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One of the guards opened the door, and they were outside in the bright sunshine, totally alone. A gust of wind blew her hair into her face, and she pushed the blond strands behind her ear.

Blond…

Ella kept moving toward the wood and Vadim caught her hand.

“We don’t need a portal, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

“That wasn’t what I wanted. I just don’t want anyone at the palace spying on us.”

“While we do what?”

She looked over her shoulder at him. “While I kill you.”

The moment the shadows swallowed them up, she turned on him. “When were you going to mention that I had my face back,asshole?”

He raised an eyebrow. “When I felt like it.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? Don’t you think it was rather important?”

“To you, obviously.”

“You’re still sulking about me killing Adam for my face, and not just to save you.”

He leaned back against one of the trees, his massive arms folded over his chest. “I might be. Or maybe I thought you might like to see how it feels to be left out of the loop.”

“When did it come back?”

“Just after Adam breathed his last.”

“It makes sense. How come no one else mentioned my face? Your whole family just stood there and said nothing.”

“What I find fascinating about you, Ella, is how you get all bent out of shape about the little things and yet can deal so calmly with death and disaster.”

“Because those things are easy.”

“Not to everyone. And while we’re on the subject of things you find uncomfortable, do you want me to return to San Francisco with you or not?”

She realized she was scowling at him. “It’s up to you.”

“That’s a typically evasive Ella Walsh answer.”

“It’s not evasive. I’m not going to tell you how and where to live your life.”

“Do you think I want to stay here?”

“I can see why you might.” She gestured at his awesome body. “Here you can be in your true form, have all your magic around you and be the most powerful being in Otherworld.”

“But I’d already given that up before I even met you.”

“Only because you felt so guilty about your siblings.” He went to speak, but she pressed on. “But at least that’s over. You know you didn’t execute your own brother, so if you wanted to come back here, you could.”

He contemplated the grass in front of his feet for so long that Ella wanted to scream.

“Sometimes I am tempted.” He held out his hand and flexed his fingers. “To feel such power running through me again is addictive. But I also fear that power. If I came back, I would eventually be corrupted just like my brother.”

“Not necessarily.”

He half smiled. “I appreciate your faith in me. In this instance, I know I would become too powerful or succumb to the lure of the dark king’s court and destroy my own. It has already been foretold.”