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She leaned in closer and whispered, “I missed this. I shouldn’t have been sneaking out at night. I shouldn’t have gone after Talon. I don’t deserve you, Thane.”

“Don’t say that. I am far from perfect. I shouldn’t have ignored you. The past few weeks have been very confusing for me. I’m trying to make peace with that life and this one, and somehow bring them together. I have two sets of parents, and I remember a life and side of me that is hundreds of years old, and then short lives in between this life as an elf. Here I was raised to protect you and be a king and fight pale ones who happened to be created by my closest friend, mybrother. And then dealing with the guilt of somehow taking you from him. You were the only person he ever truly loved and it’s all messing with my head.”

Layala nibbled on her lower lip. “I don’t think I had parents before…”

“No, as a primordial, you wouldn’t. You were simply created. Hel and I are third-generation gods, I suppose. I can’t fully remember.”

“I think… I think I’ve missed you more than just these past weeks.” For a moment she saw him dancing with her, but it wasn’t here, and everything faded away…

The Past

They danced under the bright stars and three moons, and colorful streams of light waved across the sky. “You know,” he said, “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again let alone be invited into the goddess of night’s home for a party.”

“Think of it as a truce,” she said, pushing back against his hand on her lower back, forcing them to stand further apart. It was too intimate otherwise, closer than customary. “I don’t want a fight with you or your cousin.”

“It’s been six months, if we were going to come back for a fight, we would have.” War’s smile was devastating and would bring a lesser goddess right under his spell.

“And why didn’t you? I murdered your uncle. A primordial. A crime that would get me exiled forever, if and when you could detain me, that is.”

He chuckled and lifted his shoulder as they turned. “Neither one of us wanted to fight with you or to see you fall.”

“Is it that simple?”

“It’s that simple.”

“If I were a male and not a beautiful goddess?” Her eyebrow ticked up.

He laughed. “Then I wouldn’t have lied to my father and the council about you having nothing to do with my uncle’s death and we’d be at war right now.”

“So, either you’re what the humans refer to as a ‘gentleman’ or you’re a filthy-minded male and thought by sparing me war you might get something else from me.”

His throat bobbed and she noted the shine on his forehead. “Maybe I’m both.” He spun her around and out and she whirled right into Hel’s chest.

“Hello,love, did you miss me, too?” Hel said very much in the here and now. Layala blinked several times, taking in his masculine scent, then pushed off his chest. Varlett’s elbow was hooked around Hel’s and the venom in her stare made Layala step further away into Thane’s strong arms.

A long, shiny black dragon talon trailed down the collar of Hel’s black suit coat. “What a lovely little party,” Varlett said. Curly black horns protruded out of her golden hair. Her ebony mask was outlined in silver beads that matched her dress. “Thanks for the invitation, most High King.”

Chapter23

LAYALA

The room was suddenly too hot, the chatter of the voices all around louder and encroaching like she’d been thrust into an echoing cavernous tunnel. Layala pressed her clammy hands against the bodice of her gown and looked around for an escape. Seeing Varlett, the horrible way she smiled, her beast like eyes, it brought the most terrible times of her life flooding right back. Being starved as she was held prisoner, Varlett’s bloody hand shoving through Thane’s torso right after she broke her mate bond to him. Her dragon form crushing Layala into the ground, stealing away her chance to end King Tenebris, and forcing her to wake Hel. She was either going to explode with anger and level the room with magic, or she must leave. Her hands began to tremble, shadows seeping from her fingertips.Shadows, shadows, shadows.She clenched her fists and willed her magic back.

“You remember Varlett, don’t you?” Hel asked, watching her carefully through a simple black mask of his own.

“How could I forget?” Layala tried to keep her voice even, but the venom seeped out. “You’re not welcome here. Leave.”

“That’s no way to treat a guest, Layala,” Varlett said, pulling her arm free from Hel, and brushed her long golden locks over her shoulder. “You don’t want to cause a scene, do you? They’re already watching.” She grew a slow smile and the slits of her eyes sharpened. “But it’s not me they have their eyes on, or me they fear, it’s you. They’re waiting for you tosnap.” She clicked her fingers and cackled. “Go ahead, give them what they expect,darkmage.”

“Your control is slipping,Laya,” Hel said, using the name only those closest to her did. “You haven’t been training on your own time. Maybe you should go stand at the pond with the old mage and take some deep breaths.”

“Screw you.”

“Anytime,” he purred.

Thane pressed his big hands on Layala’s shoulders and nuzzled his scruffy cheek against the side of her face. “Come on, let’s finish that dance outside on the balcony.” He slid his fingers down her arm and clasped her hand, fingers intertwining.

Hel’s eyes dipped to their hands. “Yes, better take poor Laya out of here. We wouldn’t want her distressed.”