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“Yes. And I know he isn’t—”
“When are they attacking?” he asked, standing up a little straighter. Fillan was not one to be messed with, but he knew far more about the world than most. If he said the demons were coming, they were coming.
Bree’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. “I don’t know. You believe me?”
Eurig frowned. “Of course I believe you. Why wouldn’t I?”
“Well, that’s why I came here. Taveon refuses to listen. I went to Norah, the Queen of Otherworld, and she brought her armies through the Faerie Ring. Taveon is…not thrilled. He wants to send them back through and refuse to face this.” She shook her head, tears springing up in her eyes. “He basically told me to fuck off.”
Eurig closed his eyes and nodded. He understood now why she’d rushed here so quickly, why she seemed so timid and uncertain. The pinch of her shoulders wore her worry well. Despite himself, he reached out and gently took her hand.
She stiffened, her face turning bright red.
“I know you care for him, Bree. I do, too. What you have to understand is that this is hard for him. He’ll see it as his fault, being who he is. And if what you say is true, they are coming here for him.”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “Some of what he said made sense to me, Eurig. I didn’t tell him what I was doing before I left for Otherworld. And I did bring his father’s killer to Underworld, along with an enemy army. The dark fae might not react well to that.”
He nodded. “You’re right. They might not. We’ll have to do our best to convince them to listen.”
“So that means you’ll return to court with me?” she asked in a whisper that was carried away on the wind.
Eurig ground his teeth. He’d only just returned to the outposts as the new king over this pocket of the realm. It would not go down well with them. In fact, some might even revolt. His reign was already precarious enough without this. He'd be riding to the aid of Taveon again.
But he had no other choice. Just like Taveon had no other choice. They both needed to be the kings they were born to become. And lead their people toward a better world.
“Of course I will.”
Bree sighed in relief and began to pull her hand away, but Eurig tightened his grip. “You do know I never would have left if I didn’t have to. You do know that, Bree?”
“Yes,” she said in a hoarse voice. Her eyes flicked down, but Eurig caught the pain in them before she glanced away. “Of course I understand. I was there. I saw what would happen if you didn’t do what had to be done.”
War. Something it did not seem they could avoid anymore. Not if Fillan was right.
“I wanted to stay with you, Bree.”
Her cheeks flushed, and he could hear her heartbeat quicken from his keen senses, enhanced by the Redcap blood rushing through his veins. The same as Bree had. Her Redcap nature had drawn him to her. It was part of the reason he’d found himself falling so quickly. She understood him in a way no one else ever had. And then he’d had to leave her.
She took a step closer to him. “And I wanted you to stay. I never got to tell you…” She cut herself off, shook her head, and started to turn away.
Eurig caught her face between his palms and held her steady, dropping down his mouth to cover hers. He could not stand any distance between them any longer. Every night they’d spent apart, he’d dreamt of her. It was ridiculously unfair that they had to be on opposite sides of Underworld.
Until now.
His lips brushed across hers as a hungry need tore through his gut. Cock hardening, he pulled her closer and relished in the feel of her soft curves against him. He wanted her. Right here and now. Unfortunately, it was not the time, and it certainly wasn’t the place. There would be scouts on the nearest outpost perch above the sea. They would be watching this.
Groaning, he pulled back and gazed down into her beautiful face. A slight smile curved her luscious lips. “I certainly didn’t expect that to happen.”
“Why not?” he asked roughly, pressing his forehead against hers. “I made it clear how I feel about you. Me leaving didn’t change that. If anything, it made it stronger. Not seeing you, if only for a few days…you were all I could think about, Bree.”
She closed her eyes, leaning into him. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again.”
“I never would have let that happen.” He paused for a moment. “How will Rafferty feel about this?”
“Rafferty does not mind.” She pulled back and smiled.
“And Taveon?” Eurig knew how his old friend felt about Bree, even if he’d kept it quiet. There was no denying the way he looked at the girl. And he did not think he would be so open-minded as easygoing Rafe.
Bree stiffened and pulled back. “Taveon is too busy being angry at me to care. He doesn’t want to believe the demons are a real threat, and he hates that I brought Norah and her army into Underworld. Truth be told, I’m not sure he’ll ever look at me the same again.”
A beat passed as Eurig weighed her words. “And yet you still came to me for help.”
Bree arched a brow. “Wouldn’t you have? The worlds are in danger, Eurig.”
He nodded. Eurig understood all too well. Time and time again, he’d put the good of the people, and this world, above his own damn needs. Above his own happiness. He just hated that Bree was put in the position to sacrifice her heart, though he would do his damnedest to make her happy.
In the distance, lightning split through the sky. A terrible boom shook the ground only a few seconds behind it, rattling Eurig’s bones. Eyes wide, Bree clutched his hand and gazed at the dark horizon.
“A storm?” she asked in a whisper.
“Not a storm,” Eurig said grimly. “I think it’s something far worse than that.”
