Page 41 of What Lies Beyond the Realms

“He wouldn’t tell me what happened between my father and him. Have you heard the term ‘midnight mind’ before?”

“No, but I saw it in the notebook as one of my father’s abilities. What does it mean?”

“It can mean many things. It’s a rare gift amongst the Fae. I don’t know anyone alive today with the ability. He had the ability of foresight, and he could also visit Zomea in his dreams.”

“Zomea as in the afterlife?” I ask, my heart practically beating out of my chest.

“Yes. Midnight mind is very dangerous. One of the reasons it’s so rare is because many of the Fae with the ability go crazy and never have offspring to pass the gift along to.

Your father knew about you before you were born. He knew lots of things and kept many secrets.”

“What did he tell you?” I sit up, holding the sheets to my chest and focusing on Nyx.

“He loved your mom dearly. She didn’t know he was Fae, at least not at the time I was there. I didn’t know your mother well, but I didn’t like her. I got the sense she wasn’t a good person. I think your father was blinded by love.”

“Why are you telling me this? What did he tell you?”

“He told me he was going to have a daughter one day, and after you were born your mother would fall for another man and betray him. He told me you were important for the future of the realms, and I needed to protect you no matter what. He made me swear I’d protect you. You have to understand I thought I was protecting you by letting you grow up as a princess with your family. I attended your father’s funeral. Then I saw you. You were so young and innocent. I thought I was doing the right thing. I had no idea how cruel Samael was.”

“It’s okay. I don’t blame you for what happened to me.” I place my hand on top of his, drawing his eyes back up to mine.

“I’d try to visit the castle over the years to check on you, but your mother was always trying to keep me away. I think she had her suspicions. When I finally saw you at dinner, I knew something wasn’t right. I think Samael was becoming suspicious of me as well, because he caught me asking questions about you to some of the castle staff.”

“That must be why he didn’t want me at dinner that night. He’s the reason I made an excuse to leave early. He was kicking me under the table and promised I’d pay for it later if I stayed at dinner that night.”

Nyx’s jaw ticks. “I will kill that fucker. I promise you his days are numbered.”

“Why didn’t you take me that night after dinner?”

“I didn’t know for sure what your life was like. I barely spoke to you for more than a minute. I didn’t want to take you away from a life you were happy with. Trust me, I thought about it, especially when I ran into you later that night in the hall. I also didn’t want to cause a war with your parents. I went back home but then found out you were with Aidan in the Lycan Realm, and I began to worry for your safety. I started plotting with Bim how I would take you and bring you to Nighthold. Then I got news of your parents’ deaths, and I knew I had to see you.” He takes a deep breath, turning my hand over in his and rubbing his thumb along my palm. “When you weren’t at your parents’ funeral, I panicked a bit, but I knew you were near, and I could feel you. You were feeling really strong emotions, mostly dread. I was planning to look for you after the funeral when I ran into Chepi, and he led me to your room. You know the rest from there.”

I look down at our hands, trying to process everything for a moment. “So you only brought me here to keep me safe because you promised my father before I was born that you would?”

“Yes and no. I was keeping an eye on you because your father asked me to, yes, but I can’t help the way I feel when I’m near you. I want you, Lyra. I want to be close to you. I want to protect you, not just because your father asked me to but because I care about you. The more I’m around you, the more I feel this pull to be with you. It’s been driving me crazy. Then when I couldn’t find you tonight, I started to panic again. When I found you with that prick Colton, his hand touching you . . . it took everything in me not to declare you mine right then and incinerate that asshole. I know what he was doing. He saw you drinking the stardust and was trying to seize an opportunity. Please don’t be upset with me, Lyra. I know you have a lot of questions, and I do too. I don’t have all the answers. It’s late, and I know you have to be tired. This is a lot to take in. Can we talk more about it tomorrow?” His eyes plead with me.

“Yes,” I say slowly, watching him and processing his words. He wants to declare me his . . .

“Can I stay with you tonight?” he asks, and my chest tightens.

“Yes,” I whisper again moving over to make room for him. He snaps his fingers, and the lights go out. The fire still crackles just enough to where I can still see him.

He pulls back the sheets and slides into bed next to me, lying on his side to face me. I turn on my side to face him. My eyes find his in the dark. His glow slightly, and his hand touches my side, running his fingers down the length of me slowly.

“You’re naked,” he says, sounding a bit surprised.

“I was in a hurry to get into bed when I came in here. Plus, the sheets feel nice on my skin.” I see him crack a smile for the first time since we started talking tonight.

“I’m not complaining.” He pulls off his shirt then relaxes next to me again. This time when his hand finds me, he places it on the small of my back and pulls me to him. I suck in a breath when our bodies meet. He feels so warm and smells so good that my mind goes blank. I look up to meet his eyes, and the second I do he kisses me. His lips touch mine, warm and demanding. I open my mouth for his tongue and welcome his touch. He has one arm tucked underneath me. His hand at my back keeps me pressed close to him, but his other hand ventures to my breast and slightly squeezes and pinches at my peaked nipple. I moan into his mouth, and he groans, deepening the kiss. I can feel his arousal through his pants pressed against my stomach. I let my hand find it and slowly stroke him through his pants. He makes a guttural sound and pulls his head back to look at me.

“Fuck,” he groans as I stroke his cock.

He unfastens his pants and pulls them off. This time when he comes back to me, he climbs on top of me. My legs open for him, and he holds his weight up on his arms, finding my mouth again. I lick his bottom lip and nibble on it, causing him to groan into my mouth. I can feel him press against my opening, and panic seizes me. I don’t think I’m ready to do this with him. I don’t want to ruin things, and after what happened with Aidan I just don’t think I’m ready. I don’t know how to tell him. I’m afraid for a moment Nyx will be upset with me. My breathing quickens, and I close my eyes trying to gather myself.

“What’s wrong?” He kisses my forehead and runs his hand down my cheek, pushing my hair out of my face.

“Nothing,” I say quickly, opening my eyes to look at him.

“It’s okay. You can tell me anything,” he assures me, not taking his eyes off mine.