The innkeeper’s head hangs limply. Rivers of blood stream from every orifice, coating him in crimson. Wiping my hands on a handkerchief, I step out of the cell without a backwards glance. Shadow caws, his wings flapping as he flies after me, landing on my shoulder.
“Dispose of the body,” I instruct the guards. “Then meet me upstairs.”
Standing a few feet away, pressed against the wall with a view into the cell, is every member of my council. Their faces are pale, but none of them flinch as I stride past them. They fall in step.
“Call the captain of my guard,” I tell Samir. “Get the head priestess as well. My son and the Blessed were last seen outside Moorn.”
Samir nods, and I continue barking orders.
The Hunter thinks he can hide from me with paltry magic and conceal the Given, but he’s wrong. I am the gods-damned king of this country, and no one can stay away from me. Not forever.
As I ascend the steps back into Rose Palace, a smile tugs on my lips. Between the messages I’ve been sending the wayward Hunter and this, I am certain I will find them soon.
Let the hunt continue.
21
DON’T LEAVE
WREN
Something heavy is on top of me, pinning me in place. I’m warm and toasty, and I can barely remember what it feels like to be cold.
Have I moved next to a furnace? Maybe that would explain why I slept soundly. None of my usual nightmares haunted me, and I feel more refreshed than I have in ages.
Groggily, I blink open my eyes. It takes a moment for them to adjust to the dim, faintly red light in the room. Eleven days have passed since I was first released from my cell, and I’m getting used to the constant darkness.
What I’m not used to, what hasn’t happened until now, is the heavy arm splayed across my chest. Gabriel is on his side, his good hand is hooked under my breast, and my body is lined up with his. I look around for the pillows that I distinctly remember putting between us last night before we went to bed, only to find them in a pile on the floor.
Well.
This is awkward.
The only consolation is that Gabriel is still asleep, so he doesn’t know we ended up in such a precarious position. We’ve exchanged a few kisses here and there, but none like the onein the forest, and this is the closest we’ve gotten to each other in days. Gabriel has been resting, letting his body heal, and I’ve been trying not to lose my mind from boredom.
Other than the twice-daily walks I’ve taken with Skyler to get food, Gabriel and I haven’t left our quarters. Skyler seems to have taken pity on me because a few days ago she brought me some romance books. Without them, I would’ve lost my mind entirely.
The water, I learned from Skyler, comes from pipes running through the mountain that distribute water to all the rooms. I’m not sure how they were installed, but since I can drink clean water, brush my teeth, and wash myself daily, I’m not overly concerned about it. Perhaps the fresh water is a gift from the gods, an apology for the way they’ve fucked up my life.
Probably not, though.
I look over my shoulder, studying the Hunter. A lock of dark hair has fallen above his eye, and his lips are parted. He’s sleeping soundly, which means I can still get out of this situation before he notices. I’ll figure out how I ended up here later.
It’s rather difficult to think right now with Gabriel’s hard cock digging into my backside. It’s probably nothing, right? Just nature taking its course.
Only, it’s hard to ignore him, because not only is he big, but he’s right there. I’d sooner be able to forget about my glowing Mark than his presence. I’d felt the Hunter before, when we were riding Chaos, but this is different.Weare different.
Fated by the gods.
The seer’s words cycle through my mind, and I can’t stop a smile from tugging on my lips. There’s no doubt in my mind that she’s right. Every time I look at Gabriel, something within me breathes a sigh of relief. It’s as if I need to be near him, in the same way that I need water to drink and air to breathe.
But even if we’re fated to be together, I still don’t want to be caught admiring him when he wakes up. I hook my fingers under his arm, attempting to lift it and shimmy out from under him at the same time. I move slowly, gently sliding down the sheets until I’m free.
Well.
That’s what I intend to do.
In reality, I barely make it an inch before Gabriel groans, rolling towards me. He wraps his arm around me more tightly, gathering me against him.
