I shake my head, playing dumb. Eyes wide, I lean against him, trying not to recoil at his touch. “I have no idea. They don’t do anything for me. But I’m sure they’ll reveal their powers toyou.”
He reaches up, tucking my hair behind my ear. I hum at his touch to cover up the gagging sound I almost make.
“What about your wolf’s mate and his rider?” Killian’s voice is a low, grubby caress.
My stomach twists at the question. I know what I need to say here. We planned it all out. And yet my tongue is heavy and unwilling.
I push through anyway. This is the only way. Locking eyes with him, I put a vicious tone into my voice. “Take them. Anassa will understand. That we need to eliminate them for you to seize your rule. We’ll bind them with shadows and bring them to you. Let Tormun deal with him.”
Finally, Killian’s smile reaches his eyes—it’s a horrible, soulless look. He lifts a hand and brings his thumb to my lips, rubbing it roughly over my mouth. Energy gathers. Chaotic. Terrifying. Dreadful.
I know what’s going to happen before it does, and I steel myself for it, every muscle in my body screaming out at the wrongness.
Killian kisses me. It hurts—he’s left his fangs out, and one pierces my lip, drawing blood.
I’m stuck, sinking into myself, trying hard to cover myself in that armor I visualized.
It’s brief but lasts forever. Finally, he pulls away.
His gaze is hard as he stares into my eyes. His breath is on my bleeding lip.
“I love you,” he tells me.
“I love you, too,” I lie, my mouth sour. “I can’t wait to be at your side.”
“You’ll come to me?” he asks. “I’m outside Blumenfall.”
I nod, my head heavy and dizzy. “I’ll be there in the morning. And then we’ll find a way to remove Alistair from your body and we can start our lives together.”
All the words he wants to hear, flowing freely from my tongue, even as they sink a dagger into my gut. Please, please,pleaselet everything go right tomorrow.
Killian’s answering grin makes very real pain light up all through my body. My nerves fire as though I’m being slowly stabbed.
“I’ll see you in the morning, then, kitten,” Killian says.
The shadows rise to blot out my vision, drenching us in darkness.
I wake to moonlight and cinders clinging to their heat.
Anassa’s tail is draped over my legs. Her slow breaths ground me, but I can’t find my own. Still perched against Anassa, I turn my head.
Stark is already awake and watching me.
His expression is muted, but his eyes are slightly too wide where they’re shadowed by his brow. He isn’t calm.
I lift my arm and reach for him. His body snaps into motion, and he’s up and striding across the camp with his hands in fists.
It was… it wasawful. It hurt. It still hurts. The wound on my lip didn’t follow me back, but I swear it still stings.
I can barely breathe.
Stark kneels in front of me and lets me sink my fingers into his hair and pull. He bows his head as I bring it close.
A single instant of touching him brings me back into myself. His hand comes up and closes around my wrist tightly. He’s asking if I’m all right.
“What I said to him. I wouldn’t—I…” I can’t believe I said what I did. “You… I’d never—”
“Shh.” It’s so soothing. “I know.”
