Page 25 of A Deal with the Shadow King

My brows pull together. Something’s not right.

I jump to my feet and search the gardens. “What’s happening?”

Two marches out of the building and grips the railing, staring out at the Hawthorn. The broken glass shards on his mask gleam in the moonlight. Three runs out of the gym one story below and looks up at his brothers, his iridescent mask all black.

It’s the first time I’ve seen the three of them together in one place, and the pulse of their combined power is palpable. It ripples through the air, and goosebumps brand my flesh from the top of my head to the very tip of my toes.

The delicate chime thickens still, and clouds drape the entire balcony in shadows. A slender white silhouette moves in the dark, quick and tall, and a quiet but unmistakable laugh pierces the night. Not the kind of laugh you share with friends, but a laugh that ices the soul.

Two’s gaze darts in One’s direction. “He got out.”

Darkness pulses around One’s body at the news, my companion now seemingly inches taller than he was before. Both men look intently at each other like they’re having a silent conversation, and without another word, Two jumps over the railing.

One grips my wrist and hauls me toward the wall of mirrors at the back of the balcony. “Come. I’m taking you home.”

My body obeys of its own volition, quite literally bewitched by his command. Once we reach the glass, One yanks my hood over my eyes and whisks me up in his arms, his strong grip not giving me an inch to spare. “Hang on tight, kitten.”

The hard planes of his torso are even more unnerving than they were the first time he spirited me out of Demeter, but it’s the obvious fear in his voice that terrifies me.

The sting of the frosty glass chafes my skin, and sweat gathers on my palms as we pierce the veil between worlds.

When One had fetched me from the royal summer house, he’d guided me through a rusty dungeon, so I’m surprised to find a polished, golden-trimmed mirror in the middle of a well-kept room on the other side of the sceawere today.

He sets me down, and my own will drips back into place.

I shake out the leftover tingles in my arms and legs. “Where are we? What just happened?” I ask.

The force of his magic is a huge wake-up call. Every inch of me could be under his command at any time, if he so desired…

One straightens his sleeves and jacket. “We’re in Lundan. Beneath your father’s castle.” He thoroughly ignores the other half of my question, and I squint at him, torn between the urge to ask again and the certainty that he won’t answer.

“Father would never keep a mirror here,” I say instead.

A sarcastic snort pops out of his mouth. “Believe me, he would.”

“But it’s only been twelve days. Isn’t it supposed to be two weeks out of four?”

“This arrangement is fluid, kitten. The king is the ultimate judge of the schedule.”

I cross my arms over my chest and dig the balls of my feet into the ground. “I thought you didn’t know the specifics of the bet.”

“I know the basics,” he snaps back.

Our chests rise and fall as we stare at each other, and I wish I had a mask to cover my emotions, too. “Who’s out? What do you fear so much? Is it a nightmare?”

He growls in response and escorts me to the small interior courtyard with his lips curled down.

The gloom of midnight rain hangs in the air, the secluded garden morose in autumn compared to the luscious, colorful vegetation of the countryside—and downright ridiculous compared to the beauty of Faerie.

The summer house is much more cozy and fun. The Lundan castle is just not the same. I glance down at my black pants, knowing no one, especially Father, should see me in them. It’s the middle of the night, and everyone but the guards are asleep. I should be able to slip past them no problem, my magic more powerful than it was before I left.

“Be safe, kitten.” One angles his chin to my bedroom window, and I follow his gaze.

“Wait… How do you know which room is mine? Have you been here before?”

“Yes,” he declares confidently.

I cross my arms over my chest. “When?”

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