I don’t bother to wait for Fenrir as I dart through the rows of shelves to find the Fae who holds my life in his hands.
Chapter
Twenty
MAX
It takes me the better part of the day to scour the halls for the heir. There aren’t any guards—again—who I can ask for directions, and the siblings are off doing whatever they’re supposed to do. The servants bow but hurry away from me, as if speaking to me would result in their deaths.
I’m used to that. The Coven children acted the same.
Finding myself on the lower floors, in a quieter part of the castle, hand on my dagger, I listen for footsteps. The fact that it’s so quiet, the hum of palace life distant, with no other Fae around puts me on edge. This castle has become claustrophobic with the number of officials everywhere, but here, it’s completely deserted.
The first four doors I open are either servant’s corridors or storage rooms of plain linen. One room holds old furniture, covered in dust and warped from age. But no heir.
Then, as if a flame ignites inside my chest, I sense him.Is this the bond?A physical tether between us? I’ve never felt it before. In fact, I actively fought the bond, trying to keep its influence small.
By opening myself up to him, in the forest, did it rekindle, solidify somehow?
I follow the pull, the flame growing larger, brighter, a beacon in these long, dark halls. It leads me to the end, around the corner, to an opened door.
My body trembles at his lilting voice drifts out.
It’s been days since I’ve seen him and I sigh, relief palpable. After the night in the forest, he all but disappeared, his siblings recalling he was needed elsewhere. I tried to play it off as if it didn’t bother me, but now, hearing his voice, feeling his heat through the door, I want to weep.
I’vemissedhim.
That relief is tempered by the realization he might have killed an innocent female. But I’m going to find out for myself who Sose was and what happened to her, and how it relates to me.
Before I push through the door, I wait outside, listening to his conversation.
“It’s still not enough,” he growls, slamming his hand on a table. Something rattles and falls. Someone shifts, groaning loudly. “We don’t have enough.”
“Calm yourself, nephew.”Oslo. His gentle tone is at odds with Kaden’s sharp irritation.
“Iamcalm.”
“Tell that to your shadows.”Reid. I look through the crack, only able to see Kaden, the room darkening as he glares to the side. Darkness weaves into the air, smoky air that’s thicker than regular shadows. “Relax, big brother. You’ve spent the last few days talking to sympathetic lords. We’ll get the numbers we need.”
“Not soon enough.” He slams his fist into the table again. “Zelos is close to securing his deals. The other Fae are ready to follow him into battle. I don’t have to remind you all what that means.”
“He’ll use her,” another voice responds.Fee. “We’re not going to let that happen.”
“Everything rests on getting more lords to our side. Without them, the coup fails. And I will not see him takeheraway fromme.”
The possessiveness causes goosebumps to break out overmy arms and a delightful warmth rises inside my gut. And embarrassingly, I grow wet.
Kaden tilts his head, an animal listening to a far-off sound of danger, before he curses under his breath. “I know you’re there, kitten. I can smell you.”
Godsdammit. Those amber eyes catch mine through the crack and I shove it open. No use in pretending I’m not there.
Stepping into the small, but tastefully decorated office, I see the table at the center is covered in papers, the chair pushed to the side, the walls covered in bookshelves lined in old books and maps. The room doesn’t smell aged but of campfire, secrets, and spice.
Around the table are the siblings, Kaden, his uncle and no one else.Clandestine.
He leans over the desk, staring at me, smirk lining his lips. I don’t know how, but I know he’s imaging me from our night together, as his eyes drag over my skin, a lover’s touch that leaves a trail of heat behind. I know he can smell my arousal and I cross my arms.
“A coup?” I ask, Fee rushing to close the door. “That’s what you’ve been planning? That’s what you’ve kept hidden?”
