Not without answers about Kian.
And as proof of my descent into lunacy, I couldn’t leavehimeither.
I tell myself the man Elias killed was a bad guy. Part of The Association. But the brutal way Elias did it? The sadistic glint in his eyes when I caught him?
It terrified me.
A sane person would’ve run and kept running. So why am I still here?
Because underneath the savagery I just witnessed, past the blood and the violence, I saw something else.
Grief. Heartbreak. A man who lost too much and couldn’t find his way back.
So, against all common sense, with my pulse rioting, I descended the stairs again, music box clutched to my chest.
And when I saw him, broken and ravaged, my heart stopped trying to flee.
He was slumped in the chair, blood soaking his shirt, sweat slicking his hair.
Completely devastated.
“Elias.” My voice is barely a whisper, but his head snaps up.
He hitches a breath. Sharp,as if it hurts.
I move toward him, my steps careful. My body thrums with static, the zinging energy in the air moments before a tornado hits.
And yet, none of it is fear.
I should be terrified. He’s a monster. He’s dangerous and vicious.
But I’m not.
Slowly, Elias rises, uncoiling his powerful frame until he towers over me. He fills the room with his presence.
My skin prickles, my vision narrows as I arch my head back to look at him.
My husband.
“Why did you come back?” he rasps, hands fisted at his sides.
Anguish. I hear it in his voice, loud and clear. My heart shreds into pieces.
I slowly lift my hand and wipe the blood from his face. A tortured hiss escapes his lips. “What are you hiding, Elias? What are you planning?”
There has to be a reason for this bloodshed. Deep down, perhaps I’ve never really believed the man who’s been loyal to my family for the past decade could be that unhinged and brutal for no reason.
Maybe this entire time, I still hope for one impossible thing.
That somewhere inside the Shadow King has a soul worth saving.
“Tell me, Elias.” My gaze sweeps over the hard planes of his face, fingers trailing the raised scar that still looks painful.
The sight of the corpse’s legs behind the table makes me gasp.
He immediately moves closer, blocking my view.
“It’s none of your business,zemër.” His fingers tremble as he covers my hand with his blood-smeared one, pinning it to his cheek. “Don’t pretend you care.”
