Page 64 of Blooms of Darkness

I spat out my tea, laughing. “Rakes.”

She made a humming sound. “I’ve seen how some of them eye you.”

“I’ll be sure to keep them in line,” I said.

We were interrupted by a knock at her door. Elisabeth answered and spoke in hushed tones.

“I hate to cut this short, my sweet, but your father is asking for me.”

My expression grew somber. I nodded once. “Go, I’ll clean up here.”

She took my teacup from my hands. “I have to warm some herbs. I have time.” She grabbed my arm, and tugged me down toward her, placing a kiss on my cheek. “Everything that’s meant to be, will be. Trust in your fate, my sweet child.”

Telling her it was the absolute last thing I trusted wouldn’t do anyone any good, so I simply nodded.

“I’ll bring the salve, and some pain drops to Kalliah later.”

“Thank you,” I said before I walked out, feeling better than I had this morning by far.

I retied my robe and ran my fingers through my unkempt hair. Kalliah would have a huge task, transforming this mangled mess into some kind of decency for the day.

I smiled, rounding the corner of the hallway before the royal library, and stopped.

Toward the end, on one of the alcove benches lining the windows, sat Kade.

His hair fell forward into his face, but he hadn’t removed it. Instead, he sat perched, unmoving, except for his gaze, which shifted back and forth, scanning a book resting on his lap.

Of course he sat perched there, flawless as a statue, while I looked like I’d lost three rounds against a razorven. Swallowing down the obnoxious amount of desire growing in my gut at the sight of a sexy man reading, I cleared my throat to announce myself.

“I wouldn’t have guessed you were a reader,” I said.

He didn’t even bother looking up from his book. “How else does one learn all there is to know?”

The last time I saw Kade, his tongue was down my throat, and now he couldn’t be bothered to look up and acknowledge my presence.

I moved closer and tilted my head to the side, taking in the title. “The Forgotten Kingdom?” I asked before releasing a laugh.

That seemed to get his attention. His gaze scanned over me, the heat of it caressing my skin like he could see beneath my robe and straight through my nightgown. “You know it?”

“I read it as a teen,” I answered, my voice thicker than it had been a moment ago. Books were what I’d used to escape from everything, especially from what happened with Andras. They’d saved me almost as much as Ian had. “It’s not a bad fairytale.”

“Mmm,” Kade said. “They say all fairytales and folklore are based on a bit of fact.”

“Oh? So, you believe there’s an evil sorcerer trapped between this world and a forgotten kingdom, not a soul can see, or remember, do you?” I teased, daring to take another step toward him.

Kade flicked the book closed, tossing it on the seat cushions in front of him before rising from the alcove. He closed the distance between us as his shadows pooled at our feet, slinking their way up my body. “You look like you want something from me, Little Rebel. Another kiss perhaps?”

“You wish. I was merely on a walk.”

“In your robe. Rebel suits you in more ways than one if this is the case,” he said. He raised his hand, running a finger quickly over the knot I’d tied in the belt before dropping it back down to his side.

“You need to be careful with your ‘little’ play on words. I know I haven’t said it yet, but I’m hoping you can keep certain things to yourself. My extracurricular activities are no one's business but my own.”

“Which ones?” he whispered, his shadows jumped excitedly, quickening my heartbeat, as one stretched up and played with the bottom of my mangled hair. “The ones involving supplies, or my lips on yours?”

I shoved at his chest and waved his shadows away. “You know what I mean.”

His lips curved upward in a devilishly handsome grin. “What if I need a bargaining chip? I could use the Hidden?—”

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