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“Look around, if you can. Face your fears.”
My eyes closed in response, and I lowered my face back to his chest.
A low chuckle rumbled against me slightly.
“Why is your dungeon empty?” I asked him, my voice barely above a whisper. His shadows thickened around us, and relaxed my body as they carried us out of the cell. I could hear a strange, rhythmic sound off in the distance that I didn’t recognize.
“The castle was my mother’s. She had it built so she could escape my father, when she wanted to. It rarely happened, but when it did, she brought me here with her.” His eyes fixated on the horizon, his arms still tight around my back. “She kept prisoners. The smell of their blood turned my stomach, and their screams haunted my dreams for months every time we came here. I had the people freed and the space cleaned when I moved in, and it’s stayed empty since.”
My forehead wrinkled a bit as I frowned. “Then why are people so afraid of you? You don’t seem like a killer.”
His lips quirked upward, and his chin lowered a bit as he leaned toward me. “My brothers were convinced I was evil long before the moment I refused to give Espen my magic. If I’d handed over the throne, they would’ve ended me. I simply played the character they expected me to be, threw a few little illusions their way, and scared the entirety of the kingdom into leaving me alone.”
My frown deepened. “Afew little illusions?”
His lips curved up further, forming a smirk. “Or a multitude of large ones. Who can say?”
I snorted. “You’re terrible, you know.”
“Oh, I know.” His grip on my waist tightened as he pulled me to him, and I felt his erection against my belly.
“I’d like to see your thoughts,” I told him quickly, before he acted on the desire he was clearly feeling. “Your memories, I mean. If you’ve seen mine, I deserve to see yours.”
His smile faded. “I’ll consider it.”
My eyes narrowed at him. “No, you’ll set a day and time.”
“So bossy, Lemay.” He released my back, capturing one of my hands and then walking further into the forest. When he pulled me with him, his grip gentle, I took a few long steps to catch up. The man was keeping a slow pace, and I knew without a doubt that it was for my sake.
“You’re avoiding my question,” I pointed out.
“I’m showing you the reason I bothered coming back here and making this place my home,” he countered.
Okay, I was officially intrigued.
Chapter8
The strange,rhythmic sound grew louder as we walked, until I was fairly certain I’d have to yell to have a conversation with Laith if that was my intention.
We both remained quiet though, our fingers locked together as we walked.
The trees thinned, and the dirt beneath my feet loosened until it was a soft white color. The individual grains slipped through my toes, and my footsteps slowed as my feet sank deeper with every step.
“What is this?” I called to Laith as we continued.
I saw something wide and blue out in front of us, and my eyes widened.
“The beach,” he called back. “We’re on the coast of our land. No one knows my castle is here.”
The coast—which meant the vast expanse of blue in front of us was the ocean.
And the strange dirt beneath my feet had to be sand.
The sand grew softer and more slippery as we got closer to the water. I nearly tripped over my own damn feet, and Laith caught me with an arm around my waist. It remained there afterward, and he pulled me closer. My side was tucked against his chest as we walked, slower after I’d nearly crashed.
My gaze was glued to the waves. They were massive, crashing hard against the shore. Large, smooth rocks in all shades littered the sand, with plenty of space between them. They wouldn’t have been hard to avoid if someone was walking along the edge of the water.
We stared out at the ocean for a long while, both of us silent. I was still tucked against the man’s chest, practically cradled against him. He was warm and comfortable, and for the first time I could remember, I felt completely and utterly content. Not afraid, not sad. Not focused on trying to make the most of the months I had left.
