Page 4 of Stolen

“I’ll never hurt you,” he’d said. “Unless you ask me to.”

I’d frowned, confused by the statement. “I’ll never ask you to hurt me.”

His silver gaze had burned so hot I’d almost stepped back. “You might one day.”

I hadn’t understood what he meant until I wed him—and he showed me that pain could be a companion to pleasure. He was masterful in bed, my husband. But he was also far more dangerous than I’d realized. He could override my will with a word. He could steal the breath from my lungs. Before we wed, he told me he needed blood to use his magic. But that was a lie. In the Thicket, he’d choked off my air and held Varick rooted to the ground with nothing more than his voice. What else was my powerful, devious husband capable of? The fact that I didn’t know was its own kind of terror.

But this was secondary to his betrayal. As much as I tried to understand Laurent, I simply couldn’t. “The Deepnight is failing,” Varick had whispered in my head. “Disappearing. If the canopy disintegrates, the people will burn and Nor Doru will fall.”

As ignorant as I was about my vampire half, I knew the vampire kings had always held some mystical sway over the Deepnight. Without the canopy, only highborn vampires could survive. And even then, the naked sun would sear the skin. The lowpeople would perish. Tens of thousands would die.

But was that a good enough reason to kill an innocent child? My innocent child? Could the possible destruction of Nor Doru justify Laurent’s deception? He’d brought Varick and me together because he wanted us to fulfill a prophecy I knew almost nothing about.

Rhys wanted to know if I feared my husband. But how could I explain something I didn’t understand myself?

“There are more frightening things in the world,” I said finally. “The Thicket is proof enough of that.”

His expression let me know he’d noted my evasion. But he let it slide, and then his eyes grew shrewd. “The problem with prophecies,” he said softly, “is that they’re always written like fucking riddles. And everyone thinks they’ve figured out what the damn things mean.”

I froze. “You know of it?”

He nodded. “Rumor has it you were raised by a nurse who ensured you knew your histories. Including the tales most dismiss as children’s bedtime stories.”

“Helen,” I said, a pang shooting across my heart. “She gave me as much knowledge as she could.”

“Then you know Wesyfedd has always been free despite being surrounded by powerful neighbors. When Eldenvalla was at the height of its power and the Thicket was nothing more than an ordinary forest, we resisted the elves’ attempts to swallow us up. There’s a reason for that, Given.” He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his battle-scarred fingers laced loosely together. “Our ancestors knew the elves courted danger. They called up power they shouldn’t have. We knew a day might come when we had to stop that power from spilling into our lands. And then it came, and we did what we had to do.”

My heart beat faster. “The histories say the Brotherhood raised the Thicket.”

“Brothers from Wesyfedd.” His brown eyes reflected the fire. “The land here has its own kind of magic, and the people are connected to it. You might say it runs through our veins.”

My voice was a thread of sound. “Is that how you saved me in the forest?” He’d held the elves at bay with bursts of light. No torch or lantern was that bright, especially in the gloom of winter.

He sat back in his chair. “Partly, yes.”

Disappointment rose within me. Maybe he wasn’t going to be as forthcoming as I thought. Laurent and Varick hoarded information like it was gold. Perhaps Rhys was no different. Or maybe, like all the other men I knew, he thought I was too feeble-minded to grasp what he was saying.

The fire popped, making me jump.

I cleared my throat. “I haven’t thanked you enough for rescuing me, and for allowing me to shelter here.” Wesyfedd clung to its independence, but Nor Doru and Sithistra could crush the tiny territory. Its mountains and caves couldn’t stop a truly determined army. I was a fugitive from the north and the south. My very presence in Aberwas placed the whole territory in enemy crosshairs. The fortress was solid but by no means built to withstand a siege. If Rhys were smart, he’d demand a ransom from Laurent and then deliver me into my husband’s waiting arms.

Brown eyes regarded me steadily. “You’re safe here. And welcome to stay as long as you wish.”

I released an unsteady breath. “Thank you.”

He watched me for another long moment. “Would you ride with me tomorrow? There’s something I’d like you to see.”

An invitation rather than a command. I’d been cooped up in his fortress. The idea of fresh air was appealing. I let my gaze fall on his battle-hardened hands, and then lifted it to his rugged, well-formed features. I’d be safe with him at my side.

If there were other reasons the prospect of riding with him tempted me, I ignored them. I wanted information. That was all.

“Yes,” I said. “I’d love to.”

Chapter Two

GIVEN

“You’ll need these.”

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