“Dawnbrew. Doc’s secret mixture.” His silver eyes watched me carefully. “Chases away the aftereffects of dark magic.”
I took a tentative sip, expecting something bitter and medicinal. Instead, warmth spread across my tongue—soothing, sweet, like honey and spice and something floral I couldn’t name. The heat slid down my throat and into my chest, pushing back against the hollow emptiness.
“This actually tastes good,” I said.
A small smile tugged at his lips. He pushed a lock of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering against my cheek. “I’m glad you like it.” The smile faded. “Today you rest, Alice. Dark magic always takes a toll.”
I looked up at him—at the tension in his jaw, the shadows in his eyes. I hadn’t wanted to stay still, but his fear was louder than my pride. “You’re worried about me facing the queen, aren’t you?”
He didn’t answer right away. His hand dropped from my face, and he stared at the far wall of the cavern.
“I can’t lose you, Alice. You’ve opened something in me. Light. Hope. Things I forgot existed.” He turned back to me, andthe vulnerability in his expression made my chest ache. “Alanna kept me in darkness and turmoil for so long. She’s strong. Evil. Jealous.”
“And she wants you.”
He still looked worn, but the tremor in his hands had stopped. Stronger, even if not fully himself. “She wants my hat.”
“Joy said she wanted you.” She wasn’t wrong—the queen wanted him. The hat was just the leash.
“Well.” His silver eyes locked onto mine, fierce and unwavering. “She can’t have me. I belong to you.”
I choked on the dawnbrew, sputtering. “What?”
He clasped my hand, his grip warm and steady. “You heard me.”
My heart slammed against my ribs. No one had ever wanted me. Not like this. Not with this intensity, this certainty. I’d spent my whole life on the outside—unwanted by my coven, abandoned by a family I couldn’t remember, always the problem, never the prize.
And here was this man—this impossible, infuriating, beautiful man—looking at me like I was the only thing in any dimension that mattered.
He leaned closer, his breath warm against my lips. “You’ll be mine, Alice.” His mouth brushed over mine—soft, slow, a promise. “Always.”
He clasped my hand. My throat tightened, and I had to look away. His certainty made something inside me ache. If I spoke right now—if I let myself feel how much his certainty meant—I’d crack open. And I didn’t have the luxury of breaking.
He gave me a moment. Then his thumb brushed across my knuckles.
“Alice, I need to know…” His voice was gentler now, but serious. “We all do. Why was it so important to save that harpy? They’re dangerous. Evil creatures. Not to be trusted.”
I blinked, dragging up the memory of Lumina Glade—the queen and Ari closing in, the harpies fighting at our side. Without them, we would have lost. “You’re wrong. That’s not true.”
“Alice—”
“We have harpies in my world that fight for us.” His brow ticked up, doubt sharpening in his eyes. I willed him to believe me. “Keir Rankin—the Unseelie mafia king—has a pair of harpies. Nyx trained them. Earned their loyalty through patience and trust.”
Nyx’s face flashed in my mind, and my chest ached. I remembered how he died in battle, trying to protect Keir, his king. The harpies had never been the same after that.
Darius scowled. “I don’t know who this Nyx is, but that’s impossible.”
“You said to believe in the impossible.” I squeezed his hand. “Trust me on this. The harpy will be loyal to us. I felt it when she gave me her feather.” My hand drifted down to where the feather rested against my heart. “It’s a sign of trust.”
“How do you know this?”
I shrugged, wishing I had a better answer. “I don’t know. I just do.”
I held my breath, wondering if he would believe me or doubt me like everyone else did. If he didn’t, I’d lose my one shot at proving I knew more than they thought.
He kissed the back of my wrist. “I trust you. I’ll always trust you.”
I stared at him, stunned. My coven never said things like that. They watched my magic spark and sputter and whispered about kicking me out. And a witch without a coven wasn’t a witch for long—not with the vampire mafia cleaning up strays.
