“I guess I should be weirded out that my father’s oldest friend saw me naked in a Vegas hotel room,” I say, needing relief from the growing tension between us. Of course, there’s no relief when Roman’s expression heats, his gaze trailing from my lips and tracing up to my eyes. When I stare back into the darkening depths of his irises, I can barely breath.
It’s as if the air is sucked from the room, and I have no choice but to close the gap between us.
“I should go,” he growls.
I manage to catch myself before I protest. I don’t want him to leave, but I also know there’s no time to fall for this demon. For so many reasons, including the fact that the trust between us is new and fragile, and I have to focus on saving my sisters. Malia and Taniya deserve that much and more from me.
Swallowing roughly, I step to the side along the ledge. “That’s probably a good idea. I’ll figure the rest out.”
Roman’s gaze never wavers. “I have no doubt.” He pauses. “Be prepared for the Purification to be mentally and emotionally challenging. Crone will draw out your power and purify it. It’s a hard process, but your power will be stronger afterward.”
Again, his gaze slips to my lips. “She will count on you not being able to control it, but she will underestimate how strong you already are.”
He takes a step back. “I’ll see you at the ceremony. If you have any trouble, send one of your wolves for me.”
Ace stands up from where my wolves have been patiently waiting, as if he’s volunteering for the job. I love this fierce demon wolf more than I could ever say, and part of me fears that one day he will make the choice to leave, needing more than I can give him. Until that happens, though, I will cherish every tumultuous part of our journey.
Roman turns to leave, and I feel so alone that I barely manage to stop myself from calling him back. I can’t rely on him any longer, though. He won’t be in the trials with me, and that means I have to learn to navigate this world without using him as a security blanket. As hard as this feels, it’s the right move.
“I’ll see you soon,” I murmur.
Ace lets out a low rumble in his chest, but he stays at my side. Along with the other three, who pad over to me, standing in a row on the ledge now that Roman’s leaving.
There’s a brief moment where it seems Roman is about to pause, still so close by, but then he’s gone, and I wonder if I imagined it. After a few seconds, I decide that staring at the silver wall is getting me nowhere, so I turn and face the steppingstones.
The only direction I can go from here.
The stone path remains in my sight, and even knowing what lies below me, I banish my fear when I step out onto the first stone. My wolves follow as we cross the same way Carys went.
Darkness swallows us until I can only see the next stone in front of me, and still, I don’t stop.
This is just another test. I can’t fail at any point along the way.
CHAPTERELEVEN
After two more steps forward, the darkness finally lifts and the space around me is instantly bright, as though we walked through a cloud and out into the clear.
I’m now standing on solid ground, and as I spin to look behind me, there’s no sign that the darkness even existed. Instead, a bright red door sits in a smooth wall, the royal insignia embedded in its surface.
Stepping back a pace, though, I’m once again standing on a stone above the abyss.What in the…?
As I return to the other side of the veil, my wolves span out around me, and we take in the new space. About twenty yards away, Carys waits for me in the middle of what looks like a hotel lobby. The floors are marble, and the walls are decorated with dozens of paintings lined in heavy gold filigree frames. Couches are scattered around the room and an elevator is positioned off to the side.
“Well, you made it,” she says with a disappointed twist of her lips. “Welcome to the Citadel.”
She waves her hands at the room, not showing any visible signs of annoyance that she was waiting some time for me to arrive. I suppose the longer she waited, the more chance there was that I’d never make it inside.
“Since you won’t be here long, I won’t bother to show you around,” she says. “But I do have a room waiting for you.”
I smother a sigh. I can see it’s going to be one step forward and two steps back with this demon, but I’m up to the challenge. “That would be fantastic, thank you,” I say as I stride toward her.
Her eyes narrow momentarily, her gaze shrewd as she takes me in, but when I don’t say anything else or let any annoyance show, her expression clears once more. Her bare feet make no sound as we cross the marble, but my boots clomp loudly enough for both of us. I could quiet my footsteps, but why bother? I’m walking among my enemies, and they may as well know I’m here.
Let them think I have no fear.
At the elevator, there’s only one button on the outside, and it doesn’t indicate if the direction is up or down. When Carys presses it, there’s a whir and the button lights up blue.
Its external appearance is so much like elevators back home that I’m surprised when the inside is different. A brilliant pool of light fills the floor, and I sense the same energy as the light beam I rode to the prison.
