Page 143 of Seduce Me in Shadow

Shock is right. If I don’t return the Doomsday Diary, I might save Sydney, but Mathias could consign us all to hell two minutes later. If I genuinely want her safety and the chance to live happily ever after with her, I have to retrieve the book.

Shock sighs. “Of course you want to save the book. That shouldn’t have been a hard decision.”

“Get the hell out of my thoughts.”

“Look, you did a decent job getting this close, but once Mathias took your woman, he knew you’d come. Despite what you think, the others will, too. I’m going to restrain you and drag you to Sydney’s cell, to make it all look believable.”

The fuck you are. “Mathias seems like a natural ally for you, given your family’s allegiance and your sparkling personality. How do I know that I can trust you, mate thief?”

An acrimonious smile splits his mouth. “You don’t.”

Chapter

Sixty-Three

Irouse with a groan and open my eyes to a dank limestone floor. Then I realize I’m hanging upside down, a shoulder in my midsection. I groan when a throbbing rips through the peace in my head.

“Awake, are you?” Shock grumbles. “That was a quick recovery. Your magic is strong. I’ll have to keep my eye on you. Now, on your feet.”

With a grunt, he sets me down somewhere shadowed, underground. Prison-like.Shit.

“You’re not locking me up!”

Shock shoves me back. “Don’t be difficult, whelp. You wanted to see your woman, so I’m taking you to her. I’ll wait for the rest of the company.”

With a slash of his wrist, Shock opens the rusty cell door with a squeak. Sydney appears, looking no worse for the wear. She runs for the opening, but Shock holds up a palm, creating an invisible wall. I focus on destroying that wall. But Shock’s magic doesn’t bend.

There’s always marine-style brute force.

I punch Shock in the stomach. He grunts, doubling over.

Then I turn to grab Sydney’s hand, determined to escape. When my fingers close around hers, a sense of home and thankfulness curls around me. Warmth, relief, need.

Until I feel a boot in my backside.

I tumble into the cell, stumbling into Sydney. We topple over, landing in a heap of arms and legs on the cold floor.

With a screech, the cell door closes.

Scowling, Shock uses his magic to seal it. “Wait here. If your friends don’t appear, Mathias will send you back to Bram and the others with a message. Your woman…” Shock shrugs. “You should know, it doesn’t look good.”

Scrambling upright and racing to the bars, I scream at Shock’s retreating back, “You fucking backstabbing traitor! You don’t give a shit that people are dying and that Mathias will wipe out entire families.”

Slowly, Shock turns to glare at me over his leather-clad shoulder. “You don’t know a damn thing about me.”

Then he’s gone.

Failure settles over me, heavy and oppressive. How bloody stupid, believing I could rescue Sydney from the most powerful wizard in a millennium by myself?

“How did you get here?” she asks me.

I turn to her, taking in the sight of her—loose joggers, baggy T-shirt, and hair blazing like a wildfire around her shoulders. Her impact slams into me.

She’s mine. She’s the past I should have grabbed with both hands the moment I met her. She’s the future I’ll seize—if we find a way out alive. I’m not going to give that—or her—up for another second.

“I love you, Sydney.” Refusing to waste a second, I cradle her face in my hands and do something I’ve wanted to do forever.

I kiss her.

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