Page 50 of Crownless King

When Voron still hadn’t returned, I climbed under the covers and closed my eyes. My throat hurt. I’d probably have bruises tomorrow from the rough grip of the stranger trying to kill me. Chills ran down my back. I rubbed my neck, trying to chase away the memory of the ruthless fingers crushing my windpipe.

I didn’t think I would sleep that night, but the exhaustion of the travels took its toll. Eventually, I drifted asleep. The dip of the mattress from someone climbing into the bed with me woke me with a start.

“Who’s here?” I jumped up, wide awake.

“Shhh. It’s me.” Voron wrapped an arm around me from behind, settling me back under the covers.

“Oh.” I relaxed with my back pressed to his hard, warm chest. “What time is it?”

“Late. So late, it’s almost early again. How are you? Alcon said you were attacked? Did you see who it was?”

“I didn’t see his face.” I rubbed my eyes, trying to think through the lingering fog of sleep. “It was a man. That’s all I know. Maybe he just was after the book?”

“Maybe.” He didn’t sound convinced. “I’ll get to the bottom of it and will serve the attacker’s fucking head to you on a silver platter, even if it’s the last thing I do.”

I snorted a laugh. “The last thing I need is a dead head on a plate.” His outrage was genuine. But it masked fear in his voice. The fear for me. “I promise to be more careful next time. I’ll try not to walk anywhere on my own.”

He nodded. “From now on, Alcon will go everywhere with you when I’m not around. For your protection.”

How often would it happen, I wondered, that Voron wouldn’t be around. The more I thought about him as the king, the harder it was to envision myself at his side.

“How was your night?” I asked, unsure if I even wanted to hear the answer.

He kissed my shoulder. “Good. Very productive.”

Lady Lark’s name was on the very tip of my tongue, but I didn’t want to say it out loud.

“They didn’t let me into the drawing room,” I said instead.

“Mm-hmm,” he hummed against my skin, kissing along my shoulder toward my neck. “It was best for you to stay away this time. Especially now when they’re sending assassins after you. But I will make sure you’re never alone.”

He slid his hand into the neckline of my nightshirt, quickly finding my breast. His erection, already hard like a rock, pressed to my behind.

“Voron.” I gently but firmly retrieved his hand from my nightshirt. “I’m really tired. Can we just sleep, please?”

He stilled. This was the only time since the day he’d first touched me that I refused him.

Was he shocked? Hurt? Angry?

Probably all of that, to some degree. But he didn’t show it.

“Sure. Let’s sleep. Good night.” He sounded perfectly composed, so freakishly good at hiding his emotions, even from me.

I didn’t intend to hurt him. This wasn’t some misplaced revenge on my part. But something inside me had fractured, at least for tonight. I couldn’t simply get lost in his touch like I had so easily done before.

With a sigh, I closed my eyes, wishing he would still hold me. But he didn’t. Rolling to the other side of the bed, he left me alone.

ChapterFourteen

SPARROW

The Sky Palace looked very different to me this time.

The crystals shone brighter than before. The sky-touching height of it was as impressive as ever. But there was a sinister energy in that building to me now. The last time I left here, I had barely escaped with my life. And here I was, coming back to this cursed place, hoping that this time, it’d be different.

Swarms of royal guards flying around the palace in protective formations brought a wasps’ nest to mind, which only intensified the heavy feeling inside me. Flocks of Voron’s men and allies surrounded the palace. He rode ahead. At a full gallop on horseback, he was able to keep up with his men who flew.

Soon, I lost him from sight. The shimmering crystal walls seemed to swallow him. My carriage dragged along the road way too slow.

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