Page 129 of A Kingdom of Shadows

He covers my mouth, silencing me as he presses his body against mine, and all thoughts are lost at the lack of space between us. My brows pinch together as I shoot him a glare, but he looks to his left, and the side of his lip curls into a smug smile.

"That plan." I glance at a prisoner's carriage outside a noiseless tavern when he takes his hand from my lips.

Why must he make my blood boil? "Is this how you went about things back in Emberwell?"

He looks down at the ground, laughs, then glances up at me. "You should know by now we've had many adventures together, all of which I've saved you from." He winks, leaving me gaping at him as he walks toward the carriage.

I'm trying to catch up to his long strides. Even through a mission, he possesses a regal posture. "Are you forgetting when I broke you out of the dungeons?"

"You're right, though... who got you out of the trials again?"

"Freya. If she hadn't told you, I might have become one of Erion's rümen pets."

He twists around on his boot, and I stumble backward before he catches my forearms. He's peering down at me, something odd twinkling in his eyes despite the curl of his lip. "Yes, I recall the moment she told me what the queen had done with you. It was enough for me to attack there and then, despite how weakened I still was, but I did not care because all I could think of was how you were suffering, thinking that your brothers weren't safe, and because of that, I wanted to destroy that castle, not caring if it rightfully belonged to me."

Thank Solaris that he is still holding me because he has just knocked the breath out of me.

A wheeze comes from my throat as I look away and mutter, "You win."

His voice softens into a lulling sound. "I only win so long as I know you are safe." He lifts my chin, and our eyes lock. An ocean meeting the heat of the sun. "You could save me from a crushing building, and I'll always find a way to save you too."

I crack a smile, and he watches my lips, mesmerized. I don't think he will ever realize that's how I feel about him.

He steps back, opens the cart door, and gestures his hand outward. "Your carriage awaits."

I laugh, and before I hunch to go inside, I glance at him with a sardonic smile. "You're a fool, you know that?"

"You're the one stepping inside a prisoner's carriage." He has that flirtatious look on his face. His chin is raised, and he's grinning wide. "If I had it my way, this could be good use for other things."

I almost choke on nothing as I get in and turn to see him close the barred door. The last thing I see is the smirk on his face as he covers the cart with a threadbare blanket. It's not long before the cart jostles, and we start moving. I almost yelp as my body shifts to the right of the carriage, and the thumping of hooves trots along the ground. I grab hold of one of the bars and take two long breaths, hoping we get through. The cart jolts again, and I lose my patience. I'm prepared to argue, but the carriage slows to a stop, and I tense up. My hand is still fisted around one of the bars when I hear two men conversing.

Darius and a guard.

Possibly the one we had seen earlier.

"How'd you find her?" the guard asks in a grinding voice that matches the gruffness of a dark elf likely serving Kirian.

"Outskirts," Darius says, "Think she was trying to run away."

There's a poignant pause. "And you want a prize for this?"

"That's what it says on the poster."

"Alright." The guard sighs as if he has much better things to do than this. "Let me see her."

Gravel shuffles beneath footsteps nearing the side of the cart.

My eyes widen as I hear Darius say, "Careful, I wouldn't look in there. Had trouble getting her to stay calm."

The guard grunts a response, and I know he is about to lift the blanket. I shut my eyes with a wince, hoping he still falls for our glamoured exteriors. A snippet of light fills the cart before a clashing sound from outside makes me jump. The blanket covers the cell bars again, and the guard swears.

"Go on," he grunts to Darius, and the carriage quickly begins moving.

I sigh my relief and raise my knees to my chest.

"I told you it would work, Goldie."

"Hardly," I mutter and sit back, waiting until Darius draws the carriage to a halt.

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