Just…here.
As if he’d never left me at all.
A candle burned in a tarnished silver holder on the desk. In its soft, flickering light, he was every bit as beautiful as he was in every memory that had haunted me since we’d been separated. But there was something else in the glow—something that didn’t belong. Something sinister in his eyes. Something menacing in his movements.
I blinked, willing myself to focus, to access my magical ability to see the energy that surrounded all things.
As expected, his aura was different from the one I’d memorized. Darker. A reminder that this man before me was not Aleks.
Not entirely.
He tilted his head, regarding me from under long lashes. When he spoke, his voice was all wrong, all Lorien Blackvale and nothing of Aleks.
“Hello, Chaos.”
I inhaled sharply.
“I’ve missed you.”
“No,” I whispered.No.It was the only word I could think to say—a warning to myself. Aleks might have missed me, butLorienhad not. This was all a trick.
He pushed away from the desk and sauntered forward.
I swallowed hard. Held my ground. Managed a breath, and then a bit of movement, glancing to the door behind me.
My guards were not far beyond that door. They were never far from me, no matter how often I tried to dismiss them—Bastian had made certain of that. Calling them would have been the smart thing to do. I was weaponless, exhausted, confused. Lorien had clearly been expecting me, hoping to get me alone. Probably watching me for some time before now…how else would he have known that I rarely allowed anyone else in this quiet sanctuary of mine?
I knew the kind of games Lorien liked to play.
I knew I was likely to lose if I didn’t forfeit now.
So why wasn’t I calling for help?
The man before me smirked as though reading my thoughts. “If you call for your guards, we won’t be able to have the talk we need to have.”
Aleksander’s voice.
He’d spoken in Aleksander’s voice, this time.
He closed the space between us.
Move,I ordered my trembling self.Move!
His hand fell over mine the instant I grabbed the doorknob. His fingers caged and squeezed, the strength of his grip so powerful I nearly cried out in pain.
I jerked away from his touch so hard I crashed into a small cart near the door, sending it toppling over. Piles of messages and other documents meant for me went flying in all directions.
Lorien smiled as I righted the cart and steadied myself against it. “What’s wrong, Nova?”
“Stop using his voice,thief.”
He didn’t stop. “Who says I’m a thief right now? Maybe this is him, desperately trying to talk to you once more.”
“Bequiet!”
“I thought you’d be happy to hear his voice after all these weeks.”
I sucked in a breath. In. Then out. I just had to keep breathing. Because of course I would have given anything to see him again, to hear him again—but not like this.
