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“Just come here, love.” He held out a hand as the lurching ground shook my bones.

My heart flared with heat at the look in his eyes, a look I had not expected. Without another word, I crossed the room and took his hand. He pulled me up the stairs behind him, and the screams died in the god’s throat. When we reached the top of the steps, Kalen slammed the door and whirled to me. I tensed, bracing myself for the anger. It would come now that we were out of there.

Kalen stepped forward. He tucked a finger beneath my chin and searched my eyes. “You turned her down.”

I swallowed hard. “Just barely.”

“She offered to bring your sister back to life, and you turned her down,” he repeated, his voice building in intensity.

My body almost crumpled, but he snaked his hands around my waist to keep me steady. Tears blurred my vision. “What else could I have done, Kalen? She’s one of the gods. I could not sacrifice my people and these kingdoms to undo my broken heart. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.”

I started crying. Real sobs, this time. My entire body shook from the awful, twisted truth of it all. I could have had my sister back. It had been within my grasp. All it would have taken from me was one simple word.

“Tessa, love.” Kalen pressed his lips to my forehead and then gathered me into his arms. I didn’t fight against him as he cradled me against his chest and carried me back up the stairs to the fifth floor. He kicked open the door of the Great Hall and strode straight over to the hearth where the fire still flickered, its embers glowing bright.

He lowered my feet to the floor, but he did not let me go.

My cheeks burned as my sobs subsided. His chest was damp with my tears from where he’d carried me in his arms. The scent of snow still lingered in my nose. Rubbing at my face, I glanced away. “This is embarrassing.”

He caught my hand, curling his fingers around mine. “You have no reason to be embarrassed.”

“I broke down in front of the King of Shadow. This is not my finest moment.”

He smiled. “I love it when you call me that.”

Heat blazed around my heart. “I thought you’d be angry.”

“Why in the name of the moon would I be angry, Tessa?” He gestured at the open door. “Do you not realize what you just did? You stood strong in front ofa god. You turned down what most never could, for the good of the living. I could never be angry at you for that. No, Tessa. I’m awed.”

He gazed at me with a ferocity that curled my toes. Swallowing hard, I gazed right back. Something within him called to me. Shuddering, I felt my body lean forward. His eyes sparked.

“Fuck it,” he growled.

Thirty-Five

Tessa

He tugged me toward him, and his lips crashed against mine. I gasped, my toes curling. The heat of him enveloped me, along with the scent of snow and ice. My body melted against him as his mouth explored my lips. The taste of him was intoxicating. Darkness, power, and heat.

Suddenly, he pulled back and ran his fingers through his hair. Burning need sparked in his eyes, but he shook his head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

I pressed a finger to his lips. “Don’t stop.”

I didn’t know what I was saying. It was madness, kissing the King of Shadow, wanting to do so much more. Growing up, I’d only shared a few stolen kisses with a village boy. He’d tried for more until I’d kneed him in the balls. He was inexperienced and very mortal. And this was theKing of Shadow, a powerful immortal fae who had unleashed his mists upon the world. But he’d only done that because he’d tried to stop a monster from bringing back the gods. He loved his people.

When he looked into my eyes, he did not see me as weak and frail and small. He called me strong. He was out here, searching for my family. He understood the loss I felt, the damage Oberon’s actions had caused.

Closing my eyes, I pushed up onto my toes, wound my arms around his neck, and kissed him fiercely. He sighed against me, cupping my thighs, his sudden hardness pressed against me.

Lifting me from the floor, he carried me to the blanket we’d spread across the floor beside the hearth. He lowered me onto my back, easing on top of me with an arm on either side of my head. His tongue swept through me, tasting me, teasing me, bringing forth an ache I’d never felt between my thighs.

I arched against him, a soft moan escaping my parted lips as his mouth trailed down to my neck.

A low growl rumbled in his throat. “You are going to drive me to madness with that sound.”

My breath caught.

He lifted his head, his sapphire eyes searching mine. A question echoed in the depths of them. “Are you sure you want to do this?”