Page 26 of Lunar Diamonds (Celestial Magic #1)

DRAKE

R iley stopped staring at the door. Blinking.

“You’re right,” he said to Alice. “We should leave.”

Alice breathed a sigh of relief, leading the march out of the caves.

Riley smiled as he passed me, saying nothing. I followed close behind him, his sugary taste still on my tongue.

I’d kissed him. I’d kissed The Moon. And I wanted more. So much more.

My eyes tracked down his back, wondering what those clothes hid. If I’d ever get to witness his body for myself.

I bet it’s incredible…

His presence eased some of the pressure off my fears, distracting me from the closeness of the walls, the pressing darkness. He was like a ginkgo sniffer, a sweet dose of medication.

Had I caught feelings already? Feelings beyond lust? In a day?

I really want to hold you…

“We’ll come back, sir,” Alice said to him. “I just want to be sure we’re making the right decision here. Better to confer with my siblings and Erin first, eh?”

“Absolutely,” Riley answered, taking his time on a particularly slippery patch of rock.

I was ready to catch him if he fell.

What is wrong with you?

He doesn’t want you.

He knows what you are. He’s got a brain. Trash isn’t worthy of a special man like him.

But I’d kissed him, and he’d kissed me right back. That meant something. That gave the middle finger to my darkest whispers.

Pop!

I arrived at Riley’s side on the edge of a frozen lake, a sharp drop in temperature penetrating every inch of my clothing. Snow crunched under my boots, the white shore slightly sloped. A heavy fog encircled us, hiding whatever lurked beyond the thick sheet of ice.

A blue moon hung in the sky, smothered by the fog, its light slowly fading.

“What happened?” I rubbed my eyes, making sure I was seeing this for real.

Yes. Definitely real. Definitely freezing.

The bond brought me here. Meaning Riley hadn’t been in front of me, leaving the cave.

He stared at the lake, condensation curling from his mouth. His eyes were bluer than before, wide with shock, his breaths hitched.

“Riley?”

“What… What have I done?”

I closed the gap between us, kicking up snow. “Where are we?”

He didn’t blink once. “Beyond the door.”

“How?”

He told me. “I did this. I did this. I did this.” He sucked in a sharp breath, holding it for too long.

“Calm down.” I rubbed his arm.

“It tricked me,” he rasped after he released his breath. “It tricked me and made me trick you.” He faced me, eyes shining with tears. “I’m so sorry.”

He still hadn’t blinked. “It’s alright. I’m here.” I took his gloved hand in my bare one.

Finally, his beautiful eyes blinked. “I’m sorry.”

“Let me check where we are.”

“Okay.” Blink, blink.

“I’m going to let go of your hand.”

“Okay.” A voice so small, so weak.

I released him, calling to my power. I watched the fog stir, slowly rolling across the ice.

Where are you? I thought at the diamonds.

My fingertips were lights in the dark. “Come on. Where are you?”

They weren’t here.

That couldn’t be right.

I tried again.

Nothing. No diamonds here. No diamonds anywhere.

“This isn’t possible.” After ten attempts, the diamonds were officially off my radar.

“This was a trap,” I said, my muscles tensing.

It’s so dark here…

The fog closed in, almost upon us now.

Riley whimpered. “My uncle. The blue orb. They’re the same, right? He tricked me and he’s coming for my power.” He stepped back. “We have to get out of here.”

The fog licked at the edge of the shore, dangerously close.

I swallowed a lump of terror, slamming weak locks across my panic. “We’re leaving.” I checked behind me, expecting to see the doorway.

Not there.

I searched for an exit.

Not there.

Nothing. We were inside nothing. Fog closing in, the last traces of the blue moon devoured.

Darkness.

Trapped.

My heart stuttered, barbed wire slithering into my chest. I couldn’t breathe, function, even blink.

The walls are closing in.

The darkness wants you…