Page 134 of Kingdom of Chaos
He’s been asking me that a lot today, but I can’t say that I mind.
“No,” I whisper. “But I’m here.”
He gives a slight nod, his thumb stroking gently along the side of my hand. “That’s enough.”
I tilt my head toward him, studying his profile in the half-light. His jaw is tight, his eyes full of things he isn’t saying. For once, I don’t press. I just lean my head against his shoulder and close my eyes.
He adjusts, resting his chin lightly on top of my head.
“I keep thinking about what happens after this,” I say. “If there is an after.”
“There is,” he replies, steady and sure.
“How can you be so confident?”
“Because I have to be.” He shifts slightly so he can look at me. “For you.”
A fragile place inside me cracks open at those words.
“I’m not ready for this fight,” I admit. “For everything I could lose.”
He presses his forehead gently to mine. “Then don’t think about the fight. Not yet. Just take this moment. Take me.”
I blink hard, tears stinging at the edges of my eyes. “I don’t want to go into this afraid.”
“You won’t,” he promises. “You’ll go in fierce. Because that’s who you are, Freckles.”
I nod, and he pulls me closer, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as I curl into him.
We sit there for what feels like both seconds and forever, wrapped in each other and the kind of quiet that doesn’t need words. For this one moment, I’m not a weapon. I’m not a girl facing impossible odds. I’m just Locklyn. And he’s just Talon.
And that’s enough.
When we returnto the warehouse, I don’t exactly feel peaceful, but as close to it as possible considering the circumstance. The only ones still here are Imogen, Kade, and his men. Ares is among them. He and another fae have been tasked with glamouring my backup team to keep them invisible so they can remain close without being seen.
As I enter, Ares gives me a small smile and a wave, but it’s the look in his eyes that catches me, like he pities me, like he thinks I’m going to lose. I appreciate that he cares enough to look concerned at all, but the doubt in his eyes lands like a stone in my stomach.
I don’t need pity. I need belief. I’m trying hard enough to hold on to my own.
“Time to go,” Kade says with a grim look. We all go outside, where a set of black SUVs are waiting to take us to the edge of Central Park. The drive is silent, each of us lost in our own thoughts, our own fears. Talon sits beside me, close enough that our shoulders touch, but neither of us speaks. It’s not until the vehicle slows near the 72nd Street entrance that he reaches over, quietly taking my hand in his.
We’re dropped off near the edge of the park under the cover of darkness. A breeze stirs the leaves above us, and somewhere in the distance, a siren wails. The city keeps moving, oblivious to the storm building in its heart.
I’m supposed to go on my own from here, but Talon tells the others to hang back and that he’s going to walk me a little farther. I’m surprised when no one argues with him.
I know there are Order members scattered all over this area, keeping humans away and doing what needs to be done to magically prep for later, but I don’t see a single other soul as Talon and I walk through the trees together. The deeper we go, the more the noise of the city fades, replaced by the soft rustle of leaves and the chirp of insects. Eventually, we reach the edge of the tree line on of the open field where I’m supposed to meet Kerrim.
This is as far as Talon can go.
I take a deep breath to ground myself, summoning the courage I need to take the next step. I remind myself of everything I’ve already overcome and all the ways I’ve proven my strength. I tell myself I can do this. Not because I’m magically juiced, but because I’m a fighter at my core. Always have been. Always will be. That’s what will give me the edge over Kerrim. That’s what’s going to get me, and the ones I love and care about, out of this alive.
I take a step toward the open field, my boot catching the edge of a silver moonbeam, but before I can go any farther, Talon’s hand clamps around mine. In one swift motion, he pulls me back into the shadows and spins me to face him, pressing me gently, but firmly, against the rough bark of a nearby tree.
I open my mouth to ask what’s wrong, but the words never leave my lips.
Because his are already on mine.
He kisses me like the world might end tonight and this is the last chance he’ll ever get. His hands slide up my sides; his mouth claims mine in deep, urgent strokes. There’s nothing tentative about it. It’s all heat and hunger, frustration and fear, need and knowing.
