Page 42 of Trials of Dusk and Dreams
“This isn’t the meeting spot,” I growl, suspicion coiling in my gut like a serpent.
“This isinsideBurn After Reading.” Legion’s voice is tight as he scans the shadowy trees on the outskirts. The brass spectacles perched on his nose catch sparks of light from flying sprites nearby, momentarily transforming his stern visage into something otherworldly. My gaze snags on the tiny winged sprites, their wings leaving trails of glittering dust in the air, and I’m transported to another place for a heartbeat. But the memory slips away like smoke through my fingers.
I grip the back of Styx’s neck and squeeze hard, leaning in to whisper harshly in his ear, “Why did youflickerus straight inside?”
The other mortals and Radiants do not know this true location. It is a secret Fox imparted to us. Styx could have blown our cover if anyone noticed and then later evaded the memory-stealing enchantment on the exit.
“More importantly,” Legion adds, his eyes shrewd. “How did you know where to go? This place is spelled to be hidden. The meeting point I gave you was not.”
Styxflickersout of my hold, reappearing beside me with a disgruntled expression. “Relax, no one is watching.”
He glances around, searching. A gentle breeze carries the familiar sweet, cloying scent of magic-laced cigarillos, and realization dawns.
“You were already here,” I accuse.
He gives an infuriating shrug.
“Go home, Styx,” Legion orders, anger tightening his voice. “We’ll find our way back.”
“Nah. Think I’ll stay.” He lazily scratches his abdomen, a predatory glint entering his eyes as they land on Willow. “I’m feeling peckish.”
Before we can remind him of the incident with Fox and the dangers of feeding here, he’s gone, melting into the crowd of gaudy revelers like a shadow at noon.
“Is he always like this?” Willow asks.
“I don’t know,” I grind out.
Legion says, “Yes.”
“Okay, then.” She snorts. “Have you been here before, Legion? You weren’t clear earlier.”
His expression becomes a mask of inscrutability as he walks toward the crowd, his hands in his pockets, the picture of powerful nonchalance. Willow rolls her eyes at his back and mumbles something about being obtuse.
I ensure she follows him while I take the rear. A few steps in, she flicks her golden-eyed gaze over her shoulder and asks, “Do you remember coming here?”
I shrug. My mind can’t focus enough to think. She looks breathtaking beneath the sun’s dying light. It was midnight at home, but sunset here.
A rose gold glow lingers on her silver hair, cascading down her back like a waterfall of starlight. The same glow paints her curves with alluring highlights, deepening the shadows and accentuating every tantalizing line of her body. She’s a living masterpiece, and I’m torn between the desire to protect her and the urge to claim her as my own.
Willow huffs at my lack of response and continues walking ahead. The sway of her hips becomes a hypnotic dance, drawing my gaze like a moth to a flame. I’m so mesmerized that I fail to notice Legion dropping back to walk beside me until he murmurs, “Our queen is beautiful, is she not?”
“Mouthwatering.” The word escapes before I can stop it, raw and honest in a way that surprises even me.
He makes a sound of appreciative agreement.
My tension releases when we fall into silence, admiring the treasure ahead. Every step she takes is a temptation, every glimpse of smooth, bare flesh a siren call. She is a dichotomy—both the moon and the sun, night and day, two opposites that shouldn’t exist together but do.
“I don’t think she knows how alluring she is,” Legion mumbles darkly. “The dress is a problem.”
“I agree.” It is the epitome of trouble in that tantalizing body. “Do we order Peablossom to redesign her wardrobe?”
Legion’s jaw works. “That is the smart choice, however . . .”
“Hiding her beauty would be a crime,” I finish.
We share another gaze. Despite the lack of our hive connection, he knows exactly what I’m thinking.
“We will have to think of another way to stake our claim,” Legion muses, eyes taking in the roaming gazes sent Willow’s way. “Without her magic, the mate bond will not be visible. And Puck will be a problem for a while.”
