Page 40

M y eyes snapped open…knowing two things immediately.

I was being watched and my shadows were back.

Checking on Riella who rested peacefully next to me, I watched her tiny chest rise and fall without labor.

After a long night of unraveling the wards that prevented her from her true transformation, the master healer had finally declared her free of the Sanguine bonds, but she would need additional healing sleep for a full recovery.

Slowly, I peeled away from my protective curl around her and sat up to shove my long dark hair away from my face to peer into the shrouded darkness where a single moonbeam streamed in hiding whatever was within.

Shifting to my aura sight, I braced against the sudden blazing white gold outline of a shifter’s aura, feeling my heart skip a beat along with unexpected relief knowing he was alive .

“So you are alive…how fortunate for you…again.” The shadows curled eagerly into my lap and I caressed them, feeling the sharp void of their absence diminishing inside of me and using them as a distraction from the flutter in my stomach.

“I missed you too, my loves.” I whispered down at them as they twirled between my fingertips.

The shifter Emon chuckled as he stepped into the moonlight, his stunning bronze skin glowing like his aura.

Still shirtless, his muscles rippled with his stealthy movement and under the cover of the darkness, I took advantage of admiring him fully.

It wasn't until our eyes met that I realized he was devouring me with his own gaze as well.

“You don’t sound happy nor surprised about my survival, little umbra.” Emon’s eyes trailed searchingly over my face before he crossed his arms in front of him. “At least I brought your shadows back to you.”

I suppressed a carnal shiver at the combination of his husky whisper and bulging muscle flexing in front of his chest. That infuriating pull towards the shifter was back, stronger now than it ever was in the Wildwoods and he he knew it too—his smile spreading cockily across his face.

I blinked.

For the briefest of moments, I could almost forget his connection to the slaughtering of the shadow court and my family. I needed the truth. There could be nothing between us until I learned it.

“They would have come back to me even despite you doing so.” I shrugged.

“I have no doubt of their devotion to you, little umbra.” Frowning, his hand raked through his messy brown hair. “Speaking of, I thought we had an understanding to help one another? What happened? That night I could not wake you? Why did you run?”

I shoved away the memories threatening to resurface from that night.

“You seem to be under the impression that we are friends. I owe you no allegiance nor insight to my own personal actions.” My voice sounded hollow, like someone else was saying them.

“In fact, I do believe it is you who owes me…” I raised one finger and then a second, “twice.”

He gave a heavy snort. “Truthfully, Faerie did the life saving in the Wildwoods. You just took care of some maggots that I should have squashed long before then besides I had things more than handled in The Under.”

“If you had things handled it would not have taken you a whole day to return from those infernal depths. You and I both know my shadows saved your life in The Under, although from what , I can only imagine.” I purred at him evilly. “It’s too bad that I was not there to witness it.”

His beautiful eyes flashed with pleasure and my stomach flipped. “You were keeping track of how long I was gone.”

I reared back denying him with my actions even if my words could not. “I was keeping track of my shadows, yes.”

He chuckled, seeing through me easily. “You’re underestimation of me is wounding, little umbra. We just got a bit delayed but it was fruitful. The shadows made cleaning up easy.”

I laughed and gave him a wide grin. “Swallowing enemies whole is their speciality.”

A predator smirked back at me and my grin faltered. “Do that again." He purred.

My mouth went dry and I licked my lips. “Do what, exactly?”

“Laugh.” He growled low, taking another step towards me.

“You are so fucking beautiful when you laugh.” He whispered reverently.

“I never dared to dream this moment even though I wished for it desperately…of having you here in my home, with my people—dressed in my colors no less.” He waved a hand at the gold dress I wore, one of Penina’s choices—she had winked knowingly when I put it on.

“I could have never conjured up a dream that would have been the equivalent of you here, right now. You are breathtaking, Remnant Ezra Solaire Dark.”

The reverence in his voice came out like a dark confession and I felt it, deep in my soul. The shattered remains of it clicking back into place.

“You cannot mean that.” I denied it, my soul could not possibly be saved.

His stare did not waver. “Fae do not lie.”

Hissing, I threw myself from the bed and stood before him.

Anger and confusion clouding every ounce of decorum I should have had.

“How dare you? After all that you have done!” My shadows swarmed around me, mimicking my misplaced anger while I tugged at the layers of fabric I wore for emphasis.

“It must be goddess damn nice to have your people around for them to wear any color of your kingdoms! Something, I wouldn’t know, since you were the one who murdered mine. ”

He jerked back as if my words struck him, his voice a dark warning rumble while he watched my anger ripple through me. “Explain.”

“You were there!” I whispered, taking a step towards him menacingly.

Everything was at war inside me. I wanted him. I hated him. I needed him. I denied him.

“You want to know why I ran from you? Why you couldn't wake me? Because I remembered . I relived every second of the days leading up to Morta. Right up to the time where my shadows exploded from me when I was shown the shifter that was responsible for destroying my people. A shifter that looked exactly like you—covered with my people’s blood.”

Emon’s eyes trailed over my furious face and the horrifying grief I exposed there before tilting his head to the ceiling with a quiet curse. “This is what you think of me?”

I stepped closer, my sword materializing in my hand. My shadows had returned and with it the void where I kept all my possessions. “You don’t deny it then?”

He made no move to defend himself but his voice was cold. The coldest I had ever heard it and part of me hated that I was the cause of it. My grip tightened, my knuckles turning white, I was a mess but I would see this through.

He shook his head. “You fucking thought I was seeking you out to what? Finish the job? To finish you? The last shadow fae.” He growled with disgust. “You are that convinced I would commit such a heinous atrocity?”

Centuries of training had my sword laid against the steady pulse of his neck before he could detect it.

Just like that, I switched off my emotions, the connection to him, and became what I really was—a monster, a killer.

“I saw it, I saw you there.” I pressed the blade in, making a shallow cut and watched with satisfaction when the blood trickled over his pretty bronze skin and ran down the muscular valleys of his smooth chest.

Emon exposed his neck further but his eyes blazed down at me so fiercely they were almost white. “If you truly believe this, then fucking end me. I do not want to ever live in a world where you look at me the way you are now. ”

Tears pricked my eyes and my sword arm shook but I pressed the blade harder against his flesh anyway, making more blood flow.

“Give me your answer! The Goddess showed me the vision of you, standing in the City of Night. Blood was on your hands when I begged her for the truth. Begged her to tell me that my people were still alive even knowing what my queen had ordered.” I did not fear the furious golden power pulsing off him with my shaking words.

My darkness was just as deadly and I would use it if I had to.

“So I’ll ask you one more time…do you deny it? ”

Emon blinked slowly and I watched the anger in his eyes become a kaleidoscope of emotions. Pain, sadness, and then…a scornful smile split across his face and he laughed .