Page 531 of Flirting with Darkness

“I wish I could do more to you than a kiss,” he murmured against my lips.

I wished for that, too. But the entire flotilla of the royal escort was just around the bend, following us closely. Boats and hundreds of guards on boards would have us in plain sight in just a few moments.

“Later,” I promised, but didn’t move away from him.

Resting against his strong body, I took in the duckweed that trimmed the edges of the placid stream. Light-winged dragonflies fluttered over the water. One of them landed on the end of my paddle. Sunlight broke into iridescent sparks in the delicate mesh of its wings.

I smiled. The mechanical copy of the insect was pinned in my hair. Kyllen made me the dragonfly barrette long ago, when we both were prisoners in the human realm. He’d made many beautiful things for me since. But my old dragonfly barrette had been a symbol of hope for me during the hardest times of my life. It held a special place in my heart.

“I’m glad you came along on this journey with me.” I meant this trip at first. But when the words left my mouth, I realized they applied to our entire life together. I wouldn’t want to have anyone but Kyllen as my partner on our life journey.

I placed a quick kiss on his lips as the first boat of the flotilla turned around the corner and headed our way. It was surrounded by at least a dozen paddle board riders wearing the royal colors of gold and green.

“You’re the best thing that happened to me, darling,” I said softly against his lips. “Now, go get your board, while you can still catch it.”

“Oh, I will catch it,” he assured me with a cocky grin.

In one smooth movement, he slipped into the stream and swam down the river. Sleek and graceful like a water serpent.

* * *

Several tents were erected at the edge of the forest. The trees ended here, giving way to the rocks and sands of the ocean shore.

As the guards finished setting up the tents, Kyllen and I walked over to the beach. The rolling sound of the crashing waves reached us even before we left the cover of the trees. The air smelled different here—briny with sea salt.

The Summit was tomorrow. I hugged myself, staring into the ocean tinted red by the sunset.

Kyllen wrapped one arm around my shoulders. “Are you nervous?”

“I’m fine.” I leaned into him.

Large winged silhouettes appeared far above the horizon. They looked as if they were painted in ink against the blood-red sky. Slowly, they descended onto the rocks far up the shore.

“Gargoyles?” I asked Kyllen.

He nodded. “In their dragon form.”

“They must’ve landed for the night.” I pointed at the setting sun. Gargoyles turned to stone at sunset. We’d see them at the Summit tomorrow.

Kyllen placed a soft kiss on my temple. “The tents must be up by now. You should get some sleep.”

“It’s too early for bed.”

“Maybe. But there are a few things we can do before sleeping.” He winked, making me smile.

And just like that, the heavy burden of worry lifted off my chest somewhat.

“What would I do without you?” I let him lead me back to the forest and into our tent.

“Oh, you’d be miserable, of course,” he teased.

He said it as a joke, but I knew it was true. I’d lived without him before. I’d survived. But it was all it had been—surviving. Without him, I hadn’t lived at all.

I squeezed his hand as we walked into the spacious royal tent. The tan-colored fabric of the walls blocked the fading light of the sunset. But glass lamps in the gold filigree holders were hanging from the poles inside. Their soft, yellow glow made the space look warm and inviting.

After lowering the entrance flap, Kyllen attached a mechanical beetle to the fabric—a gorgonian-made alarm device. Always vigilant, my husband protected me from any known and unknown danger. Right now, it was theunknownkind that bothered me the most.

I let go of his hand, my fingers feeling cold and clammy.

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