Page 109 of A Kingdom of Shadows

"Looks like the three of you could use some help."

I snap my head up, my heart stuttering at the drawling tease coming from behind. I stand and turn. "Darius." My voice comes out startled, seeing him lean against a tree. "How—"

"You're not the only one who found out Galgr’s hold valuable information," he says as he walks toward us and then stops by me. "Of course, when I heard noises, I thought it might have been trolls, but instead, I find you alongside the princesses and a king's guard." He gives Aeron a nod. "Aeron."

Aeron greets him the same way in silence.

I huff. "What information do you possibly need?"

He stares at me for too long. I feel faint under his golden gaze. "The same as you."

I take a breath. All I can do is stare back at him, my eyes softening.

"Well!" Faye claps her hands, snapping Darius and my attention away from each other. "This cryptic conversation definitely interests me, but how about we get on with trapping one hm?"

Right, yes, the Galgr. "Are you sure you can help?" I ask Darius.

He rubs the pad of his thumb across his brow and chuckles. "It's insulting that you think I won't, Goldie, after all this time."

I'm about to roll my eyes at the deep smirk on his lips when he turns to everyone else and continues, "Illusions don't work on them, I tried that before, but shadows do, considering their own strength also seems to be their weakness."

"So, will Nara be the bait in this case?" asks Faye, slowly, pointing toward me.

All heads turn to her.

"What? No offense, but this is as far as I go. I don't feel like getting soaked or eaten."

"Then why did you come?" Arlayna hisses.

"Because this is better than sitting inside my chambers doing nothing."

Arlayna rolls her eyes at her sister and glances my way. "Nara, you do not have to—"

"I want to." My decision sounds final. I already knew I would be the one going in there. I look beside Arlayna. "Aeron, if you could be on the lookout."

He nods even if he seems skeptical of everything. On our way here, he'd acted more tense than usual when around the castle, and I can imagine why.

I tell Faye the same, and like a young child, she pouts, trying to catch up with Aeron.

Arlayna gives me a pensive look, and without ordering her to do something, she drops the net in front of us and says, "I will give you two a moment."

How ironic that this is the only time Darius and I are finally alone.

Once Arlayna joins Aeron and Faye, I turn my focus to Darius, fiddling with the material of my tunic. "Did you come to get answers about me?"

He nods, and I find myself doing the same thing.

"Would you have told me?" I sound too quiet; one would never imagine the words came from me.

He exhales in resignation, fitting his hands into his breeches pocket. He looks at the ground, then up at me again. "There are certain things I still have yet to say to you, Goldie. For years I've kept so much to myself. I don't want to do that anymore." He looks at me so deeply. "Especially to you."

I'm overwhelmed.

I hadn't told him what I felt when he appeared at my door. That he'd made me cry. Not for hatred or anger but for how wanted I felt. I quickly blamed him when I found out he'd taken that memory away from me, yet I might have done the same in his position.

He was so young and scared of Rayth, and now he is here, wanting to help me figure out what is happening. No matter the hardships, he has never left my side.

I glance downwards, tucking my bottom lip between my teeth to stop it from quivering. "Do you think there is something wrong with me?"

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