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“Magic. I got tired of shredding everything I owned.” He waved a black bracelet on his wrist. “Lord Demious crafted this for me, many years ago.”
“Where are we?” I didn’t recognize anything special about the area, except the road to the estate in the distance. We were in a little clearing full of swaying white flowers and butterfly bushes. At night the bushes were empty, but during the day tons of butterflies would dot the bush, drinking the nectar from the flowers. This was one of the prettier areas of the estate.
He cupped my cheek with his right hand, staring into my eyes. The sudden touch froze me in place. He slipped his other hand behind my neck, gently brushing against my skin.
“What are you doing?” I managed to say, even though I sort of gasped out the question.
The collar clicked and slid away. I caught the jeweled necklace in my hands.
“What did you do?” I gaped at the collar then at him.
His jaw tightened. “You’re free.”
“How?”
“It doesn’t matter. Take the road and don’t stop until you leave Farrow’s Gate behind.” He shoved a pouch into the inside pocket of my cloak. “There’s enough coin in there to get you home.”
Was this the sign I asked for? To run and escape?
And what about Baine? There’s no way he could get away with setting me free. Lord Demious would have to suspect him. My stomach knotted at the decision. There was only one thing I knew for sure. Lord Demious would not choose Janetta. Her poison ability was a cool trick, but not powerful enough which meant she would be sent away.
“Why would you do this?” I asked, staring at the fae before me, wondering why he would bother with setting me free. I placed a hand on his smooth cheek, and he shivered under my touch. Moonlight danced in his lavender eyes.
“Is it not obvious?”
“No, it’s not. Maybe you should—” He cut me off with a kiss.
He pressed those soft lips against mine, and the world melted into the shadows around us. I opened my mouth, letting him in. He tasted of wind and earth, grounding me to this moment. The excitement buzzing through my body took over my thoughts, sending them into a whirlwind where I desperately wanted him to touch the most intimate places, and whisk us away where no one would ever find us.
Digging his hands into my hair, Baine kissed me with urgency. I thought back to that moment in the garden, yearning for delicate touches. Hungrily, I kissed, eager for more than what he was giving. He tugged at my dress, his own desire showcasing in a need to free me from my clothes. I pulled at the back of his neck, forcing him closer.
“Rosalie,” he whispered as he cruelly left my lips. “You have to go. It is the only way I can save you, but you must go now.”
“No.”
He pulled back, frowning. “You could be sent to the Borderlands. Lord Demious is keeping things from me. I will not allow you to be taken.”
I wanted so much to go and take him with me. How could I possibly leave after a kiss like that? My wants didn’t matter though, not when people’s lives were at stake.
“I can’t leave knowing that Janetta and Alicia could be in danger. I don’t care for the other girls, but that doesn’t mean they should die. We have to find a way to save them all.”
“I will not risk your life.”
My heart swelled at his declaration. “We can save them. I know we can find a way. Now that we know what Lord Demious is planning to do, we can stop it. He trusts you. He’ll never suspect anything.”
“And you’re willing to marry him?”
“He won’t choose me.” Though I tried to say the words with conviction, I didn’t know Lord Demious well enough to understand his wants or desires. “Right?”
“Lord Demious is a complicated man. Though you are the most beautiful prospect, he will want a woman with power to enhance his line.”
“Then I’m safe. I won’t show him what I can really do.” For now, not even Baine could know the truth of my ability.
“And what if he changes his mind?” Baine said, closing the gap I tried to put between us.
“I’ll deal with it.”
For one very long moment, we stared at one another, unspoken words flying between us. Warmth fluttered in my stomach, and I wanted to tell him how much I appreciated this gesture, and everything it entailed.
