His muzzle brushed against the nape of her neck, slow, deliberate. The touch was light, but it unraveled something inside her, something she didn’t quite know how to name. A breath she hadn’t realized she was holding slipped out as tingles spread through her body, setting her nerves alight.
“As radiant as the stars above,” he murmured. His voice was low, velvet soft. Then, quieter, almost to himself, “I’m regretting not kissing you earlier.”
His words puzzled her. She recalled how he’d pulled away from her at the tavern; he’d seemed distant, almost cold. She told herself it didn’t matter, and hadn’t mattered before, but her chest tightened anyway. Why the change? Under the moonlit sky, his closeness felt like a stark contrast, and for the briefest moment, she was grateful she was a unicorn and unable to blush, allowing her to keep the full impact of his words locked away.
The moment stretched, deepening as they gazed into each other’s reflections, evolving into something she wasn’t ready to acknowledge.
So, she did the only thing she could think of.
She tossed her head, her mane whipping like a silken curtain. “I bet you do. Offers that good are hard to come by.” Her voice was light, teasing, like that would make it easier to ignore the way her heart was racing.
Before the tension could take root again, she dipped her muzzle into the water and, in a swift motion, swung her head, sending a cool splash directly at him.
She didn’t wait for his reaction, giggling as she trudged into the river, the playful sound masking the turmoil twisting inside her.
There was a pause, then laughter; the rich, unguarded sound sent something warm curling low in her stomach, followed by the sounds of the water splashing as he followed.
Damien had been telling the truth. The water wasn’t very deep; it barely reached her knees. Water droplets splashed against her belly with every stride forward, the cool temperature refreshing after a long day.
Once across the river, she stood at the bank, shaking her coat. When he caught up, he gestured to her right. “It’s not far now, just over that hill.”
The hill wasn’t very steep, but it rolled onwards for quite some time. Droplets of water dripped off her still damp coat and she shivered slightly from the chill of the night. “I’ve been wanting to ask you something . . .” she said, breaking the silence. “Did you know? That I was a unicorn the entire time?”
His eyes were downcast, as if he was trying to find the right response.
“You did,” she accused. “You knew.”
His head bobbed in confirmation. “When I first met you, I sensed your magic. Even though it was dormant, I could still feel it. I honestly thought you just hadn’t transformed in a while, not that you didn’t even know.”
“Can all unicorns do that? Feel each other’s magic?”
“No . . . but the reason I can sense you is a complicated one.”
She looked him up and down. He had been openly sharing information about unicorns until now. His hesitation to share had to mean it was related to whatever brought him to the Grythorn in the first place. She tilted her head in an inquisitive manner. “Are you going to tell me why you are here? What brought you to the palace?”
His gaze met hers as he silently mulled over the question. He sighed before asking, “Still consider me the enemy?”
“Honestly? I don’t know.” It was the truth; she didn’t. She might not be his target, but if whatever he was planning involved her home, then hewasthe enemy, right?
“I wouldn’t be a very smart villain if I revealed my so-called evil plans before they had even happened. Now, would I?”
“No, I suppose not.”
“If it makes you feel better, I have no intention of hurting anyone. If I did, I wouldn’t have been able to enter this kingdom with its blessing of protection from Nina.”
His words of comfort didn’t have their intended effect. The fact he knew about the protection Nina provided made Luna feel uneasy. What else did he know?
Over the hill, there was a long dirt road that was overgrown with patches of grass and weeds.
“Are we still in Grythorn?” she asked.
“Barely.”
At the end of the road was an isolated wood cabin. The exterior, scarred over time by the elements, was rustic brown with cracked windows and a peaked roof.
He stopped just before they reached the door and swirled his horn. Black magic erupted from the tip and engulfed his entire being. The shadows disappeared as quickly as they had come, revealing him in his human form. She glanced away, eyes now on the ground, trying not tolook at his naked body. Her prudish ways must have amused him because he chuckled before loudly saying, “Let’s go in and find what you need.” Normally, she might have noticed and been puzzled at the volume of his voice, however her attention had drifted to a large stone close to the cabin that had the address etched into it. She stared at the numbers.53-4.Those were the same random numbers from the note he had left for her.
He’d given me his address.
