Page 95 of The Last Heir of Elsewhere

A smirk teased the edges of Ambrose’s lips, as he stepped closer to me, as if to say goodbye.

For the sake of our audience, I supposed, he leaned in, his lips brushing mine in a quick, chased kiss.

A jolt ran through my entire body.

It was an act, I reminded myself, a performance for the benefit of those who watched. Yet the warmth of his mouth against mine felt anything but feigned.

Without thinking, I reached up and pulled him back. My arms wound around his neck, my fingers finding the end of his long, silver braid. With my heartbeat thrumming fierce as a war drum in my chest, I tilted my head to deepen the kiss.

Following my lead, he opened his mouth, then he pressed his tongue against the seam of my lips, seeking entrance. I moaned, allowing him to explore the inside of my mouth with his tongue, igniting a fire within me. My teeth brushed against his bottom lip, and I bit down, hard. The taste of him was like honey, intoxicating and addicting.

“We must go!” King Gancanagh’s angry voice broke through the haze in my mind. “Leave your pet or bring her with us, but don’t waste our time.”

We broke apart, and Ambrose blinked at me, seeming a bit dazed before he reached up and brushed blood off his lip with the pad of his thumb.

“Ambrose!” the king screamed. “Let’s fucking go.”

Ambrose craned his neck to call over his shoulder. “I’m coming. Go on without me, if you must.”

The king yelled back something unintelligible, and I just stood there, my head spinning.

“I need to go,” Ambrose said under his breath. “If anything goes wrong, or if you…need to leave before we get back, I’ll meet you at the ship.”

I nodded sharply. “Alright.”

“Stay safe, love,” he said loudly for the audience we had amassed. Then, softly so only I could hear, he added, “I couldn’t bear it if anything were to happen to you.”

With a final look that seared into my memory like a brand, Ambrose turned and strode toward the waiting hunters. I watched him go, and it was only because I did that I saw the moment that the majority of the group shifted into…something else.

Where before, there had been some two-dozen men, I was now looking at a motley collection of creatures. Wolves, bears, monsters too unusual to name…

Then, a tremendous roar rattled through the canyon, and my eyes landed on a tremendous mountain lion. The gigantic cat turned to look at me, and its familiar yellow eyes flashed with rage.

38

LONNIE

UNDERNEATH

Irushed back up to the castle, my heart beating so hard I thought it might burst from my chest.

I was supposed to have several hours on my own in which to search for the dungeon, but something about the look in the king’s eyes when he left made me feel as if I needed to hurry.

Bursting back into the castle, I immediately went to look for a staircase that might take me down to the lower levels. I doubted the dungeon would be on the higher floors, so there were only so many places to search. This would be easy…or so I thought.

After an hour of roaming the halls, I was forced to concede that it was not, in fact, easy.

My determination had long since turned to frustration, and I began to suspect that the enchantment on the obsidian palace—which made it so those who were not meant to be there might find themselves lost—had also been cast upon this castle.

Still, I could not give up. Bael needed me. Scion, and my mother needed me. I wouldn’t stop.

I combed through each room, every hallway, and corridor.

The longer I searched, the dim light played tricks on my vision. The opulent rooms stretched out before me endlessly, a dizzying display of luxury that overwhelmed my senses. I began to feel as if I were being watched, but every time I turned, nothing looked back at me but shadows.

Finally, I descended a long stone staircase into yet another gleaming corridor. All the while, the sense of something watching grew stronger, a palpable pressure against the nape of my neck.

At the base of the stairs, I reeled back and gasped.

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