Page 13 of Heart of the Fae King

For a moment, neither of us moved, our bodies collecting our mutual composure until he finally slid out of me, releasing meto stand. We untangled ourselves from one another, Nyx again stopping me from falling against the slippery stone-tile with my shaking legs in the aftermath of our lovemaking.

Sitting me down on the bench, he used the shampoo dispenser and lathered my hair in slow, even strokes, rubbing my head to maintain the heady sensation that had already overcome me. I remained floating in the shower, long after I’d climaxed multiple times.

“Tell me about the labs,” I said, breaking the comfortable silence. Until I’d spoken, only the splish-splash of water had filled the bathroom.

Nyx’s hands froze, but only for half a second before he regained his composure.

“We don’t need to talk about that now,” he replied.

I reached up and grabbed his wrist, stopping him again, my eyes boring into him. “If I’m going to live here with you, Nyx, I want some level of transparency between us. I know I’m not privy to kingdom affairs, but surely you can tell me about the labs. You brought it up yourself.”

He grimaced and sat behind me, his palms falling to my shoulders instead of my hair. Gently, he began to massage my shoulders.

“The castle has a lab in the basement,” he explained. “It’s used by Odette and the healers for potions and tests.”

For half a second, I was perplexed, but then it immediately hit me.

“Oh… the food,” I realized, pulling myself all the way back to look at him. “Did you test it? Is that what you were doing while you were gone?”

“I’d really rather talk about this when you’re more settled in.”

Suddenly, the euphoric feeling that had been chasing me flew out of the shower, leaving me in a place of nerves and worry.Obviously, Nyx had discovered something, or he wouldn’t be so secretive.

I grunted. “How can I be settled when there are guards everywhere?” I demanded. “And I have no idea what’s going on or where you’re going. Nyx, I can’t be in the dark. I have to know what you know, or there’s really no sense in me being here. I’m not a glass doll. I won’t break into a million pieces if you tell me.”

His strong hand cupped my face, and he nodded. “You’re right. I’m just trying to protect you.”

“Youareprotecting me,” I reminded him. “I’m in the castle. I’m safe here… aren’t I?”

Concern consumed me as I caught sight of the glimmer of uncertainty in his eyes, but when he spoke, his tone was firm. “Yes. You are safe here as long as you abide by what I’m telling you. Keep the guards with you—even if it’s annoying.”

“Did you run tests on the food?” I pressed, noting that he’d deliberately avoided my question. I wasn’t going to let him dance around it.

“Yes.”

“And?” I pushed. “Nyx…”

“There was ebonleaf in it,” he confessed, realizing that I wasn’t going to let it go.

I inhaled sharply, recoiling. “What? How?”

He shook his head. “I’m trying to figure that out myself, but I assume it was put in during the fire. Anyone could have gained access to your apartment.”

“A warlock?” I mumbled. “Aren’t they who grow ebonleaf?

“I don’t know where it came from, but I will find out. Odette is tracking down the source of it, to determine what part of the world it came from. That will give us some idea of where to start looking. I have guards tearing the city apart looking for any hint of the stuff.” His gleaming, golden eyes shadowed. “Nothing will happen to you again.”

I exhaled, a knot forming in my gut as I posed my next question. “I guess this means I can’t go back to work.”

He gave me a vaguely surprised look. “Work? What for?”

My brow furrowed. “Because I like working. My friends are there. It’s how I make a living.”

He nodded quickly but pursed his lips. “You don’t need to worry about money anymore.”

“It’s not just about the money, Nyx,” I sighed, wishing he could understand how much my independence meant to me.

He offered me a pitying look, and I had my answer. “I don’t like the idea of you being a sitting target. And I can’t be there with you during rehearsals and every show. I think it’s best if you stay here. For now.”

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