His lips brushed across hers as a hungry need tore through his gut. Cock hardening, he pulled her closer and relished in the feel of her soft curves against him. He wanted her. Right here and now. Unfortunately, it was not the time, and it certainly wasn’t the place. There would be scouts on the nearest outpost perch above the sea. They would be watching this.
Groaning, he pulled back and gazed down into her beautiful face. A slight smile curved her luscious lips. “I certainly didn’t expect that to happen.”
“Why not?” he asked roughly, pressing his forehead against hers. “I made it clear how I feel about you. Me leaving didn’t change that. If anything, it made it stronger. Not seeing you, if only for a few days…you were all I could think about, Bree.”
She closed her eyes, leaning into him. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again.”
“I never would have let that happen.” He paused for a moment. “How will Rafferty feel about this?”
“Rafferty does not mind.” She pulled back and smiled.
“And Taveon?” Eurig knew how his old friend felt about Bree, even if he’d kept it quiet. There was no denying the way he looked at the girl. And he did not think he would be so open-minded as easygoing Rafe.
Bree stiffened and pulled back. “Taveon is too busy being angry at me to care. He doesn’t want to believe the demons are a real threat, and he hates that I brought Norah and her army into Underworld. Truth be told, I’m not sure he’ll ever look at me the same again.”
A beat passed as Eurig weighed her words. “And yet you still came to me for help.”
Bree arched a brow. “Wouldn’t you have? The worlds are in danger, Eurig.”
He nodded. Eurig understood all too well. Time and time again, he’d put the good of the people, and this world, above his own damn needs. Above his own happiness. He just hated that Bree was put in the position to sacrifice her heart, though he would do his damnedest to make her happy.
In the distance, lightning split through the sky. A terrible boom shook the ground only a few seconds behind it, rattling Eurig’s bones. Eyes wide, Bree clutched his hand and gazed at the dark horizon.
“A storm?” she asked in a whisper.
“Not a storm,” Eurig said grimly. “I think it’s something far worse than that.”
6
TAVEON
Taveon stood in the North Tower, gazing across the realm as thunder and lightning whipped through the ever-present gloom of Underworld. Rafe stood beside him, hands clutching the stone wall. Bree had gone missing,again. And Taveon could not help but fear that this storm had something to do with her.
“This isn’t normal,” Rafe murmured. He turned to gaze in the direction of the Faerie Ring where Norah camped with her army. The vague flicker of firelight was the only indication they were there. Luckily, the rest of the court hadn’t discovered the light fae’s presence in Underworld. Yet.
It was only a matter of time.
“It’s a storm and nothing more.” Taveon pushed away from the wall and strode toward the stairwell leading back down into the castle. Rafferty followed close behind.
“I think it’s time you accept what’s happening, Taveon.” Rafe’s words were more blunt than they usually were, and his voice was as pointed as the sharp end of a blade. “That isn’t a normal storm, and you know it. Something is happening. And I’m fairly sure we both understand exactly what it is. Bree said that—”
Taveon stiffened and whirled toward his old friend with a growl. “Do not speak of it.”
Rafe frowned, but his eyes softened into something that was too close to pity for Taveon’s liking. He did not want anyone to feel sorry for him. Not even about this. “Taveon. Come now. Ignoring it won’t make it go away.”
He closed his eyes, pulling a deep breath of soothing cool air into his lungs. Ever since Bree had spoken those words aloud, he’d felt as though he teetered on the edge of a very tall cliff. The wind swirled around him, pulling at his hair, pushing at his limbs, desperately trying to knock him down into the depths of a chasm he could never escape.
Demons from the Realm of the Dead. Coming for him.
He didn’t want to believe it. All these years, he’d fought so hard for the fae, distancing himself from that part of him. He didn’t want any part of it, and his father—his true father—had never ventured from the beyond to challenge that. Taveon had begun to believe he’d never have to face him. But deep down, he’d been bracing himself for the day he returned to Underworld. There’d been a reason he’d come here in the first place, and it had not been to find love. He’d wanted a dark fae heir. And now that Taveon held the throne…
It made more sense than Taveon wanted to admit.
He ground his teeth and turned back to Rafe. “What do we do?”
Rafe exhaled, relief clearly etched into his face. “We explain to the court what’s happening, and we join our forces with Norah’s. It’s the only way this realm survives, Taveon.”
Taveon bit the insides of his cheeks. Surely there had to be another way. The court would never accept the light fae army in their lands. Centuries of hatred and distrust ran between them. That, combined with the death of his father…it was a recipe for disaster.
