I forced myself to take a slow, steadying breath before I said. “She’s a Demon Fae.”
Theron went rigid behind me. I yearned to turn and look at him, to gauge his reaction, but he still had my back pressed to his chest. I felt his heartbeat quicken from my words.
“That can’t be true,” he breathed.
“It is. I can’t lie. I saw it with my own eyes. She transformed in front of me.”
His pulse fluttered, and I felt him swallow. “You must have been mistaken.”
I gritted my teeth. “Don’t patronize me, Theron. This is thetruth.”
He released me, and I whirled to face him, eyes wide. My chest twisted with anxiety, and I realized with a jolt of awareness just how desperately I needed him to believe me.
I needed him on my side.
Please believe me, Theron.
His dark eyes were narrowed, his brows knitted together. A muscle worked in his jaw, and his nostrils flared.
Slowly, he shook his head, and my heart dropped down to my stomach.
He doesn’t believe me.
The wave of disappointment that crashed over me was enough to douse any heat I’d felt from earlier. I felt myself drawing a step away from him.
He opened his mouth to speak, but a shout from down the alley drew our attention.
“There they are!” A guardsman pointed to us, and three other soldiers appeared behind him. They each drew their swords and stormed toward us. “Stop where you are, in the name of the queen!”
I didn’t havetime to address Eira’s claim. Though my head was reeling, the sight of the guards racing toward us snapped me into action.
I grabbed Eira’s arm while simultaneously shoving the gilded hand mirror into my pack. She managed to swipe her dagger from the ground before we bolted down the alley.
Eira lagged behind, struggling to keep up with my loping strides, but my grip on her arm kept her close. I urged her left, then right, the narrow pathways familiar to me from my travels through the town over the years.
After several minutes of sprinting, her sharp gasps turned into pained wheezes. “I can’t,” she rasped. “I can’t?—”
I cursed and slowed my pace, glancing over my shoulder. I could no longer see the guards, but their echoing shouts still sounded close by. My gaze roved up and down the alley, trying to get my bearings and figure out the best path to take. If I were on my own, I could easily outrun the guards until I reached my destination.
But Eira wasn’t as fast as I was. And if the guards caught her…
No. I couldn’t let myself thinkabout that.
I needed a new plan. I worked my jaw back and forth, scrutinizing the mud-stained buildings. The one directly across from me had a sign that read,The Wild Stag.
I immediately thought of Mauro and how offended he would be at the thought of a run-down building like this named after his kind.
From the other side of the grimy window, a moan of pleasure rang out.
Well, Mauro would be evenmoreaffronted to learn that a place called The Wild Stag was a house of pleasure.
I stilled, an idea occurring to me. Taking Eira’s hand, I led her a few paces down the alley until we reached a crossroads between buildings. Several brothels lined the winding path, and more carnal sounds filled the air. From outside the buildings, various couples were pressed against the brick wall, groping one another.
“Theron,” Eira hissed in warning, but I didn’t listen. I tugged her forward until we reached a gap between the buildings. I gathered our packs, weapons, and cloaks and shoved them on the ground so they were hidden behind our legs. Then, I leaned in, crowding her against the wall.
Her mouth fell open, her cheeks flushing as she glanced around us in alarm. “What are you doing?”
“We need to blend in,” I murmured, my heart racing at the thought of what I planned to do. “Do you trust me?”
