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“We want what is rightfully ours,” Thane said. He pulled a burning torch from the wall, walked over to the scrolls and let the flames lick at the paper. Thick gray smoke rolled up the shelves into the high rafters.

“What are you doing?” Rogue howled. “That’s my life’s work!”

With the paper as fuel, the wooden shelves quickly caught flame. The shadows darkened in Thane’s face as the fire burned brightly behind him. “Your life’s work for my mother’s life.”

Hel grabbed them both as the heat sweltered and they were pulled into darkness.

Chapter 16

THANE

The bedroom door creaked open, and Thane rolled over. In the low light he only saw her curvy hourglass frame, her hips swaying side to side as light footsteps tapped on the floor. He sat up with a jolt realizing who it was. Black hair glistened in the pale moonlight cascading in from the sheer curtains. She wore nothing at all.

“Thane,” Valeen whispered and stopped at the side of his bed.

“Did something happen?” he asked, dropping his feet to the floor.

She put her fingers to her lips to quiet him. Stepping between his thighs, she pushed her hands into his hair. “No, my love.”

His own hands slid up her hips, up bare skin, to her waist then heavy breasts. Her nipples were peaked and begging for his mouth. “I knew you’d come to me. I knew it wasn’t over.”

She pushed him back on the bed and crawled onto him. “I still want you,” she whispered. “I want all of you right now.”

Her lips crashed into his, tongue slipping into his mouth. He closed his eyes and moaned. Teeth bit into his bottom lip hard enough to sting and his eyes shot open… blonde hair drapedover him, tickling his bare skin. Valeen was gone and Katana was naked, smiling on top of him. Her bright lavender eyes locked onto his, then her tongue slid up his bare chest.

She curled a lock of his hair between her fingers and tugged. “Kiss me again. Kiss me until you can think of nothing else.”

Thane flew up in bed,and blinked at the bright sunlight filling his room. Birds chirped outside the window and the cool morning air brought goosebumps along his sweaty skin.Maker above, it was a dream. Just a dream.

Shaking his head to clear the thought of her naked body on him, he hopped out of bed and stepped into the adjoining bathing room, pouring water from a gold pitcher into his hand and splashing his face and neck.

After burning down Rogue’s study and traveling through the realms, he’d crashed out all night. None of them were counting on Rogue to come through with the location of their immortality, but it was enough to show the council they could get to them just as easily as they could send assassins.

He lifted his face to the mirror. His thoughts should be on battle strategy, on gaining the dragons as allies, on what the council might do next… anything but envisioning Katana naked. He needed to go for a run and shake this edge.

Once he was dressed, he slipped out the door. This floor of the castle had once been his fathers, and well, Tenebris didn’t need it anymore. His rooms had been the largest and most extravagant and were meant for the High King. Even if the thought of being next to Hel and Valeen was what drove him into a new room, it was time he took it anyway. The paintings he passed on the stone walls were of the elf kings from his family line, all seven of them. Even Tenebris’s portrait still hung.Despite Thane’s hatred of him, he was still part of their history and kept it there to remind him never to become like him.

He quickly made it down the stairs to the next level where Piper, Fennan, Leif, and Katana all had rooms. If they were up this early, they wouldn’t be ready for the day yet. But nonetheless he hurried past Katana’s door. The dream was still all too heavy on his mind. He was almost to the end of the hall at the set of stairs when the quiet squeal of door hinges made him slow. The arched windows let in the morning sunlight shining over the red carpet down the center of the corridor. The heat from the sun warmed his already too-hot skin.Please don’t be her.

“Hey, Thane.”

It was Leif.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he turned on his heel and faced him. Leif’s hair was still a tangled mess, and he only had on a pair of trousers. “What are you doing up this early?” he asked.

“I’m going on a run. I’ll be back shortly.”

“As much as I’d love to join you, sire, I’m not ready.” He folded his arms over his bare chest. “I was going to ask if I have your permission to bring a date to your mother’s celebration of life this evening.”

“Bring whoever you want, Leif.” Thane shrugged.

Leif smirked at him. “I was going to ask Katana. She’ll need an escort.”

A slow heat burned its way up his chest and to his face. His heart started beating harder. He shouldn’t be angry at the thought of that. “I already asked her,” he lied. “As a friend of course, not a date.”

Leif chuckled. “Oh, sure, sire, just as a friend when you’re now single and she happens to be single too? Let’s not forget to add she’s positively stunning. If you only want to be her friend, I’ll take my shot.”

“Go back to bed, Leif.” He shook his head at Leif’s laughter chasing him down the hallway.