Page 39 of Veil of Shadows

It wasn’t the first time I’d felt such a thing, and that wild look in Jax’s eyes had made an appearance more than once. But it was always so brief. I still had no idea what to make of it.

Holding me firmly, the prince tugged me toward him. Heat from his side crawled up my body, and my core clenched.Gods and Goddesses, don’t make a fool of yourself, Elowen.

The prince curled me into his side, the satin gown easily moving and swaying to accommodate the gesture.

Another party of siltenites landed in the clearing, wealthy fae from the looks of it, and the attendant rushed to help them, giving us a moment of unobserved privacy.

A flare of magic puffed from Jax, and since it was similar to what I’d felt on the ship, I knew he’d just cast a silencing Shield. “We’ll see the king first, pay our respects, then we’ll search the grounds.”

Everyone in the group dipped their heads.

The six of us stepped away from the clearing, Jax leading the way. His hand held mine firmly, his grip pleasantly smooth. Within minutes, we were striding toward the palace.

Banging sounds came in the distance as well as the scent of magic being cast. With the Matches only weeks away, it appeared the king had called in siltenites to help complete the final touches of construction after all. Just west of us, a female siltenite stood near several wildlings. Her hands wove through the air, and a large turquoise banner lifted under her magic.

I smirked and wondered if Lillivel was also watching. My assistant had said it would be smarter to hire siltenites withtelekinetic magic, and she’d been right. The main construction was now complete, only cosmetic displays being added, and from the looks of it, even those minor details would be finished by nightfall.

Neither Jax, Trivan, or Alec paid the Matches much attention. They seemed intent on assessing the distant barns. Only Lars and Phillen continually scanned the area, their guarding duties taking center stage.

Automatically, I fell into the role I was asked to play and stepped even closer to Jax.

His breath hitched when I grazed his side, but when I glanced up at him, he continued striding forward, his hand securely wrapped around mine.

We ambled along the palace’s expansive lawn. Several servants gaped when they spotted us, and I had no doubt a few recognized me.

We didn’t ask for help, though. Since it wasn’t the first time Jax had visited the Faewood Kingdom palace, he knew where the entrances were and made a show of escorting me. When we dipped past the fountains and opulent gardens, he slipped his arm around my waist and drew me even closer before leaning down to nuzzle my neck.

My breath caught. In a blink, my heart was pattering so quickly I felt lightheaded even though Jax had explained to me on the carpet that this was all for show. These actions meant nothing. Jax was now my new guardian in the eyes of the Faewood throne. But not only that, he was also my new lover. It was the ploy he’d come up with to trick the king. King Paevin knew that I’d been abducted. He’d sent Lordling Neeble as a backup to secure me if Guardian Alleron failed. Only thing, the king had no idea what had become of me since my guardian had never returned and neither had Lordling Neeble.

But while my guardian was currently locked within Stonewild’s palace, Lordling Neeble and his party were all dead and buried deep within the Ustilly Mountains. And considering they were all under feet of mountainous soil, I had a feeling their remains would never be found, effectively leaving King Paevin in the dark as to what had happened to them.

Consequently, Jax had taken it upon himself to create a new narrative, similar to what he’d done with his parents and his kingdom’s council. Since I’d been seen with the Dark Raider in Stonewild, he decided to let that work to his advantage and say that he saved me from the ruthless brute in Fosterton while he was there on his hunt.

If asked, I was to say that the prince had learned of my abduction and that he paid the Dark Raider handsomely to release me. Now that he’d bought me and had me secured, he was my rightful new guardian per siltenite law. Even King Paevin couldn’t refute that.

Although, Jax had taken it upon himself to add another twist. In the time since he’d rescued me, he’d also become my lover, and I’d grown infatuated with him. Unlike Guardian Alleron, who I obeyed due to law and the fatherly love I’d once felt for him, with Jax, I obeyed due to lust.

And Jax felt the same.

In other words, no payment the king could offer would have Jax selling me back to Faewood.

I had to admit, it was a good plan. But the way my body was genuinely reacting to Jax’s close presence was another matter entirely. And Alec’s claim that the prince actually had feelings for me began to feel more real with every step we took.Because if he truly didn’t, would he have spun this tale?

Memories of Jax’s attentive touches in the palace’s bath following his calling and the soothing caresses the night my collar had been loosened reared in my mind. He’d acted socaring toward me on a number of occasions. And sometimes, the way he stared at me...

At times, he looked positivelyhungry.

But I quickly shoved those thoughts away. Speculating now on what all of that could mean, could very well end in disaster if I grew too distracted. Not to mention, Jax was to eventually marry another. Even if I did desire him, and even if he desired me, in a full season’s time, it would have to end because I wouldnotbe his mistress. I’d thought about it repeatedly during the past few days, and such a future wasn’t what I wished for myself.

We rounded the final turn to the front of the palace, and Jax whispered, “Put your arm around me, darling. If we’re going to convince the king, you have to play the part.”

His husky endearment had goosebumps sprouting along every inch of my skin, and a quickening in my belly had my insides flipping.

My magic stirred, writhing inside me at the feel of his aura brushing around mine. A faint sting came from my collar, but it was trivial and made ignoring it easy. Yet it wasn’t lost on me that it was the umpteenth time my magic had reacted in such a way to Jax. It was almost as though my lorafin powers had a mind of their own when the prince was near.

Embarrassment heated my cheeks, but I did as the prince requested. I curled my arm around his toned waist, my fingers grazing the side of his abdomen.

A very low, contented purr came from his throat, so brief that it could have been a trick of the wind.

---