Total pages in book: 220
Estimated words: 205637 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1028(@200wpm)___ 823(@250wpm)___ 685(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 205637 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1028(@200wpm)___ 823(@250wpm)___ 685(@300wpm)
“Hey,” he said softly. It was like he neither knew nor cared that guests stood at my back. He ran his knuckles down my cheek before leaning in to kiss me softly. “You good?”
“Calia…” I half turned and motioned to her. He didn’t follow my movements with his eyes, still giving me his undivided attention. “Knows you. From…before.”
Realization flowered through the bond. He’d put two and two together.
He shook his head slowly. “There is no before you. There is no after. There is only you. Always.”
I let out a slow breath and stepped closer, running a hand up his chest. The heat of his body seeped through my palm and invigorated me. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the last traces of anxiety and anger drain away. When I was back to myself, I fluttered my eyes open and stepped to his side.
He dropped his big arm around me and hooked his hand around my hip. He finally tore his eyes away.
I pointed at Govam. “This demon is the leader of the group that helped us get out of the dungeons. Dolion doesn’t treat his guards well. They want to overthrow him.”
Nyfain stepped forward and put out his hand. Govam shook.
“Thank you for helping her get out,” Nyfain said in a menacing growl. “I look forward to hearing more about your role and why I shouldn’t kill you.”
The faeries shifted and looked at each other with wide eyes as the wolves rolled back their shoulders and puffed out their chests in approval. I felt my eyebrows drift up and my mouth go slack. Before I could decide if I needed to do damage control, Govam replied, “Then I will make sure I am very convincing.”
He stepped back as Nyfain saw Sonassa in the very back of the group of demons.
“If you use your magic in this castle,” Nyfain told her, his teeth bared, “I will make an example of you. My mate has brought you here, and so I will honor her wishes and keep you safe…until you use your magic on one of my people. Then I will kill you gruesomely. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sire,” she said in a tight voice before dropping into a low bow.
“Govam is very good at staying alive,” I told Nyfain. “He can read dragons really well.”
“If he steps out of line, his ability to read my rage won’t save him from me,” Nyfain responded.
“I have no doubt,” Govam replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
Well, this was going swimmingly.
I held out my hand to indicate Calia, still standing with her crew of faeries. They’d drifted backward a few steps, no doubt alarmed by Nyfain’s handling of the demons.
“As I said before, she knows you—”
“Forgive me, I know of you.” Calia blushed. “I know of your magic. We’ve never met.”
“Speaking of,” I said before she could go on, “she has a special magic that allows her to essentially pick apart the magic of others. She’s the one who got us past the magical wall surrounding the kingdom. She also dispelled the suppression magic used on the other prisoners. I wondered…” I met her indigo eyes. “Can you see if he still has any demon magic within him? His scales haven’t fully healed, and I wondered if maybe that is why…”
Her eyes flicked from me to him. “Yes, of course, but…I might have to touch him.”
“It’s fine. I’m good. It was just with—” A flash of rage kept me from mentioning that other woman, or her court, or their plans.
Nyfain ran his comforting touch along my back, easing my anger.
“And that is Ehno,” I said, wiping my face of the sudden perspiration again. “He’s one of Weston’s pack members. I didn’t get the others’ names.”
“I’m Weston’s beta,” Ehno said, nodding at Nyfain. “The alpha was detained, looking after his wolves. I assisted Finley, giving her the lead of the hunt.”
Nyfain tensed, gripping my hip a little more tightly. Shock bled through the bond, but he didn’t show it on his face. He offered Ehno a curt nod. “She doesn’t understand what that means. Because of the curse, she didn’t grow up as a shifter. This is all new to her. But I know.”
“Of course.” Ehno returned the curt nod with a little crease forming between his dark brows, giving me a glance. He clearly didn’t know my backstory. Or any of our backstories, maybe.
“Thanks for your help,” I told him, and then nodded to the others. “You can head out now, I think.”
The shifters peeled away, moving back the way they’d come. They were probably going to find Weston and get their accommodations.
“Hadriel,” Nyfain barked without turning, expecting Hadriel to come running, no doubt. While he waited, he said to Calia, “And how do you feel about working alongside demons?”
She spared them a long look. “It sounds like it is a means to an end, but I will not lie—I do not like the idea of being their keeper.”