Lexi closed her eyes as waves of terror swept her. She was less afraid of dying for this cause than she was of unleashing something upon the realms that could destroy them all.
And that something could be the man she loved with all her heart. Opening her eyes, she stared at the dais and the abandoned thrones still sitting on it.
Cole had been so handsome that day, imposing and scary. She was attracted to him and unnerved as he stared at her with open curiosity. He was a dark fae, the race of immortals she’d vowed to avoid as the whispers of their cruelty and the shadow kissed they sometimes left behind preceded them everywhere they went.
She never could have imagined that night would have impacted her life, but everything changed afterward. That imposing, cold, distant man became someone she loved and trusted with her life.
He could be vicious and was no one to fuck with, but he would also do anything to protect those he loved. While a lot of bad followed that night, and more was still to come, she wouldn’t change any of what happened between them.
She had to have faith that their love for each other would get them through this. And she would count on that when they went to war tomorrow.
“Come,” Cole said.
Lexi followed Cole to the middle of the room. They were almost to the center when lights flared on all around them. Flames erupted in the sconces on the wall. Stars started to dance across the domed ceiling, and soft music played.
Lexi’s head tipped back, and she gazed in awe as the stars faded in and out. The constellations changed, and moons emerged before dipping away again. It looked almost exactly like it had the first night they met. The only thing missing was the roomful of immortals, all vying for the attention of the king and his sons.
“I wanted you the second I saw you that night,” Cole said.
Lexi smiled at him. “Were you reading my mind?”
He brushed the hair back from her face and stroked her cheek. “I was hoping to bring the memory back for you.”
“How did you do this?”
“The palace responds to commands… some of the time. But this room is full of magic the king can unleash. I came to make sure it was ready before I brought you here.”
He set the basket down, and as a new song started playing, he took her hand and twirled her away before pulling her close again. Lexi laughed while he spun, danced, and dipped her around the room.
The lights grew dimmer as the music changed, and they continued to dance. She was always happiest in his arms and never wanted their time together here to end.
When the song slowed, she rested her head against his broad chest, and he claimed her hand while they swayed together. Beneath her ear, she relished the steady thump of his heart as it calmed her. That beat was as solid as the man.
She almost asked if he would be okay tomorrow but decided against it. There was no reason to darken the mood, and they both knew the answer…
They would have to wait and see what tomorrow brought.
When the music changed again, Cole stepped back to gaze down at her. “Are you hungry?”
“A little,” she admitted. “But I don’t want to stop.”
“We have all night.” He led her over to the basket and lifted it. “We’ll come back.”
Lexi glanced at the breathtaking room before following him down the hall. They traversed a few halls before he stopped to open one of the doors.
Lexi’s eyebrows rose when she saw the room. She’d spent some time exploring the palace but had never come across this room before.
She could spend an eternity exploring this place and probably still not uncover all of its secrets. There were also the rooms it wouldn’t let her or Cole enter.
He walked her over to a red couch with a high back and spindly legs. It was in amazing condition, even if it looked old enough to have existed during the days of the Egyptians.
Certain it would be uncomfortable to sit on, she perched on the edge before sliding back a little. When she sank into the cushion, she was delighted to learn it was far more comfortable than expected.
CHAPTERSIXTY-TWO
Cole satbeside her and placed the basket on the golden table with a glass center. The wall across from them was floor-to-ceiling windows facing a garden. It was in desperate need of tending as the plants spilled over the walkways and the bigger ones crowded out others, but beautiful blooms, in many shapes and colors, shone in the fading sunlight.
More glass front rooms looked out on the gardens. She couldn’t tell what those rooms were, but they went on as far as she could see before disappearing into the jumble of plants and trees.
