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“You’re the clever one, it would seem,” I said wryly.

My hand closed around one of my knives by instinct, though I knew by now that Arran would not harm me. It would endanger his precious peace and stability, his absolute dedication to peace in Annwyn. But that did not mean he would not try to drag me back to the palace and lock me inside.

“How did you get past the wards?” he asked with feigned casualness.

He leaned against a barren tree, his face half in shadow. The dark eye that was illuminated glittered. Even now, he wanted me. Maybe I could use that against him, finally.

There was nothing casual about the game we were now playing now. Arran had discovered another one of my secrets—my route out of the palace through the secret door. I could not give him another.

I pulled my knife free, testing its weight in my hand. “How didyouget past the wards, terrestrial brute?”

His eyebrow twitched. He was getting better at hiding his emotions, but that temper of his was always so near the surface. And the more we were together, the easier I could spot his tells.

“I am the most powerful fae in thousands of years. Or have you forgotten?” As he spoke, the tree groaned behind him.

I darted several steps forward into the clearing, away from the perimeter of trees. Arran’s dark chuckle filled the air around me. I was closer to him now, within half a lunge.

“Bastard,” I swore under my breath. He’d driven me right into his clutches, no better than an animal being herded by a predator.

I would not be his prey.

He’d untangled the complicated wards protecting the goldstone palace. Difficult, but as he’d pointed out, the creators of the wards had never anticipated someone of his power. But I knew exactly who stood before me.

I flipped my knife into the air.

“You followed me,” I said, meeting his black fire eyes.

“Of course.”

The hilt of the dagger landed in my palm. “Why?”

He gifted me a humorless chuckle. “Did you forget the part where I am meant to be protecting you?”

I stepped to the side, dagger loose in my hand once more. “I can take care of myself.”

“So you say,” Arran sighed, pushing away from the tree. He was tiring of my antics.

Time to make my move.

I dragged the tip of my dagger down the center of my chest until it touched my navel. The deep amethyst gossamer fell away to reveal the curves of my breasts.

“Or perhaps you would rather take care of me,” I purred.

The glimmer in those dark eyes intensified. He looked like a demon from the very pits of the hell humans were so afraid of. Despite my precarious position, desire unfurled in my belly.

“If you’d rather beg me to come to your bed instead of forcing me to sleep on the floor outside your door, I’ll not refuse you.” Arran stepped forward, hands flexing toward me.

Something inside of me growled—yessss.

“So you’d have another excuse to haunt my every step? I think not.” But my actions belied my words, my fingertips drifting down to skim the barren curve of my breast. I held my ground as Arran stalked closer.

He was near enough to reach me now. A jerk of his hand, and he’d be dragging me back up the thousand stairs to the goldstone palace. I couldn’t match his powers. He had every growing thing in the clearing at his command—and the beast I’d yet to see.

“We will be joined eventually,” Arran breathed.

The end of my braid twitched.

I sucked in a breath, my eyes falling. The moonlight didn’t reach the close space between us. But my sharp fae eyes could see enough without it.