Page 135 of Prince of Darkness and Deceit

The shadows’ featherlight touch grazes my arms, my waist, my hips. The soft caresses ignite a storm in my soul, a knot of heat and uncertainty that makes it impossible to breathe steadily.

Boisterous children dart past us, their faces and hands sticky with sugar, grins wide. Tankards slosh in careless hands, mead spilling as neighbors stumble by, their laughter tangling in the crisp night air.

I wish I could enjoy the celebration. I wish I could forget all the reasons I have to be afraid. But as I walk beside Rian and think of all I’ve learned in the short time I’ve known him, it’s as clear as the cloudless night sky that I cannot.

I glance at our joined hands. Mine looks small curled inside his strong palm. His pulse thrums between our laced fingers, the steady beat much slower than mine as he leads me through Verdanthia as if he’s walked these roads before.

There’s no sign of the pain that once assailed me when I brushed against his skin. Only quiet anticipation of what’s to come…what he plans to tell me.

My magic warms my veins, flowing down my arms and settling into my palms. My power has always been a part of me, but I feel it growing stronger every day. There will come a time when I will not be able to hide it from my neighbors, a time when I will need to make a decision about what to do. Where to go.

And though the idea of leaving the only home I’ve ever known frightens me, the notion of seeing the rest of the world is also…thrilling.

A moan drifts from a nearby alley, sultry and unashamed.

Heat sears my cheeks. Unbidden, an image sparks. Me and Rian, pressed into the shadows, hidden from the world, doing everything I’ve told myself I shouldn’t want since the day he pinned me to the cot in his tent.

“Mother, save me, Elara,” Rian groans. “Temper your thoughts.”

I jolt and tug my hand, but his grip holds fast.

“What—”

“Your scent.” His exhale is sharp, uneven. His nostrils flare. “Your…arousal.”

The last word rumbles out of him, slamming into me with a wave of desire that overpowers my mortification.

Gods.

I would rather streak naked through the market square than endure this.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” My voice is thin, my denial weak.

I try to tug away again, but he doesn’t release me.

Another growl. “Liar.”

In a flash, Rian drags me flush against the hard line of his torso. Then he twists us into an alley exactly like the one I just imagined.

My pulse hammers against my neck. Silver flares in his eyes, searing through the dark, carving every sharp line of his handsome face into something both beautiful and terrifying.

“There is only so much a male can endure, Elara.”

Heat burns me from the inside out.

“Sideways glances and the feel of your skin are difficult enough. But scenting your desire is a trial even the strongest male cannot bear.”

My stomach clenches, and I drop my gaze. “I-I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” His voice roughens with hunger.

A shadow slides around my neck, featherlight.

His mouth lowers until his lips graze the same spot as he adds, “Mother knows I’ve dreamed of this moment.”

I tremble. “You have?”

His lips curl against my skin. “Every night.”