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Chapter 7

Vareck

The guards claimed she’d gone through the public portal in the fountain, taking my nephew with her. Despite Kaia’s reservations, I followed.

She was the woman in my dreams, of course I had to follow. She had recognized me. For years I’d wondered if she was real. Beyond confirming her existence, the one question that had always been plaguing me was if she had dreamed of me too. Based on her reaction to my admission, the answer was a yes.

The way her body had tensed. Her breathing changed. The shock written all over her features. Yes. There was something there.

How many times had I’d imagined meeting her? Countless, and yet—nothing like this particular series of events had played out in my head. Partially because I thought I’d be far more articulate in my approach and the reality was I’d stumbled through my words like some flustered schoolboy. The other reason was my annoying nephew hadn’t been part of the equation.

Seeing them together had thrown me, and all decorum went out the window. After years of planning how I’d talk to her if we ever met—I couldn’t think past the roaring in my head.

Then she ran, and what’s more, she took Damon with her.

I’d feel jealous if I thought for a moment it was for her benefit, but the vibe in the room didn’t suggest she was interested in him. Her gaze was too cunning, too calculating.

I exited through the portal inside The Witching Hour. It was hidden in a back room where the fae could come and go as they pleased, shielded from the eyes of those that didn’t know we existed. It allowed us to travel with ease, not needing potions or cloaking spells, though a small fee was paid to the bar for its use.

It had been a while since my last visit. I generally came on official business, and my arrival was pre-planned and announced ahead of time. Today, I was alone, and I was on the hunt. The thumping of the music vibrated from the main club. The faint trace of my dream girl’s aroma reached me, and my heartbeat picked up in speed.

She was here.

Leaving the portal room, I walked through the club swiftly, following hints of her distinct scent. It led to the bar, but as I searched the crowd, I couldn’t find her or Damon.

The dark-haired barkeep looked at me in surprise when I approached, inclining her chin. “K-king Vareck. To what do we owe the pleasure?” Her voice wavered slightly. The customers tensed, grabbing the drinks she’d made for them and shuffling away.

“I need to find a woman. Red hair, black and red dress. She came through the portal, likely with Prince Damon . . . accompanying her.” Accompanying, my ass. Being compelled by her impressive magic is more like it.

“I’m sorry, my king, but I haven’t seen anyone matching that description. They might have left before I started my shift. I’ve only just arrived.”

“Any rooms?” I asked, while I looked around, searching for other doors and hallways.

She pointed to the back of the club, near the stage . “Just our storage closet and inventory rooms. You’re welcome to check them.”

“I’ve seen your lady,” a patron slurred into his glass. He jutted his thumb toward the exit. “Walked out not three minutes ago. Got into a car.”

I tossed a coin to him with my thanks, then rushed outside, but the moment the door closed behind me, the crisp, cold night air lacked familiarity. Her scent, so fresh and bright, slipped away completely.

There was no way she’d left the bar through here. Even with the light misting of rain in the air, some of her scent would still be present.

The drunkard had lied, or perhaps feared me and just wanted me to leave. I was tempted to return to the bar and teach him what happened when people lied to me, but he’d technically done me a favor. She would exit eventually, whether it was the front door, or the back door that led into the alleyway, and I would be right here waiting when she did.

Slipping into the shadows, I stayed in the darkness until my senses were once again filled with the enticing perfume I’d come to recognize as uniquely her . I’d know it anywhere, and I’d follow it to the ends of the earth.