Page 181 of Prince of Darkness and Deceit

The grisly, vulgar words churn my stomach. I reach for Ferria. Her hand is limp, clammy. A glance reveals her pale face and the horrified look in her eyes.

Jaxon clears his throat again. “Rian… You have an audience.”

The darkness stutters. Rian stiffens then tilts his head, silver eyes burning as they land on me.

Shadows skim his face, masking him for a heartbeat before slipping away, leaving a grim frown behind.

“How did you get in here?” His gaze pins me in place, as if he already knows it was me who breached his wall.

“Um, well…you see…” Jaxon rubs the back of his neck.

“What are you doing here?” Lev’s voice breaks.

The sound jolts me. I look at him, and my lungs seize. His eyes rake over me, disbelief and concern colliding with fear. Searching for wounds that aren’t there. Wounds my power erased.

“Don’t you dare speak to her,” Ferria snaps, stepping forward, body angled in front of mine. “Not after what you did.”

The air ripples. Shadows press tighter to Rian’s skin before going unnaturally still.

“What”—his head turns slowly. His eyes lock on Lev—“is she talking about?”

Ferria freezes, realizing too late what she’s revealed.

My heartbeat skitters into my throat.

Lev’s jaw works, teeth grinding. He ignores Rian. His focus rests solely on me. “You’re supposed to be safe in the cell. You should have stayed where I left you.”

Safe?

I bite the inside of my cheek to hold back my scream. I wasn’t safe in that cell. Not for a single second.

Rian’s whisper slithers on his shadows, reaching every ear. “You locked Elara in a cell?”

Lev’s face drains of color. “I did it to keep her from you.”

Is that true? Or is he just trying to save his own skin?

Rian’s chuckle is dark and dangerous. “Ah. So you were jealous.”

Lev’s cheeks redden. “Go fuck yourself.”

“Come now,” Rian murmurs, “both you and I know I won’t need to do that.”

His eyes flick toward me, the implication clear.

Heat prickles down my neck.

Jaxon’s sharp tone slices through the tension. “As fun as it is to listen to you two fight over whose dick is bigger, can we hurry this along? Some of us would like to learn who betrayed us so we can thank them properly with a beheading.”

Ferria and I gasp, but Jaxon doesn’t show a hint of remorse for his morbid words.

The muscle in Lev’s jaw tics. “I already told you. I don’t know.”

“Liar.” Rian’s snarl rips the air.

Shadows whip from his body, ensnaring Lev’s throat.

His head jerks back, forced to meet Rian’s molten stare.