Page 14 of Secrets of Ruin

“Brokk—”

“Please don’t argue with me, Kaylia. I just want to sit here and enjoy seeing you again.”

“I’m not going to argue with you, but there’s something you should know.”

“What’s that?”

She held his red eyes as she placed her hand against her heart. “I love you.”

Brokk froze as he stared at her with his spoon halfway to his mouth. At first, he was too shocked to respond, and then, for the first time in far too long, the lopsided smile she loved so much lit his face.

In the dim illumination of the dwindling fires, the red faded from his eyes, and their beautiful aqua-blue color returned, as did their twinkle. Her heart felt near to bursting, and she knew it was true; she loved him more than Fabian.

It wasn’t right, and it wasn’t wrong. It was simply the way of things.

“Good,” Brokk stated. “Because I love you too.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Kaylia wasn’t sure how much more time had passed before the ophidians made their presence known again. Brokk was still too weak, and even Ryker, who wasn’t as starved as Brokk, wasn’t healing as fast from his last lashing as he should.

The torches they lit last time had burned out, plunging them into darkness again. She lay with her hand in Brokk’s, but she couldn’t see him; she was just glad to be able to feel him again.

He’d fed on her a few more times, but her blood wasn’t enough to keep him going. His dark fae side also had to be nourished, and he’d lost so much blood on the spikes that the meager amount he took from her wasn’t enough to replenish it.

Kaylia was helping sustain him, but he weakened further every day. She was fast becoming not enough for him.

When the approaching torches cast shadows over the window in the locked door, Kaylia contemplated releasing Brokk. However, the ophidians already knew about them, and she wasn’t ready to let him go.

They could fuck right off.

Remaining on her side, she held Brokk’s hand as the ophidians opened the door and slithered into the room. They spread out as they removed the spent torches and replaced them with the new ones they brought.

A dim glow illuminated the dungeon. Shadows danced from the torches as the ophidians lined up outside their cells while the emperor slid in last.

The sick feeling in the pit of her stomach turned into a strangling knot. Reluctantly, Kaylia released Brokk and pushed herself into a seated position.

The last time the emperor came, Brokk nearly died, and he was still far too weak to go up against these things now. She wouldn’t let him suffer again because of her.

The emperor didn’t pretend to examine the rest of the prisoners; his gaze fell on Brokk, and a smile curved his mouth. “Well, look who’s finally awake. I cannot say how happy that makes me.”

Kaylia glanced at Brokk as he leaned against the back wall with one knee drawn up to his chest and an arm draped over it. He was unfazed by the emperor’s words, but blood pounded in her ears as her heart battered her ribs.

What does this vicious asshole intend for him?

The emperor slithered over and stopped in front of Brokk’s cell. “They continue to look for you, dark fae, but Doomed Valley and my followers have ensured they don’t survive. We can’t do anything about the dragons, but they won’t find you here.”

“They’ll find your pyramid,” Brokk stated. “It’s not easy to see from above, but they’ll find it.”

Kaylia gulped as her gaze darted between the two men. The jewels in the emperor’s nemes headdress sparkled in the flickering torches, as did the gleam in his eyes.

She didn’t like Brokk antagonizing this monster but understood his unwillingness to back down. Ryker shifted slightly in the cell to her right before settling into stillness again.

“Do you think the dragons will destroy it?” the emperor asked.

“I have no idea what the dragons will do. I’m not the one controlling them.”

“If they destroy my pyramid, they’ll destroy you too.”