“I’ll try,” she replied. Although she had no clue how to hold on to a piece of her while traveling to another realm.
He joined her in gazing at the beautiful view, one more like a painting than real colors. The scenery was so peaceful, it took Helaina a moment to register the sound of footsteps from behind. But Callum shot up, drawing his daggers. Something heavy fell to the ground with a terrible clunk as Helaina turned. The first thing she saw was the pair of mutilated animal carcasses lying before her. Golden deer thrashed to bits, without a drop of blood escaping the fibrous exposed muscle.
Behind their mangled bodies, a pair of boots.
“After all this time,” a cold voice mused, “I’ve finally found you.”
CHAPTERFIFTY-THREE
BEFORE
She was finally going to leave. Dolion was waiting for her at their meeting spot as he promised. The moon was beaming among the stars as his figure came into view. He had staked a thin torch into the ground, illuminating his features. He wore all black; he had told her to do the same.
“You came.” He flashed his charming white smile her way.
She reached up to kiss his sweet, awaiting lips, running her fingers through his soft hair.
“I came.”
His hands found the back of her neck and buried themselves beneath her long locks. He cradled her face toward his, allowing their lips to meet. Why did his kiss feel wrong tonight? It must be the nerves. His grip grew hard and possessive. He was shaking, like he was holding back from clutching her tighter.
The sound of rustling reached her ears, tree branches being pushed apart. She tried to pull away to look. Dolion’s grasp on her neck was immovable.
She placed both her palms on his chest, pushing lightly. He didn’t release her. More branches cracked behind him. The sound of a foot or maybe a giant paw? She couldn’t tell.
Her wide eyes swooped in both directions.
The attacks.
Why had she not brought a sword? She hadn’t thought about protection on the road.
Dolion kept her close, kissing her with invasive force. His tongue slipped between her teeth. The infiltration caught her off guard. He was being unusually rough and wouldn’t let her pull away. She did the only thing she could think of and bit down, finally sending him rearing backward.
“Dolion! What—” She couldn’t finish. Not when she heard his laugh. It sounded deranged, a bitter evil thing ringing in her ears. He spat red on the ground. She had drawn blood.
“You never told me you liked teeth. I’ll make sure to remember that.”
She froze as two gargantuan men became visible in the torchlight beside Dolion.
“Is it done?” Dolion asked them over his shoulder.
The men nodded. She couldn’t decide which of them looked more gruesome. Each possessed grimy hair and sickly brown teeth. Their hands looked soiled by a thick wet oil all the way up to their wrists.
She looked down at the sheathed blades at their belts. Both of them were armed.
She turned.
A sharp grip engulfed her wrist around her silver bracelet before she could take a step away. She whirled to face an all-too-calm Dolion holding her in place. How had he moved so swiftly?
“Hey, hey. Don’t go running off. We have plans, remember?” His tone was unfamiliar, so cold.
“What’s going on? Who are they?” she demanded.
“Friends, Helaina.” Dolion’s voice didn’t belong to the man she had fallen in love with. This voice made her stomach roil with its false glamour. “I know you don’t have any, but the twins are some of mine. Benon and Balor have been eager to meet you. I’ve told them so much about you.”
His striking face grew dark and vicious. “You know, I gave you so many opportunities to be honest with me, to tell me the truth. I thought we were close.” His grip grew tighter, and his eyes grew feral.
“I... I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She was trembling now. “Please, Dolion... you’re hurting me.”
