Page 141 of Prince of Darkness and Deceit

I inhale a sharp breath and turn back to Rian.

His flat eyes blaze brightly once more. The muscle in his jaw tics, and his hands flex as he watches me.

So many unsaid words, unshared questions, and unvoiced feelings zip through the air between us. His shadows hold me, not wanting to let me go.

But I must.

I lift my chin, determined to look resolute, determined to hide the turmoil tearing through my soul at the thought of leaving this alley and never seeing him again.

“Goodbye, Rian.”

The shadows at his back rise like a tidal wave. Draven steps forward, positioning himself in front of me.

Rian clocks the move. Shadows flow back into his body, and his chest rises and falls with a deep, heavy breath.

“Goodbye, Elara,” he mumbles.

A gust of wind blows my skirt.

I turn. The shadowed curtain is gone.

I look back to Rian one more time, and my mouth falls open. He and Draven… They’re…gone.

Insects’ chirping peppers the air in between the joyous laughter and lively music traveling on the wind at my back. Dirt shifts under my feet as I walk home at a slow, conflicted pace.

My skin buzzes with awareness as I recall every brush of Rian’s shadows, the press of his lips, and the heat flowing from his body.

How has my life gone from courting a man I’ve known all my life to craving the touch of a Shadow Fae? It has to be caused by magic. His or mine, I don’t know. But I have to believe the feelings will fade with time.

I sigh.

I’m sad to see the Fae go; there’s no point in denying it. But I am relieved that Verdanthia is safe—that Rian decided to release me from our deal. A deal, I suspect, he could have left me on the hook for.

A cheer erupts behind me. I glance over my shoulder at the distant glow of lanterns in the market square. A grin tugs at my lips.

I wonder if Ferria is still there, dancing with Anton, and what excuse my aloof sister will give for the besotted expression that overcame her when she first saw her apprentice tonight.

By the time I reach my street, quiet settles like a weight against my chest—soothing, yet fragile. The aged wood groans as I close the front door behind me.

I turn on a single lantern and make quick work of preparing for bed. My body still hasn’t fully recovered from my exertions during the fire, and now that the adrenaline from being in Rian’s arms has faded, I’m exhausted.

I wash my face and clean my teeth. After four fumbling attempts, I finally manage to loosen the strings holding my gown’s bodice together to slide it over my hips. Then I slip into my thin cotton nightgown and collapse onto my mattress.

Fatigue pulls at my eyelids, but my mind refuses to rest. I replay every moment in that secluded alley with Rian. Every look. Every caress. Every press of his lips against my throat.

I groan and open my eyes, staring at the shadows cast on the ceiling from the moonlight shining through the window. Power hums in my veins. My magic warms my fingertips, my chest, my neck, reacting to the memories in its own way.

The minutes pass by. Slowly. Meaningfully.

I don’t know when the tantalizing memories finally lose their battle with my need for sleep, but it feels as if hardly any time has passed before a loud THUMP jolts me awake.

The room is pitch dark, a cloud covering the moon, shrouding the night in black.

THUMP.

My heart leaps into my throat. The sound came from my main room. I’m sure of it.

Magic gathers in my palms. I sit up and slide my legs over the edge of the bed. Slowly, I stand. The floor creaks. I wince and stand still.