Page 133 of Heir of Illusion

“I’ve been waiting for hours.”

I spin around, my hand over my heart as I spot the intruder standing in the corner. His arms are crossed over his chest as he leans against the wall next to the balcony. Despite the chill in the air, he wears no cloak tonight. It’s absence provides me with a tantalizing view of the way the fabric of his shirt stretches tightly over his muscular form. It’s only now that I become aware of the familiar sensation on the back of my neck, the one that always accompanies his presence.

Despite the uneasy way we left things, I can’t seem to stop myself from drinking in the sight of Thorne. Here. In my room… Memories of his other visits send a wave of heat creeping up my neck. It’s been a week since I’ve seen him, and I hate how relieved I am to find him here. Dark hair falls across his forehead, obscuring his eyes and giving him an air of danger. Several days’ worth of stubble covers his cheeks, which hasn’t happened since the night we met. What’s kept him too busy to shave?

His full lips curve into a grin when he notices me staring. Suddenly, every candle in my room flares to life, their flames illuminating the dark chamber as they highlight the smug gleam in Thorne’s eyes. I latch onto my new annoyance, preferring it to the longing I was feeling before.

I scowl. “Stop doing that.”

“Doing what?” Thorne asks.

“Showing off. It’s impolite.”

“I noticed you were squinting, and I thought I’d make it easier for you to ogle me,” he says innocently. “I believe thoughtfulness is the opposite of impolite.”

My hands move to my hips as my voice rises several octaves. “I wasn’toglingyou.”

“There’s that lying tongue I adore so much,” he says wistfully, his lips curving at the edges.

I glare at him. “While you’re at it, stop sneaking up on me too.”

His eyes narrow as they rake over the cloak hiding my body from his view. “I believe you’re the one who’s been sneaking. What have you been up to, Angel.”

I open my mouth to tell him it’s not his business, but for some reason, that’s not at all what comes out.

“I killed Kaldar,” I announce, my eyes bulging at my own admission.

Thorne’s expression remains unchanged as he continues to lean against the wall, completely unaffected by my confession.

“In the woods,” I add, as if that somehow makes it better.

He shrugs. “Okay.”

“He tried to kill me first.”

“You don’t need to explain.” He waves a hand, pushing himself away from the wall as he meanders over to my bookshelf. “If you killed him, you had a reason.”

My head tilts to the side. “You’re processing this information in a very calm manner. You do understand I just admitted to murdering the king’s adviser, don’t you?”

He picks up one of the romance novels from my shelf and flips through the pages. “The second time we met, you were hacking a man into pieces while he was trying to take a piss behind a bar.”

Indignation flares through me. “I waited till after he’d finished, thank you very much.”

“And then,” he continues, a smirk kicking up one side of his mouth, “you used his blood to do some finger painting on the wall.”

I shrug. That was the least of my crimes. “Your point?”

He turns to face me again, his expression earnest. “I’m not frightened of the violence inside of you. There’s no crime you could commit that would turn me away.”

My pulse stutters as my heart trips over itself at his words. The heat at my neck races to my cheeks, staining them to match my hair. No one has ever made such a vow to me…

My body is rigid as I try to hide the puzzling emotions swirling through me. I put one hand on my hip and narrow my gaze, hoping the gesture doesn’t look as awkward as it feels. “Not even if I did something truly heinous?”

“No.” He shakes his head, still watching me with that all seeing gaze. “But you would never do something like that. You’re too good.”

My nose wrinkles as genuine surprise overtakes everything else. “Me?”

He arches a brow. “Do you see anyone else here?”

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