Page 14 of The Shadow's Soulmate

Lyla paused for a moment before she continued.

“Do you know why he is here?”

Her voice was tentative.

“Not exactly. I know what happened earlier on that made him who he is, but not all the details of what landed him here. And I don’t need to. All I need to know is who he is now, and that is very different from who he has been in the past.”

She nodded.

“Do you think he is your mate?”

I hadn’t dared to ask myself that yet. There was a connection between us. I’d been told once that I had a mate and my path would lead me to them. But it wasn’t something I gave much thought to. Not like some others seemed to do. I hadn’t thought I needed it.

“I think so. It’s the only way to explain the instant deep connection between us. I don’t know much about him, but I know that he is mine and I am his.”

Lyla grinned at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back. The tears drying up now.

“Then I’m certain. He might be scared of such big feelings, but you are exactly what he needs. Just keep being you, and never apologise for it. You will balance each other naturally.”

I leapt out of my chair and threw myself on to her in a big hug. She squealed, and we nearly toppled out of the chair together, erupting into laughter.

Chapter 10

Descaris

The moment she had said it, my mind had gone blank. The last person who had told me they loved me was my father. And that was right before I’d wrapped my hands around his neck and held him until he couldn’t hurt anyone ever again. I’d never known for sure if he’d meant it, if he knew this was the end and his last chance to say it. Or if it was another manipulation to save his sorry ass.

Just as I’d tried to tell her something, anything, in response, another vision of her dying had hit me. Painfully. I was running out of time for something. I let myself fall into it and ended up here. My cock still ached for her touch, but this had to be done.

A troll stood gathering others for something. Nothing good. A silver thread of fate wound around him. I wandered over. It was now. I stared at the orc. He took the hint and wandered over.

“I’m going to take down that minotaur. Are you with me?”

The orc took a pathetic-looking prison shank and snorted at it. The troll handed me a blade. I resisted pointing out that I was a shadow demon and could rip most creatures apart with my bare hands. The small crew of monsters made their way over to theminotaur’s cell. I had no idea how this was going to turn out. But I didn’t mind watching a fight. I could use the distraction from my own thoughts.

The orc sent a small bird flying across the prison out of the way. I didn’t have time to wonder why an orc had a pet bird, before the feisty little thing glared at me as it whisked annoyingly close to my face.

“We don’t like your sort,” the troll wheezed.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Oh yeah, we are.”

The troll was going to be obliterated. Not only was the minotaur huge, but I’d seen him in my visions raging. The troll would be lucky if there was anything left of him. I wondered if Ella would disapprove of me watching a troll get murdered, even if it was to save her. Luckily, the troll was flattened quickly and left alive on the floor. This minotaur had morals. The orc dived in next. Fists swung and anger poured out of both of them. The orc's nose collapsed into his face with a crunch. They were both magnificent monsters. Brilliant fighters. The orc was a brute, but he moved with a lethal elegance I didn’t see often.

The fight ended unexpectedly. The minotaur picked the orc clear up off the ground and dropped him on his head. I winced. I was going soft. The minotaur turned those dark eyes to me. There was a calmness that almost bordered on resignation there.

“Well?”

I couldn’t tell him the truth right now. He didn’t seem the sort to sit back and wait for fate to turn.

"Oh, I have no problem with you. I just wanted to see the troll get knocked on his ass."

"You’re carrying a blade."

"The troll handed it to me. Such a primitive and clumsy tool.”

I glanced down, and it shone with fate. A thread pulling at it. Another vision shot through my head. Quick and insistent. His mate, looking for any sort of weapon to defend herself with. Eyes shining with fear. I threw the blade to the corner nearest to where she would end up fighting for her life. A part of me, a part I’d long thought dead, hoped she would be ok. That part of me couldn’t quite keep quiet. I’d seen the vision of the guards dragging her here. Using him as their weapon.

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