Page 26 of Unraveled
I let go, Ash twists me in his arms so he’s cradling me like I’m his bride, and we fly away over the misty castle grounds.
The first lunargyre I spot is roaming through the courtyard like a ghost. Partially hidden by the fog and blending into the drab surroundings, it’s almost invisible to my human eyes.
More clicking noises reach us in the open air. I can’t tell if there are a couple of beasts roaming the space, or a dozen. If Naheli hadn’t tattled on me, I would’ve died today. But why help me escape my room in the first place?
I hold on tightly to Ash’s shoulders when he swoops under an archway that leads into a long hall held up by a sequence of rounded columns. Roses climb everywhere. Some blooms arestill black, and others have shifted. The haunted beauty of this place takes my breath away.
“I don’t have to tell you what would’ve happened if you had been successful, do I?” Ash says, turning his sharp gaze on me. “Do you enjoy constantly putting your life in danger?”
“Constantly?” I stare at him in disbelief. “You don’t know me.”
In the daylight, his beautiful fae features are so clear. His glowing eyes strip me down, and the bond we formed tugs on my stomach. I’m so fucked, and I know near nothing about how to unravel my ties with him.
“I don’t need to know you to understand your character.”
I open my lips to retort, but he continues speaking over me.
“You attacked me with a spell you could barely control. Then, you lit me on fire to escapewhile we were in the air. And today, you were almost a tasty treat for a lunargyre because you attempted to escape into a kingdom you know nothing about.”
My cheeks heat. “I didn’t see the beasts roaming the courtyard from the room’s window.” And honestly, I’m desperate.
“You’re a menace to yourself—and to everyone here.” His frown eases right before his plush lips tilt into a crooked smile. A beautiful disaster framed by a mixture of raven hair and feathers. “Perhaps that’s what I should call you. Menace. Though I have to admit, I’ve grown fond of Monster. I think it suits you.”
“You don’t seem like someone who thinks too hard.” I glare at him, ignoring the fluttering of my stomach at his widening grin. “Where is my amulet? I know you took it from me.”
“And how would you know that?”
I don’t. But what else could’ve happened to it? I press my lips tight and wield the only weapon he hasn’t taken from me. Knowledge. “A fae king would recognize a magical artifact. It isn’t a stretch to conclude that you took it.”
It happens fast. His eyes widen with horror, and for the briefest moment, his arms loosen around me. A heartbeat and gravity pull me down. He catches me before I have time to scream, and I cling to his shoulders with all the strength left in my arms. If I’m pulling feathers from the back of his neck, he doesn’t complain.
We glide through the air to the end of the hall where it spills into a round chamber surrounded by archways and the castle’s overgrown gardens.
His throat bobs as he swallows. “How did you figure it out?”
“Like it’s hard?” My voice echoes off the domed ceiling as Ash lowers us to the ground. The minute my feet hit the stone floor, my legs nearly buckle under my weight. “Return my necklace to me, I’ll leave, and you won’t have to worry about me messing with anything else in this castle... like what happened with the roses.”
Studying me like he’s seeing me for the first time, he uncoils his arms from around me. “If it were that easy, Monster, I would’ve done it already. But you knowing who I am changes nothing.”
My body might miss his heat, but I’m glad for the space as I need it to regain a semblance of clarity. “Why not?”
“Because I’m bored, and you’re a mystery I want to unravel.” Anger rolls off him in waves. He eats up the small distance between us, and I have to steel my nerves to not cower. “Because you were foolish enough to unleash something in my castle this morning.”
Curiosity swirls within me, and my mind urges me to step away from him. His canines are sharper—longer—than a human’s, yet somehow, something tells me Ash won’t hurt me.
Maybe he’s right and I am reckless.
His breath hits my face. Fresh, like citrus and mint. I’m paralyzed by something grander, something I can’t figure out.“You silly little human, stared right into my eyes and now you’re mine.”
“I’m not yours!” I hiss, pushing against his chest with all my strength. My fingers slide over his slick feathers, but he’s an immovable object under my palms.
“Are you sure? Would you be willing to bet your life on it?” he asks, casting a shadow over me as his eyes settle on my lips. “Do you feel a pull toward me? Does your blood heat when you’re near me?”
My heart sputters and I pull away, baring my teeth. Mist rolls through the open arches to either side of us. Thick enough, I can’t even see the roses I know wrap around every column.
I open my lips to tell him I feel nothing of the sort, but my stomach rumbles instead. My cheeks warm as I shut my mouth and move away a few more steps, hating the way his lips curl in response.
One of his brows tilts up. “Are you hungry?”
