Page 96 of King Elijah (The Zemiran Chronicles 2)

Thirty-Four

SEVERAL HOURS HADpassed as Janelle sat on the hard floor by the door.

Waiting.

She watched as the moon climbed above the trees through the window, but Elijah hadn’t returned.

The memory of what he had done with her hadn’t left her mind, but all that pleasure she had felt was overshadowed by her crushing reality. She may never touch him again.

The harrowing cries outside from the hybrids being forced into battle lines caused her stomach to churn. Had Elijah’s army finally arrived? How soon would Kieran make the trade for her? She sat, wondering, saying a silent prayer to the Gods that the man she had grown to care for was alive.

The thought that the Shadow Creature had already come for them caused her heart to beat faster.

I need to get out of here, Janelle thought as she clambered to her feet and walked to the window to look out over the forest next to the mansion.

She thought about Tegan and what Erik had told her before throwing her into that room—she had helped bring Aiden there.

The betrayal didn’t matter, though—she knew why she did it. Sure, it hurt, but she wasn’t angry. Kieran’s control was impossible to break. He had plans to use Tegan’s magic to draw out the creature. He was going to use her and the others as bait, and that gnawing fear that she would lose her friend overcame her.

Janelle’s eyes scanned the field behind the property. The brightly lit lanterns along the fence illuminated a glow through the trees, giving higher visibility to the grassy area behind them. She could hear the sound of horses’ hooves coming through the forest, the echoes bouncing off the thin glass of the window.

It sounds like everyone is getting into position.

The door cracked open behind her, and Elijah stood at the door frame.

“Janelle,” he said softly, as if out of breath.

She bolted from the window and jumped into his arms.

“You’re alive,” she said, drawing him in for a kiss, relishing the fact that she could truly touch him. His lips were soft, exotic, and there was a light sweetness; her stomach leapt at his mere touch. “What is happening out there? I . . . is that your army I hear?”

Elijah wiped his lips with the hem of his sleeve as if he were erasing the moment they had just had between each other. Then he reached out to caress her cheek with the back of his fingers.

“I’ve handed my warriors to Kieran as promised. You’re free.”

She let out a sigh and placed her hand on his cheek. Being in Elijah’s arms warmed every part of her soul, but at what cost? Her hand stayed there for a moment, in silence, before she pulled back. Their connection they had once before felt different, hollow.

“It’s okay, though,” he said. “He’s using the army to fight that creature. I think he’s on our side. I believe the hybrids, the coven, and Zemira will all be protected by the new king, serving the two countries with their best interests at heart.”

Janelle cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes slightly. The words that left his lips sounded nothing like Elijah. An uncomfortable silence crept into the space between them, and the terror that suddenly filled her made her faint. She reached out, placing her hand on his chest, and summoned her magic to touch his, but nothing happened. They couldn’t connect no matter how hard she tried.

The room spun, her vision grew blurry, and she lifted a finger to her mouth, brushing her nail along her lips that were still wet.

Poison?

She looked down at the small amount of white liquid coating her finger. Janelle looked up, and her eyes went wide.

“What did you do to me?” she asked, stepping back, but he caught her wrist, pulling her back into him, brushing out her smooth, white hair. The man before her sneered, and his face shifted to show its true form.

Kieran.

She panicked as the room began to spin faster.

“There, there, love. While both armies defend this home from a monster, the two of us will be creating my legacy.” His hand came up and gripped her throat, holding her still as her eyes grew even wider. “That’s right, Janelle. Elijah won’t want you after this.” He looked down at her belly. “Not after I put our little hybrid child inside you.”

The smug smirk across his face made her skin crawl.

“If you want, I can still wear his face so—”

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