Page 113 of Somber Prince

“Even at the expense of people’s lives?”

“At the expense of everything, their own lives included.”

“Well, fuck them then.” I slammed my fist on the doors one last time. “Fuck you and your Joy!”

I helped Rha down to the ground, then rushed to close the door outside. The wind pushed against it, thwarting my efforts. I kicked the sand aside to give the door space to move, then shoved against it, harder. Digging my heels into the floor, I pushed with all the strength I had, and it finally budged. Scraping the sand against the floor, the door screeched closed. There was no lock on it from the inside, maybe because this room was intended to serve as a shelter from the storm, even as the Joy Guardians wouldn’t let anyone inside the main building.

There could be more people, both humans and fae, needing to get away from the storm. Not all of them might be friendly to us. Pulling the dagger out from behind my belt, I laid it ready on the floor before sitting down next to Rha.

He slid sideways with his back against the wall. I helped him down, and he lay on his side, resting his head on my lap.

I removed the top layer of his garment from his head and brushed his hair down. My hand came back smeared with blood. Rich burgundy in color, it was considerably darker than human blood, but just as terrifying for me to see.

The wad of fabric had gotten lost somewhere, so I cut off a new one, then pressed it to his wound again. I ran the fingers of my free hand through his hair, stroking his head. Hopefully, the movement was soothing for him, because it sure helped to settle my nerves somewhat and regulate my breathing.

His tendrils appeared. Their ends slipped up my arms. Their familiar caress skittered with shivers along my skin.

“Are you sure you want to know how I’m feeling, Rha?”

“Always.” He paused the tendrils over the ribbons of the harness around my arms. “May I?”

I shrugged. What difference did it make at this point?

“Go ahead.”

He connected the tendrils. A familiar rush ran through my senses at the contact.

“You didn’t leave,” he whispered.

Reverence sounded in his voice, as if he still couldn’t believe it. Just like I was still wrapping my mind around it all.

“What were you thinking?” I chastised, shaking my head. “You could’ve died. I mean you’re not out of the woods yet.”

“I’ll tell you what I was thinking, my sweet, and what I was feeling too. When I found you gone, I felt like my chest was ripped open and my heart was torn to pieces, leaving a bleeding, gaping hole that would never heal unless I got you back. But when I saw you on that hill out there. I knew that the only thing that mattered, the only thing I wished for, was for you to be happy. And if giving you what you wanted meant for my heart to remain crushed and bleeding for the rest of my life, so it was going to be.”

My heart pinched, as if it was bleeding along with his.

“You were ready to die to give me what I wanted?”

“Yes.” There was not a shadow of a doubt in his voice. “And that’s how I knew that I love you.”

“You… What?” My next breath stuck in my throat.

“I love you, Dawn. No shadow fae wants to fall in love, but no one can prevent it from happening, either. It happened to me. I love you, and I’d rather suffer without you than keep you by my side against your will. But you’re not here against your will, now, my treasure.” A smile lit up his face the way it only ever did when we were connected like this. “You’re here because you love me too.”

“I do?” I choked the words out.

“Yes, my sweet, precious Dawn.” He lifted a hand to touch my face, but only brushed my cheek with the tips of his fingers before dropping it back to his side. “You had the chance to leave, but you came back to me.”

I could just tell him that I didn’t want him to die. I didn’t want to see anyone die. But I knew why I ran down that hill. I needed Rha in my life more than anyone or anything I’d ever needed before.

“You love me, Dawn,” he repeated with that annoying confidence of his. “And I’ll wait for as long as it takes for you to admit it.”

“Oh, shut up.” I cradled his head in my arms and kissed his cheek. “Just shut up, Your Highness, and use that mighty fae magic of yours to heal as fast as you can.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

DAWN

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