A chill came off the stone wall despite me being as far from it as possible, and I drew my knees in closer to my body, wrapping my arms around them.
“You’re shaking like a leaf, little treasure.” The shadows beside me swirled, and I caught a whiff of a familiar peppery scent. Topaz eyes shimmered in the dark before the rest of Rowan came into view, hood pulled up and decked out in black.
“Ro.”
“The one and only.” He unfastened his cloak and draped it over my shoulders before relaxing against the bars, kicking out one leg and bending the other at the knee. “You think I’d let you stay in this shithole by yourself? Not a chance.”
I drew the cloak closer and curled against him. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Scared of the dark?”
“No. Not really.” I pushed my face into the braided hair slung over his shoulder. “Just didn’t like the silence.”
“I know what you mean.” He rested his head on mine. “After living with those fools and hearing their loud mouths every waking hour of the day, I don’t care much for the quiet either. Feels too…”
“Lonely.”
“Aye.” Rowan smoothed his hand along my side. “They’re all worried sick right now. Except for your big glutton. He skipped right past worried and is seething in his anger. He said he’s gonna come here and break you out, killing anyone who stands in his way. Specs and the rabbit keep having to take away his sword and block the door to keep him from leaving.”
Oh, Maddox. My beautiful and overprotective man.
“Is Lake okay?” I asked. “Draven said one of the mercenaries went to the cottage.”
“No need to worry. They didn’t lay a hand on the pup.” He tilted his head and looked up at the window. “When I got home, he was standing at the back door, claws out and ready to pounce. The Nocturne bastard was outside in the woods.”
It was hard to breathe. “They were so close to him.”
“But they didn’t try to attack,” he said, perplexed. “They just stood in the woods and watched us before retreating. The twins said it was the same for the one they tracked. Reign’s target seemed to be going for the weeping willow but darted away once realizing Reign was closing in on them.”
“The willow? Why?”
“It’s a source of immense arcane energy, remember? I know little of magic, having taught myself everything I know, but even I can sense the power of the tree. The whole meadow, really. Tapping into pure energy like that would lure anyone.”
“Then send them running for the hills once they saw the Guardian,” I said, recalling the mysterious, hooded figure. “Who is that anyway? Do they stand guard all night and day? What about bathroom breaks? Sleeping and eating?”
Rowan shrugged. “Reign told me not to fuck with them, so I don’t. I get the feeling whatever’s beneath that hood is far from human.”
I shivered. “Good thing I didn’t plan on sleeping tonight.”
“I could always make you sleep.” He gently bumped my side, tossing me a half smile. “With my little bag of magical dust.”
“You told me it wasn’t magic. That it was a concoction of herbs and oils or whatever used to knock people out.”
“Anything that manages to stop your rambles must be magic.”
“God, you’re so mean to me,” I said with a laugh.
“You like it.” Rowan took my face in his hand, all traces of humor slipping away. “I’m sorry for not being there to protect you tonight. When Reign said a trail was leading toward our home… toward the pup, I just… I couldn’t—”
“Hey.” I placed my hand over his. “This isn’t your fault. You knew I had Callum, Briar, and Maddox with me. Lake didn’t have anyone.”
“But still. I shouldn’t have left you, Evan.”
“No one could’ve protected me from this, Ro. Even if you’d been there with me, the king would’ve still been poisoned, and I’d be blamed for it. That’s how this was always going to play out. Either way, my butt would be in a cell sooner or later.”
“If only I was more powerful.” Rowan brought me closer to his chest and petted the back of my hair. “I could use the shadows to escape with you. To take you from this cell and run far away where none of them would find us. Where no one could hurt you.”
“We’ve already been over this.” My lips trembled with a shaky smile. “If we left, you’d miss Maddox too much, and we’d have to come back home.”
