Page 84 of Hallowed Games

The firelight washed over his perfect features, and he closed the door quietly behind him. My throat tightened.

His gaze swept down my body, lingering at my breasts, then brushing down over my bare thighs. “What on earth are you doing?”

“I spilled water on my clothes.”

My gaze tracked every one of his movements as he slid his key into a pocket inside his cloak, just on the left side.

“What’s wrong?” he said. “I told you it’s dangerous for me to be near you. Why did you call me here?”

“We’re out of time. The Pater says that he’s going to burn us all in the morning.”

If I told Maelor my plan, he’d tell me to hide underground. He’d tell me to let the others burn while I saved only myself.

It wasn’t good enough anymore.

I walked closer to him and touched the side of his face. Already, my heart was racing. Really, it wasn’t hard to seduce someone you already wanted. “I couldn’t stop thinking of you while I was locked in here.”

It wasn’t a lie.

He covered my hand with his, then pulled my palm before his face. His gaze narrowed on the tiny drop of blood on my fingertip, and he licked it. He sucked my finger into his mouth, eyes closing as his tongue moved against it.

He released my finger, piercing me with a heated gaze. “Elowen.” His voice had gone deep and husky. “I can’t stop thinking—”

I tilted back my head and pulled his face down closer to mine. I brushed my lips against his. He let out an agonized sigh, and his eyes went fully dark. His hand slid up behind me, and he cupped my head. Then he whirled me around, pressing my back against the wall. He claimed my mouth with his, kissing me deeply. As he gripped my hair, one of his knees slid between my thighs.

I rolled my hips, moaning into his mouth. My fingers slipped into his cloak pocket and wrapped around his keys. As I kissed him back, I gripped the metal and tucked them into the sleeve of my cloak.

Maelor pulled away from the kiss, his eyes searching mine. The bittersweet loss of his touch pierced me. Would I ever kiss those beautiful lips again?

A pained expression etched his perfect face, and he pressed his hands against the wall behind me. A lock of his dark hair fell before his shadow-stained eyes. His control was slipping again. He looked like he wanted to fuck me hard against the wall right now.

“Need to get out of here,” he whispered.

“I need to go with you.” Nerves fluttered through my chest. “What if we try to get everyone out? I can’t leave them all behind.”

“Absolutely not. It’s not possible, and you’ll just end up risking your own life. I told you when you first got here, you can’t have emotional ties. You’re alone here.”

My throat tightened. “Apart from you.”

“I’m trying to get you back to Leo, which would practically be a miracle at this point.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What if I tried to save them anyway?”

“I’m afraid I would stop you, darling.” A muscle flickered in his jaw. “I’m going to hide you.”

It was exactly as I’d thought.

He flashed his fangs, licking one of them. “And after I get you to safety, I must keep my distance, Elowen. The number of people I’ve killed in the past few days…” He trailed off, scrubbing a hand over his mouth.

I knelt down and picked up the damp trousers from the hearth. I slipped into them, ignoring how cold they felt against my skin.

I pulled on my boots. The moment I was fully dressed, I said, “Let’s go. Are the halls well patrolled right now?”

He reached for the door handle. “Not many people. A few Luminari, but almost all of them are outside, looking for me.” He turned back. “I can’t carry you this time. Being close to you right now is not a good idea.” His Lirion accent rolled through his words. “Just try to move as quickly as you can, and I will guide you to safety.”

I nodded. He opened the door and looked in both directions.

My heart slammed wildly as I followed after him, a thrill charging my body. In the hall, I turned to him, gasping. I opened my eyes wide and pressed my palm against his chest. “The note,” I said. “I didn’t want to burn it because it was all I had from you. But I left it in there.”

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