Page 131 of Taken By Shadows

“I came to tell you—”

“That you kissed Eryk.”

I didn’t find my voice for a moment.

The plan to tell him of my leaving was forgotten. Scrubbed away by the grit in Kaed’s tone.

“His scent is all over you.” His lip curled back.

A wave of inexplicable shame rose up inside me, and I rubbed my arms. I did smell of Eryk. I tasted of him. And it repulsed me. Of course, Kaed could smell that. Had Gavrin known too? Was that why he gave in so easily when I pushed for where Kaed was? He wasn’t going to get in the middle of this? Godsdamn Gavrin! He could have warned me!

“Your scent … it’s mixed with his. Your heart is racing. Your blood is rushing through you.” His voice was cold. Hard. “That must have been some kiss.”

“I can assure you those feelings are not because of Eryk’s kiss.” I scoffed, folding my arms.

The moment the words left my mouth, I froze. And so did Kaed.

Intense blue fire swirled in Kaed’s eyes. Enticing. Hungry. Irreverent in its need.

And my body was already pulsing, my blood rushing, just as Kaed had said.

There was no way Eryk could have elicited those feelings in me.

But Kaed did.

I had to leave this place. I couldn’t stay just because my centre ignited with need every time I found myself lost in the scent of him, in the desire to touch him.

I didn’t want Eryk’s scent on me. I wanted Kaed’s. I wanted to scour Eryk’s lingering touch from me

“I should go.” I turned on my heel but didn’t get very far.

Kaed’s fingers encircled my arm, the cool metal of his rings nipping against my bare skin. “Wait. Stay.” Kaed’s words coursed through me.

I turned until I was facing him. From this angle, his jaw would make any godstatue feel envy in their marble hearts.

“It was his price,” I breathed onto his chest, unsure if I could look him in the eye as I admitted that.

He still gripped me as a low growl rumbled in him.

“I’m sorry.” It wasn’t quite what I meant, but fine-tuning my words was eluding me as I stood pressed so close to him.

“You think I’m angry with you?” He tensed beside me.

Biting my lip, I finally found a way to look up. But my stare fell to his mouth as he spoke.

“Eryk knew what he was doing. He knew what he was taking.” His voice was heavy. Not with indifference, not with sorrow, but with a glowering rage that twisted beneath his skin. “He was taking something … something that mattered to me. And he did it to bait me.” He paused, and then I felt his fingers beneath my chin. “Did he hurt you?” Roaring blue waves roiled before me as his eyes searched mine.

It had hurt me in a way. But I couldn’t tell him that. It had been the price of ensuring his freedom from the Cage, and I wasn’t even sure Eryk would continue to keep his end of the deal now that he had what he wanted from me.

“You didn’t have to do that. Not for me. Never”—his fingers held my jaw more firmly— “never do something like that for me.”

He’d said as much in anger the other night when he’d collapsed. But this was softer, the tug of his words trying to pull me from the veil I wanted to hide under.

His hand on my wrist now rubbed the scar there. He’d never commented on it.

But now, his thumb was brushing over it like a talisman.

“Don’t kill him,” I said into his chest.