wandered toward the edge of the woods, their Light illuminating the way.
“I don’t want this, Lila, don’t you get that? I’m a king. This last year, I’ve been drowning in protocol, trying to make changes without a complete revolution on my hands. I’ve been challenged for the throne more than twenty times. Either I produce an heir to secure my place so I can help you reunite us, or I die.” He groaned and put his palms over his eyes. “What would you have me do?”
“Hell.” I didn’t want to understand. I wanted to hold onto my fury because it would be better than the pain chewing at my guts. “Step down. Come and be my consort in Dun Bray.”
Liam tilted his face toward the sky as a bitter laugh poured from his mouth. “Are you shitting me? I’m not allowed past the portal anymore, Lila. You think they’re going to accept me in your bed?”
“I’m the queen. They’ll do what I say.”
“Then you’ll suffer my woes soon enough.” Shaking his head, he turned and walked away.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I kept pace with him.
“We have to earn their trust, and that’s going to take time. Forcing this kind of shit on them will make them turn on us. I found that out the hard way when I shut down the dungeons in the Court castle and forbade the torture of anyone who doesn’t consent. A fae who could shift into a lion challenged me that night because he’s a fucking sadist and gets off on making others bleed. Damned near ripped my arms off.”
I stopped dead, curious. “What did you do with all of the fae who challenged you? Banish them?”
Liam hung his head. “Don’t ask the question if you don’t want the answer.”
Cold sickness crawled through my soul. “Geez, Liam! You’ve killed twenty of your own people?” I couldn’t look at him. Breath wheezing out of me, I ran past him, but he grabbed my arm.
My training with Nix kicked in. As Liam pulled me back to him, I used the motion to drop and kick him in the shin, pulling him down beside me. I jumped on his back. Grunting, I wrenched his arm behind him and twisted.
“What the fuck, Lila?”
I summoned my Light and forced my will into him. “Lie still.”
A moment of silence followed as he slowed his breathing. Laughter burst out of him, startling me. “Where did you learn how to do that? It’s kind of hot.”
“None of your damn business.” Too bad combat training wouldn’t help me with the Shadowborn.
Liam’s skin glowed dark blue as his energy surged. It didn’t take long before it traveled up my arms like a parade of ecstasy and bewildered me enough to break my concentration. He broke free of my Will and flipped me over. His soft lips sought mine as I tried to turn my head to evade him, but the throbbing need in my abdomen stole away my control. He kissed me hard and deep, moaning as he tangled his fingers into my hair and pressed his body down on mine. For the briefest moment, all was right with the world. My heart didn’t hurt. He was mine and I, his.
“We need to go.” Nix’s sharp tone broke the little world Liam and I had slipped into out of habit. Along with being wrong, our tryst was also dangerous. With a new predator on the loose, distractions would get us both killed.
“Hell’s fucking balls,” Liam said, his lips still hovering close to mine. “You need to train your dog to have better manners.”
I shoved him off me and leapt up. “He’s not a dog, and unlike you, his manners are just fine.”
The wrinkles at the corners of Nix’s eyes reflected his grin.
Liam stared at me with a haunted gaze. “No matter how close I get to you, you still seem a thousand miles away.” He gritted his teeth and slid his fingers into his hair. “This is unbearable.” As he walked toward the edge of the woods, he slammed his shoulder into Nix. My guard stumbled into a tree.
“Fuck you, half-breed.” Nix put a hand over his scraped forearm.
“This half-breed will kick your ass if you ever
“I don’t want this, Lila, don’t you get that? I’m a king. This last year, I’ve been drowning in protocol, trying to make changes without a complete revolution on my hands. I’ve been challenged for the throne more than twenty times. Either I produce an heir to secure my place so I can help you reunite us, or I die.” He groaned and put his palms over his eyes. “What would you have me do?”
“Hell.” I didn’t want to understand. I wanted to hold onto my fury because it would be better than the pain chewing at my guts. “Step down. Come and be my consort in Dun Bray.”
Liam tilted his face toward the sky as a bitter laugh poured from his mouth. “Are you shitting me? I’m not allowed past the portal anymore, Lila. You think they’re going to accept me in your bed?”
“I’m the queen. They’ll do what I say.”
“Then you’ll suffer my woes soon enough.” Shaking his head, he turned and walked away.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I kept pace with him.
“We have to earn their trust, and that’s going to take time. Forcing this kind of shit on them will make them turn on us. I found that out the hard way when I shut down the dungeons in the Court castle and forbade the torture of anyone who doesn’t consent. A fae who could shift into a lion challenged me that night because he’s a fucking sadist and gets off on making others bleed. Damned near ripped my arms off.”
I stopped dead, curious. “What did you do with all of the fae who challenged you? Banish them?”
Liam hung his head. “Don’t ask the question if you don’t want the answer.”
Cold sickness crawled through my soul. “Geez, Liam! You’ve killed twenty of your own people?” I couldn’t look at him. Breath wheezing out of me, I ran past him, but he grabbed my arm.
My training with Nix kicked in. As Liam pulled me back to him, I used the motion to drop and kick him in the shin, pulling him down beside me. I jumped on his back. Grunting, I wrenched his arm behind him and twisted.
“What the fuck, Lila?”
I summoned my Light and forced my will into him. “Lie still.”
A moment of silence followed as he slowed his breathing. Laughter burst out of him, startling me. “Where did you learn how to do that? It’s kind of hot.”
“None of your damn business.” Too bad combat training wouldn’t help me with the Shadowborn.
Liam’s skin glowed dark blue as his energy surged. It didn’t take long before it traveled up my arms like a parade of ecstasy and bewildered me enough to break my concentration. He broke free of my Will and flipped me over. His soft lips sought mine as I tried to turn my head to evade him, but the throbbing need in my abdomen stole away my control. He kissed me hard and deep, moaning as he tangled his fingers into my hair and pressed his body down on mine. For the briefest moment, all was right with the world. My heart didn’t hurt. He was mine and I, his.
“We need to go.” Nix’s sharp tone broke the little world Liam and I had slipped into out of habit. Along with being wrong, our tryst was also dangerous. With a new predator on the loose, distractions would get us both killed.
“Hell’s fucking balls,” Liam said, his lips still hovering close to mine. “You need to train your dog to have better manners.”
I shoved him off me and leapt up. “He’s not a dog, and unlike you, his manners are just fine.”
The wrinkles at the corners of Nix’s eyes reflected his grin.
Liam stared at me with a haunted gaze. “No matter how close I get to you, you still seem a thousand miles away.” He gritted his teeth and slid his fingers into his hair. “This is unbearable.” As he walked toward the edge of the woods, he slammed his shoulder into Nix. My guard stumbled into a tree.
“Fuck you, half-breed.” Nix put a hand over his scraped forearm.
“This half-breed will kick your ass if you ever
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