Page 117 of Blooms of Darkness

Kade’s jaw clenched, his shadows rushing out of him and darkening the room. His eyes shifted from the alluring grey, to black, as I’d witnessed a handful of times before.

“He’d take me to the dungeons, this horrible corner dripping with water, as though no one cared that this part of our castle decayed beneath us. Sometimes he’d hit me. Leave me hungry for days. Sometimes…” I swallowed the lump in my throat. My eyes grew misty, but even if I spilled tears, I’d continue on. “Ian told his father, but before he could do anything, his father died suddenly. We both think it was Andras.

“Once his father passed, he’d bring Ian down and hurt him in front of me. Other times, he made me believe Ian was dead because of me. He sent me visions and made me believe what I was seeing was real when it wasn’t. I lost myself so many times.”

Kade reached for me, but I pulled away. His touch would stop me from talking. I needed to finish.

I’d never bared my soul like this. To tell of the torture Andras had inflicted upon me, and Ian. The years of pain and anguish we were forced to endure. I could feel the anger radiating fromKade’s body as his shadows collided and smashed into each other around us. Tears began to drip down my face.

“One night, he made me believe Ian was burning alive. I could hear Ian shouting, trying to reach me to tell me it wasn’t real, but I couldn’t hold onto it. When I fought back, Andras took this dagger, which had something around it and stabbed into my side. He lost control of himself, and when he came to, he left us there, free to go. Ian carried me to Elisabeth, and she helped us. He never took me again. He’s made my life a living hell but has not physically tortured me since that night.”

My lip quivered but I finally let out a long breath. Kade held my gaze, blackness in his eyes and all. He shifted, moving slowly, stretching out his hand. This time, I let him touch me, and as soon as I didn’t fight it, he grabbed me, pulling me toward him into a hug.

A long hug. I sobbed against his chest as he stroked my hair, not rushing me or asking anything while I mourned what happened all over again. His heartbeat steadied, and eventually, its rhythm allowed me to breathe again. It allowed me to compose myself once more, sitting up slightly and wiping away the last of my tears.

Kade’s eyes had faded back to their beautiful grey as he stroked my cheek with the back of his knuckles. “How was he allowed to be near you?” he asked, now I had gathered my strength again. “How is he allowed to be a Royal Adviser?”

“Andras has some sort of influence over my parents that I don’t understand,” I answered, rubbing at the lessening ache in my chest, finally relieved of the pressure of carrying such secrets for so long.

“I swear, the next time I see him, he’s dead.”

I shook my head. “Kade, no. He can’t know you know.”

He frowned and stared at me, trying to make peace with the fact he couldn't just murder the Royal Adviser of Brookmere.“He needs to be punished, Little Rebel. Besides it being treason, he hurt you. He’s tried to manipulate you, even though he’s clearly failed, seeing the woman you’ve become.”

“I worry about him doing something to Ian,” I said. “I can’t worry for you, too.”

“As I promised you in the bath,” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead, “when you’re ready, revenge will be yours.”

He took my hands, and the weight of everything lessened. He hadn’t run out on me, and still sat here talking it over with me. Perhaps this would be okay.

“As for no magic? I’ve seen you—” He paused, realizing he had never seen me do anything. He shifted but didn’t let go of me. “That’s why you couldn’t heal yourself when you got stabbed.” He frowned, likely going through memories of our time together as if I may not be telling the truth.

Finally, he shook his head. “I’ve never heard of any Fae being born without some kind of magic, let alone the heir to the royal throne.”

Tears pooled in my eyes. This time from fear. I didn’t want to be wrong about trusting him. “You have to promise you will not tell anyone. No one can know. We have worked so hard and so long to keep this secret, and I can’t have anyone finding out now. Not when my father is so sick. I know this might make you feel differently about me and what you thought you were getting yourself into. These marriage trials are for just that—marriage. Not a date or two with a princess. This is forever. These trials are for the crown, to be King of Brookmere. I didn’t want to lie to you, in case you decided a magicless queen isn’t what you were looking for.”

My head hung low as I tried to control my breathing, growing more rapid by the moment. Panic at what he might say, what he might do, overtook my body.

Kade took my chin in his hand, tilting it up to face him. He leaned in and kissed me. Softly at first, but it grew into a fiery, breathy mess of want and need. Our tongues crashed together as my hands gripped the back of his hair.

Kade drew away and pressed his forehead against mine, pulling me onto his lap, as I wrapped my legs around him. Thankfully, we still had a sheet between us, or with one small motion, he would have been inside of me once more, and we wouldn’t ever finish this conversation.

“So, all this time, all of those fights and battles, you do all of that without magic?”

“I’m not weak,” I said sternly.

Kade chuckled at the audacity of my words. “Weak? Lana, you are a force. You are a damned brilliant fighter, a rebel with a heart of gold, who puts her kingdom before herself. You are filled with vengeance for those who have been wronged and are sexy as hell while doing it. Fates, Illiana.” Pushing a fallen strand of hair behind my ear, he seemed like he wanted to say more, but stopped himself.

His gaze moved to my lips. “Whatever comes, you are the most unexpected and beautiful thing that has ever happened to me. I crave you constantly. I need you constantly. I want to be selfish with your time. I don’t want you anywhere near the other contenders. Yes, it includes Ian, even if I know you are only friends.”

He kissed my forehead and held me close. “I’ve never been selfish with anything in my life, and I find myself wanting to be with you.”

It wasn’t a promise of love, or devotion, or even an indication of what he would do tomorrow. If he’d fight to win. My heart tightened in anticipation.

What did that mean?

I crawled out of his lap and reached for my nightgown, which had been hidden under a pillow, pulling it over my head. We lay on my bed, and he rubbed my back, soothing the anxiety riddling my body, his shadows still swirling around us.

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