it was best he was alone. Whenever he was alone, he tended tobeat himself up about things that weren’t his fault.
With what happened at the ball and the fallof the Gloaming, she suspected he was kicking the shit out ofhimself, and she hated it. When her pace increased, so did Varo’sas they wound through the prison.
Once, they turned a corner, and Lexi chuckledas Torigon came into view. The horse was going in the oppositedirection, trotting along behind Sunny.
Then, they took a few more turns and climbeda set of stairs until they arrived at an open doorway. Lexi peeredat the stairs until they faded into the darkness.
Varo waved a hand at the shadowed doorway.“He’s up there. It’s a long climb.”
“I don’t care,” Lexi said. “Thank you.”
She didn’t look back as she entered thestairwell and started jogging up the stairs. She didn’t know howfar she’d climbed before her legs and lungs burned with every step,but when she looked back, only a pinpoint of light remained behindher.
Ahead of her was only shadows and morestairs. Still, she didn’t slow but instead pushed herself fasterwhile her body protested every step.
She was practically wheezing and had a stitchin her side when she finally reached the thick metal door at thetop. She must have climbed a thousand feet.
Bending over, she placed a hand against herside and took a deep breath to settle her racing heart and growinganxiety. She’d been so determined to find Cole, she hadn’tconsidered what would happen once she got here.
She had no idea what lay beyond this door,but she knew what she’d seen in the ballroom and her manor. Knewthe violence and blood he unleashed with such savagery.
But that wasn’therCole, and nomatter what happened earlier, he would always behers. Whenshe could breathe better and her side no longer felt like a daggerwas stabbing her ribs, she grasped the door handle, turned it, andpushed it open.
Taking a deep breath, she squared hershoulders and stepped onto a large, stone balcony at least fiftyfeet wide and long. The moon’s rays, hanging heavily above theprison, shone off the stone’s surface. They illuminated the nightas they reflected all around her.
She’d forgotten to put her shield back up,and when she started to glow, she resolutely erected it as shesearched for Cole. But all she saw was darkness and shadows hangingheavily over the balcony.
Maybe he left here without Varo knowing.
She was about to turn away and run back downto see if he’d gone to their room, but movement in the corner ofher eye caught her attention. Frowning, she studied the heavyshadows there as she tried to make sense of what she saw.
Her breath exploded out of her when sherealized the darkness in the corner washim.
CHAPTER 70
She couldn’t see Cole through the twistingand turning shadows, but he was there. They only acted like thatwhen he was around.
Amid all that darkness was the man she lovedwith all her heart and soul.
Terrified of going any closer to that rollingball of shadows, Lexi’s feet remained locked in place. Her mindscreamed at her to run, but she was more afraid of leaving him.
He needed her. She could help him.
She wasn’t sure how, but shecouldhelp him.
It took every ounce of courage and strengthshe had to approach him. As she did, some of the shadows swiveledtoward her. They rose to tower over her like a genie escaping itsbottle and seeking to destroy.
She glowered at them as she refused to letthem intimidate her.
“Varo shouldn’t have brought you here,” Colegrowled.
She didn’t recognize his voice. It was worsethan when they were at the ball. It was more guttural, angrier, andshe would swear it was more than justhisvoice coming outof him.
Goose bumps broke out on her arms as shestopped at the edge of the shadows. They dipped to hover beforeher; there were no eyes, but she sensed them eyeing her in theravenous way a wolf watches a rabbit.
But Cole washerwolf, and shewouldn’t allow him, or these things, to scare her.
