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8
BREE
Eurig was waiting in the hallway when Bree strode out of Norah’s quarters. He gave her a once over, and then narrowed his eyes. “All right. What are you two plotting?”
Bree feigned an innocent smile. “What are you talking about?”
“I know that look on your face. You’re up to something.”
Bree stepped around him, hoping that he could not hear the uptick of her heartbeat. She didn’t think he’d approve of her plan, either. It was risky. And it could end up getting her killed. For that alone, he’d likely tell her to stand down. “I was talking to Norah. My best friend who I haven’t seen in months. Have all your soldiers gotten settled in the barracks?”
He frowned but trailed after her down the corridor, lit with torches along the stone walls. “They’re all inside the castle now. It’s getting a little cramped in there with the three armies. That’s a good thing, though, I hope. It means we might have enough fighters against the enemy. This castle is a fortress, too. It will be difficult for them to breach the walls.”
“Good.” Bree nodded, her footsteps softened by a long stretch of crimson carpet that spread out before them. “Glad to hear it.”
“What were you talking to Norah about?” Eurig grabbed her arm, stopping her in the middle of the hallway. “Let me in, Bree. It’s me, remember?”
She swallowed hard as she stared up into his familiar eyes. Memories flashed through her. The two of them in the forest. His body above hers. She yearned to feel his touch again, but not like this. His eyes darkened as he met her stare. Tension pounded between them.
Bree cleared her throat, her face heating. “We should talk about this privately.”
He cast a glance around them, and then nodded. “Your quarters?”
Her heart clenched. Bree shared her quarters with Rafferty. He would no longer be there now. Because Dagen had banished him from the castle. “No, I don’t want to go there right now. How about yours?”
Eurig nodded and led the way through the castle to the quarters Dagen had given him for his stay here. It was a lavish room, much larger than hers. A king-sized bed squatted in the center, hidden beneath luxurious silken sheets the color of the night. Large windows looked out on the courtyard below, where the glowing moon drenched the world in silver.
After they’d entered, Eurig shut the door, grabbed Bree’s arms, and tugged her into his chest. His strong arms wrapped around her, filling her with heat. A gasp of surprise popped from her throat. She hadn’t expected this.
When Eurig pulled back, his gaze snagged on her lips before he cleared his throat. “Whatever you’re planning, please tell me it doesn’t involve you risking your life.”
The emotion in his voice rattled her. He sounded scared. His eyes were pained and haunted.
She reached up and cupped his face. “I wish I could tell you it didn’t, but I’m not going to lie to you.”
He groaned and closed his eyes. “Bree, please. You’re human and—”
“I’m not truly human anymore,” she whispered. “I’m part fae now and a Redcap. And I can still feel Taveon’s power rushing through my veins.”
When she and Taveon had shared a bond, some of his power had leaked into her. It had given her the power to bring the dead back to life, and it had strengthened her in a way that the Redcap power never had. It scared her to think about it too much, especially knowing what Taveon was. What did that mean for her?
Eurig’s brows winged upward. “You do?”
She nodded. “It hasn’t gone away. I haven’t used it for anything, but…I still feel it there.”
He pulled back and ran a hand down his face. “So, you haven’t tried to do any more… you know…resurrecting?”
“No,” Bree promised. “I’m done with that.” And then she smiled. “For now.”
“Bree,” Eurig groaned. “You know it’s dangerous. It really took a toll on you.”
“I’m just messing around.” Still smiling, she wandered over to the windows to gaze out at the endless night. It was technically daytime in Underworld, though the sun never rose. No daylight, no blue skies full of puffy white clouds. She did miss the sun sometimes, but there was nothing compared to a moonrise and moonset in Underworld.
Eurig stepped up beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. At first, she stiffened, caught off guard, but then she relaxed into his touch. “You’re trying to avoid answering my question, but I know you too well, Bree. You’re going to do something about Taveon, aren’t you?”
“You and Norah seem to think you know my every thought. Do you really think I’m that predictable?” Bree said lightly, though tension raked through her stomach like a dozen tiny knives. If her thoughts were plastered across her face, Lord Dagen would guess it as well. So would the other council members. It would make her quest a lot more difficult than it she’d hoped.
“Predictable? No. But you do have a tendency to run headfirst into danger. Besides, you and Taveon might not share a magical bond anymore, but I know you deeply care for him. You’re not going to sit back on something like this.”
