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The snug black fabric hugs her frame and makes her look smaller, somehow. This is going to take some getting used to.

Damian and the hunters have been gone for five days, but I stayed behind. Someone had to take care of Cece and teach her the basics of Faerie, and I couldn’t abandon Lori to her fate, either. The venom from the bite she suffered during the aborted ceremony sank deep into the huntress’ bones, and she needs Baka’s constant care.

Thankfully, the magic that keeps us safe from outsiders is stronger than ever, and I spruced up the library in preparation for the big reopening.

The High Fae are all eager to return to the castle, and Damian needs to show off his renewed powers to snuff out the rumors of a formal challenge.

“When is he coming back?” Cece breathes.

“How did you know?—”

She rubs the frown lines between my brows back and forth. “You look worried, sis. Worried and in love.”

“I’m terrified.” Even though his magic is stronger than ever, nightmare hunts across foreign lands aren’t exactly safe. “I know his link to Morrigan fizzled out at midnight on the night of their horrific wedding, but she still might try to hurt him. Or you.”

She squeezes my upper arm. “Believe me. She’s still licking her wounds.” Her cheeks all red, she looks down to her stomach. The blood bond between my sister and Morrigan is strong, and Cece is confident that the phantom queen will not bother us in the near future.

She peels herself from our comfy fort and jiggles her arms and legs. “I feel restless. I’m going to check on Lori and run a few laps around the garden.”

I stand up to follow.

Cece smiles down at me with a bit of an eye roll. “I’m okay, Nell. You don’t have to follow me around all the time. And Lori’s out of the woods, too. We’re at a point where the Fae salves are more efficient than your powers.”

She’s right, of course. I might have been coddling them both over the last few days…

She waves goodbye with a mysterious smile, like she knows something I don’t, and for a moment, I envy her peace of mind. I’m not sure I’ll sleep soundly until her link to Morrigan is broken for good.

The bond she shares with the evil witch cannot be short-circuited by Damian, or anyone. Cece will have to kill Morrigan herself, but I haven’t told her, yet.

She’s only fifteen. She needs to ease into this life, and I will make sure she doesn’t have to grow up too fast.

After she’s gone, the light dims. The entire library is suddenly shrouded in shadows, but I know better than to be afraid of the dark. He usually comes to me at night, stealing short, unforgettable pieces of time, but the last two nights were cold and lonely…

“You were gone for three days,” I growl, my voice heavy with reproach.

Damian shimmers into view a few paces behind me as I turn around to face him. He unhooks the strap of his long bow and wrangles it past his head, discarding the weapon on the nearest table. “The Storm Court insisted I stay for a couple of nights. Their king is a bit of a diva.”

“You’re the Shadow King, are you not? Next time, tell him to fuck off.”

He unzips his thick jacket and shrugs it off, dumping it over the bow before he saunters toward me, the playful glint in his eyes spelling trouble. “I couldn’t agree more.”

Without preamble, he takes hold of my waist and presses my back to the stack. Such a simple touch, and yet so efficient. My body arches into him, and my chest heaves as he teases my belly button and dips a hand down, below the lace, all the way to the space between my thighs.

I push him off half-heartedly. “Not here.”

“I can’t wait.”

Damian’s got One’s intensity, and Two’s fierceness, along with Three’s raw charisma… I can’t say no to him, not when he’s so obviously hungry for me.

“I wish I was a patient man…” He works my belt open and slides it out of the way, his other hand quick to slither up my ribs and trace the underside of my breast. “But I’ve missed you terribly, kitten. I can’t think of anything else.”

Who am I kidding? I can’t wait either.

He kneels in front of me to peel my pants and underwear off, and the seriousness on his face fills me with anticipation. The scrape of his nails down my legs scorches my skin.

Damian fucks like the entire world is on fire, and we’re the only two people left in it. He loves me like he’s doing it for the last time, every time, and I’m officially addicted to the rush.

A soft kiss at the junction between my hip and thigh coaxes a heavy sigh from my lungs. His eyes burn with greed, and the pride in them tingles through my entire body. He tugs on my shirt and peels the fabric over my head, his other hand claiming my breast before the thing is even completely off.