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EMBER
“Ember?”
I sit up so quickly that the room around me spins. The moment my eyesight stabilizes, though, I peer into the darkness, sure I must have just imagined my name being called. There’s no way he—
“Ember?”
“Rafferty?” I croak, hot tears burning my throat.
Boots thud softly against the floor as hope blossoms in my chest. He found me. Rafferty found me!
His handsome face comes into view just before me, and he falls to his knees at my side. “Ember,” he repeats, hand going to my face. His eyes soften with pain as he takes in my battered appearance. “I am so sorry. What have they done to you?”
“I’m okay. We need to go, though. There’s not much time. She killed Taranus, Raffe.”
His expression hardens, and he narrows his gaze. “Taranus is dead.”
“Yes. She killed him right in front of me.” Tears slip down my cheeks, and he quickly wipes them away. “The bond is killing me, but—Raffe—” I trail off, a wide smile on my face because I know I’m about to deliver news that will make him happy.
“What is it?” he asks, searching my expression.
“Ailis poisoned you. She used a tonic and a dark fae to trick you into believing she was your mate, but she’s not. She’s not your true mate.”
His eyes widen, and his lips part. “She’s not?”
“No.” I reach forward and cup his face now, his skin warm beneath my touch. “She’s not. I—I think it’s me. Is it possible?”
Rafferty smiles then crushes his lips to mine. The kiss is hard, bruising, but I take every moment of it because it means I’m alive. Rafferty is here, and he will rescue me, and we will live together—forever.
As mates.
As true loves.
Someone claps, and Rafferty releases me then shields his body with mine.
“Telling all my secrets, I see,” she sings, the melodious tone beautiful if not for the sadistic bitch vocalizing it.
“Ailis,” Rafferty growls.
“Hello, love.” She holds her hand up and wiggles her fingers in a half-wave. “So nice to see you again. You are looking well.”
“You are going to pay for what you’ve done.”
“To your little pet?” Ailis asks with a grin. “I didn’t kill her. You can still play around if you’d like, though we all know where you truly belong.”
“As it turns out, I never truly belonged with you, did I?” he asks, and I grip his arm. If it comes to a fight, I have nothing but faith in Rafferty’s strength. But Ailis does have one thing on him: she’s bat-shit fucking crazy.
“Nothing but semantics, my love. We all know I made you happy when I was on my knees.”
“Except you were on your knees for everyone,” he shoots back.
Ailis shifts her gaze to me and grins. “You’ve had his cock. Tell me, didn’t you find it lacking, too?”
Rafferty growls.
“Not even in the slightest,” I snarl. “Let us go, Ailis. You can’t win this.”
“Can’t I?” She moves farther into the room. “Oh, Rafferty. I truly wish it hadn’t come to this. But, I cannot have you interfering when it comes time for me to kill the rest of your line as well as that bastard, Fearghas.”
