His face is pinched with concentration, his mouth curling into a rictus of satisfaction as he climaxes inside her. A dangerous edge lurks beneath his polished surface, waiting for the right moment to draw blood.
It’s him. The man from my dreams.
I stand there, frozen.
The man I saw in my visions, the one who led my mother into the forest and sneaked into her bedroom. The Fae she was fucking in secret.
It was the King of Light.
Ezra’sfather.
I remember his name from the attic. Ethan Lucifer Lightbringer.
And it makes sense now why I couldn’t tell him and Ezra apart. Why I couldn’t make sense of it.
“You were particularly eager today, my little ice queen,” he says in a praising fashion, and my heart plummets.
His voice is so, so familiar. He used that same tone with me when he gifted me my first dead body.You did well, little Maxine,he’d said.
The dams of memories flood open.
There were other dead bodies. Every few weeks, he'd visit my mother under the guise of romance, then sneak off with me in the mornings. He'd watch as I...consumed his kills, the same way I inadvertently devoured the soul of the Red Nick killed in battle.The way I consumed my patients' souls without realizing what I was doing.
There must have been dozens of them until my mother found out.
It was he who came to our little cabin with the Reds after she put a stop to our outings. After she started running from him, too. He’s the one who betrayed her.
“I have a surprise for you,” Iris purrs before taking a dramatic pause. “The prodigal son has returned.”
The King of Light sinks his nails into her hips. “What?”
She smiles wickedly. “Ezra is back, but he’s got no memories of his life.”
The King of Light purses his lips. “What?”
Iris titters on the balls of her feet, looking thrilled to be the one to break the news. “You heard me.”
“No memories. Are you sure?” Ethan breathes, his confusion morphing into happiness, a strange, giddy smile breaking on his lips.
Iris’s eyes dance. “None whatsoever. I asked him and hiscompanionto join us for dinner. And he actually sounded eager to meet you.”
Ethan’s smile dies as quickly as it appeared. “Where is he?”
“In his bedroom.”
The King of Light hurries off, and my heart beats in my throat. Ezra inherited Bloodsinger blood from his mother, not his father.
Could he be my half-brother? No, no. That would be too awful.
I can’t?—
Iris slips the straps of her dress back in place and shoots me a knowing look. “I knew you’d come looking for me.” Her eyes shine with mischief. “But I didn’t know you liked to watch.”
She knew I was there all along.
“I’m sorry, I just—” I stammer.
“You want to know the truth about Ezra.”
