Page 187 of Hidden Kingdoms

It shouldn’t have felt right kissing him on the bed he had taken me from, on top of the very same blankets I had held against me when two dark shadows appeared in my room, but somehow it did. That pulse of energy that made itself knownwhen we were together raced through me, searching for a way to him.

A hand glided down my back until it found its way to my ass, grabbing a handful and pressing me flat against him, moaning softly as his tongue invaded my mouth.

Even through the layers of fabric, I could feel the growing hardness of him between my legs. His hand hooked under my knee as he moved to roll us, our limbs as tangled as our tongues.

Before I had the chance to feel his weight pressed on top of me, my shoe caught on the handle of one of the drawers beside my bed, pulling it to its full extent with a bang that startled us apart.

Slightly breathless, I sat up as we stared at the source of our interruption, my ass now perched on his thigh.

As I slid from Kaius’ lap, I knew the delicately hand-painted cards I had been gifted so long ago would be there, waiting for me. My eyes darted round the room; somehow they had been finding their way to me. I had no idea if it was because of some magik connection, or if someone had been coming here to take them.

Kaius remained quiet despite how confused he must be right now, watching as I reached into the drawer.

Or maybe he’s not. Maybe he is the one sending me them.

As the touch of his lips still lingered on mine, I knew that wasn’t the case.

A prickle ran down my spine as I held them in my hand; they felt no different than before, yet the thought of them being in another’s hands—of being sorted through and dealt out—was an uncomfortable one.

Aware of Kaius’ eyes on me, I counted them, flicking each card familiar to me through my fingers.

Seventy-four.

All but the ones now lost in the palace.

I didn’t know what it meant, except that the ones that had found their way to mewerefrom this deck. Tapping the sides, I reshaped them into a neat rectangle, the edges slightly soft from their years of use.

“Someone, or something, has been sending me cards,” I said, knowing Kaius’ attention was on me. “From this deck.”

Shuffling them quickly, I held them out to him, and without a word, he slid the top one off, flipping it over and placing it back down as the fool card looked back at us.

New beginnings.

“They’ve always been unnervingly accurate.”

With practiced movements, I replaced it within the deck, pulling a ribbon from the junk scattered at the bottom of the drawer and tied them neatly. I picked up a pink knitted scarf that was yet to be packed, using it to wrap them and carefully place in the corner of the bag that was otherwise a mess.

“I thought it was one of you at first. Taunting me with my own things, making me feel even more helpless than I already did.” I twisted a ring around my finger, my focus fixed on a fold of the bag that held everything I deemed necessary.

“It wasn’t us, Goldie.” Kaius’ hand found mine, our fingers locking gently together.

“I know.” I nodded slowly before looking up into his silver eyes, full of a truth I knew anyway. “Let’s go.”

The palace would never be my home, but right now, this didn’t feel like it was, either.

66

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

BASTIAN

My bare feet hit the floor before my eyes had even had a chance to open properly, the panic that flooded my body propelling me forward. Leading me on with barely a conscious thought.

Racing down the empty hall, I slammed to a stop by his door, heart pounding as I placed my hand on the handle, letting my magik feed into the locks. They had barely clicked open before I pushed into the room.

Kaius’ screams filled the air the moment I did, the sound slicing into my heart as I ran to the bedroom at the back of the open space.

Barrelling into his room, my magik flooded the air in anticipation, and as another cry of agony tore through him, I rushed to the bed, watching as his body writhed in agony under the covers, his eyes firmly shut. Both of us were bathed by the faint green glow that touched everything thanks to the jumble of plants that grew over the windows.

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