“They’re with Poppy,” Severn explained. “I didn’t know what state you’d be in when you returned. I wasn’t sure you’d want to see them right away.”
“It wasn’t like Black Ember dismembered me,” I said, half-teasing, but Severn’s expression told me that’sexactlythe state he was afraid I would return in.
“I’ll send for them later,” he said. “First, you should rest.”
I couldn’t argue with that. I bypassed the living room sofa and headed straight back to my suite. As I took in my own bed and belongings, I felt overcome with relief. My own clothes again. My view out the window.
So why did everything feel a little bit wrong?
I sank onto the bed, kicked off the impossibly high heels, and flopped backward. “These clothes belong to the Sun Court,” I said. “I think I’m going to burn them in the fireplace.”
Severn sat next to me, running a finger along the dress strap as he chuckled. “Oh, absolutely. I highly approve of that plan. Shall I help you out of them?” There was more than a slight suggestive question in his voice, and it made my lower belly tighten in sudden desire.
I sat up, dragging one leg around to face him. “That depends,” I said. “At the gala, I broke up with you. Even though it was a stupid thing to do.”
“Are you asking if we’re still broken up?” he asked quietly.
I bit my lip and nodded. “I’ve never regretted anything more. I was scared. And then I went to LA, and this fortune teller witch said…”
He captured my chin, silencing me. “I was devastated when you ended things.” His eyes practically glowed. “I would have gone to Colorado to get you back either way, as my girlfriend or not. But I’dverymuch prefer that you were.”
A relieved grin broke out on my face. I tipped my face toward him as he lowered his lips to mine. The kiss started more tender than it had at Jack’s chalet. There was no sign of anger now, no possessiveness.
“Wait,” Severn said, pulling back. “I need to take this damn thing off.” He pushed back his shirt cuff, where the iron chain had badly burned his skin.
I sucked in a sharp breath. “Iron really hurts you that badly?”
“It’s fine,” he said and then pressed his lips to the chain. The link split open, falling off. He kicked the chain under my dresser and then leaned down over me. In an instant, his glamour returned. I saw the sexy human businessman the rest of the world saw, but there was still Severn, the fae prince, beneath it.
“You couldn’t use your glamour while it was on,” I said, understanding.
“I couldn’t use any magic at all.” His lips fell to my shoulder, trailing down to the patch that was still red from the demon’s touch. “As badly as I wanted to heal this for you.”
He pressed his lips to the wound, and I felt the shimmer of magic run over my skin. Though Coral had mostly healed it with her own magic, now it was truly gone. Severn ran his hand over the perfectly healed patch of skin. “You never told me what made that mark.”
“A demon in Black Ember’s club,” I said. “When I tried to escape.”
“You tried toescape?” His tone was a mix of disbelief and disapproval.
I shrugged. “Zara taught me an itching spell. I almost got away, but…” I sighed. “It doesn’t matter. I’m here now. It’s all over.”
“Speaking of Zara,” he said, “She gave me your message about Briar. Apparently, a witch there got in touch with her and warned us that Briar was a traitor. Zara is anxious to see you.”
“Zara ishere?” I asked, sitting up again.
He eased me back down to the bed, running a hand down the length of my bare arm. “She never flew back to LA. After you were abducted, she stayed to help Kell keep watch over the kids just in case Black Ember might try to snatch them again.”
“I want to see her!”
“I’m sure word has spread that you’re safe.” He hesitated, a mischievous spark in his eye. “Anyway, as I understand it, she’s been spending her nights in Locke’s apartment.”
“Really?” I recalled Locke’s interest in Zara at the gala, but it would never have occurred to me that Locke and Zara would actually get together.
“Anyway,” Severn said, “I supposed that means you’re stuck with only me tonight.”
“Hmm. Is that so? Suddenly, I’m not nearly as tired,” I gave him a wink. A devilish smirk crossed his face as he pressed me back into the bed. His hands slid the dress straps off my shoulders, and his lips replaced them.
Severn unzipped me from the dress, muttering that he didn’t want anything that belonged to Black Ember touching my body. He threw it across the room, banishing it from memory, and then started to tear at his own clothes. With one hand, he tugged off his shirt, tearing the buttons when he couldn’t undo them fast enough. A feral kind of hunger overtook him, and soon his hands on me were demanding, his body hard against my curves. He rose to his knees, letting his gaze wash over me.
