Page 16 of Shadows of Ruin

And every last Fae, Fate, and speck of nature would pay tenfold if Lana was harmed before I got to her again.

Chapter 5

Kade

“Why did they think your shadows would kill me?”

Lana’s damn body threatened to killmeat the moment. The bite in her words did nothing to deter my wayward thoughts. Instead, her fire drew me in further, which wasn’t ideal seeing as she’d taken over too many of my senses already.

I gripped the horse's reins harder, not caring that it caused my forearm to tighten around her hips.

“I told you before, they don’t play. They destroy.” I exhaled, failing to mask my smile as I recalled a very memorable evening in her bedroom when she teased me about the deadly magic I commanded.

Silence fell between us. Knowing her, it wouldn’t last.

We rode in front of the others, steering the four horses toward Mount Legion.Fourhorses, even though Jax and Raya both knew the whole purpose of crossing into Brookmere was to fulfill the damned prophecy. A prophecy calling for a queen, which meant clearly we’d need five horses upon our return.

I rolled my shoulders, feeling Lana stiffen as my body pressed against hers. No doubt she could feel exactly what herass rubbing against my fucking cock did to me. There was no give, no space between us. Desperate to keep her from feeling uncomfortable, I tried to think of anything else. My father. Cassandra wearing that horrifically sheer silver dress at the Festival of Swords six years ago.

My desire shriveled. Now I just needed to keep it together from here on out.

Fates, Lana should have ridden with Storm. Or Jax. Hell, even Raya would have been a better option. Should have, but I knew myself enough to know it wouldn’t have gone well. A vise tightened around my chest at the thought of her pressed up against Storm or Jax in this way.

What the hell was wrong with me? I stretched my neck, somehow believing that might snap some sense into me.

But I was beyond common sense when it came to my Little Rebel. Besides, no part of me felt comfortable with her anywhere except close to me now that we were in Mysthaven.

“Why am I here, Kade?” she sighed, breaking the quiet as I knew she would. “Why bother to take me at all?”

It took more willpower than I cared to admit not to brush a thumb along her thigh to provide her with some sort of reassurance. Even if I was the last man she’d want to accept it from right now.

“I have to see someone before I can give you the answers you are looking for. I do not want to say the wrong thing or mislead you any more than I already have.”

“Say the wrong thing?” Lana huffed incredulously. “You are content with killing my father, hurting Ian, kidnapping me, but you are worried about saying something that might, what? Hurt my feelings?”

“Illiana—”

“No, don’t Illiana me. You are a monster.” She huffed loudly. “I need to get back to Brookmere. Regardless of what you thinkyouneed me for, my kingdom needs me more. I must see?—”

Her words died, and my fucking worthless soul split at the tremor she tried to hide. The sound of her heartbreak dug into me worse than the king’s damn whip.

I wanted to comfort her,neededto. But with what? I had no idea what her real purpose was in the grand scheme of things.Fucking seers and their prophecies.

“I have to put eyes on my mother. And Ian,” she finished her earlier thought. Her comment was said more to herself than to me.

“We should talk about what you thought you saw with your father.” Dread pooled in my gut, knowing there was a very real possibility nothing I said would garner her forgiveness. “Please let me explain.”

Lana whipped her face around, smacking me with her hair as she turned. “I don’tthinkI saw anything. You killed the king. My father. Iknowwhat I saw. Your dagger in his heart. Your shadows around his neck while he lay in my arms. What more is there to talk about, Kade?”

“You need to listen to me. Your father came to me, he wanted to protect you—” I stopped. If I went down that road, she’d blame herself and live with more guilt than she already carried. “He knew Andras would try to have Casimir siphon his magic. He knew?—”

“No,” she whispered.

“I know this is hard to hear, but you have to let me try.” I tightened my hold on the reins once more, drawing them closer, merely to feel like I could hold her while explaining. My shadows curled around her hips, resting on her legs as if they could help her through this.

She didn’t make a move or show discomfort at their touch.Thank Fates.It gave me a second, a selfish damn second to feel warmth spread through me. The strange sensation I only felt around Lana. I didn’t realize how desperately I craved it until I’d gone a mere couple of hours without it.

“Your father didn’t want them to siphon his power. Heasked me to do it, to end his life so they wouldn’t get his magic?—”

---