Page 189 of Hidden Kingdoms

Of her touching something that lay hidden beneath the fabric of her clothing.

Flames crackled over my skin. I quickly backed away from the bed before I lost control and set something alight like I was nothing but a child. My emotions over-ruled all rational thought when it came to her.

Why would he put himself through this for her?

I knew something had been going on between them the last few days, but just how deep was he with her to do something like this?

Pulling back the fire from my skin, I slipped from the room soundlessly. Heading for the door as a scream of agony ripped through me, and I gritted my teeth against the anger that had flames dancing across my vision.

My feet pounded into the thick carpet that blanketed this wing, the heat of it soaking into my bare skin. Or maybe that was just the heat of the magik that made me who I am.

I skidded to a stop in front of her door, my chest heaving as I grappled for control that was quickly slipping from my grip.

I hadn’t been granted access to her rooms. I didn’t want it. But now, there was nothing that was going to stop me getting through this door. I was Prince of this fucking palace, and no door was closed to me. I slammed my hand above the handle, forcing magik into the locks and willing the palace to bend to my will. It would, but not without a fight.

Under the influence of my fire-filled magik, the lock clicked open, and I shouldered into the dark room, the scent of honey and cinnamon clinging to every surface. It was sickly sweet.

I breathed through my mouth.

As I reached the door I knew she slept behind, my anger was a living, breathing thing coiled inside me—ready to strike her at the barest nudge.

Elodie startled upright as the door slammed into the wall, bouncing back towards me with force, but I was already past its reach. Her bone-white hair was a tousled mess, and grey sheets tangled around her waist—just how they were the first time I laid eyes on her. At least this time, she was fully clothed.

She furiously blinked away sleep as her dark eyes swept over the room, magik already trickling from her body as her face scrunched in confusion. That was until they landed on me, standing in her room half naked, heat rolling from my skin. They narrowed into a glare that would send an ordinary Fae running.

But I was no ordinary Fae, and I wasn’t about to leave without getting what I came here for.

Before she could form a thought to react, I sent out ropes of fire towards her. Her eyes flew wide and she choked on a scream, as she was slammed into the mattress, the flames pinning her down, her hands level with her face. I stalked to the bed vibrating with magik, and it was fear now that filled her gaze. Something inside of me reared up at that look in her eyes, trying to turn the path I was barrelling down, but I pushed it back.

It didn’t like that that look was directed at me. That I was the one who put it there.

She looked so small against the oversized bed she slept in as I loomed over her, and part of me knew I should have handled this differently, but a bigger part could barely think over its fury.

I couldn’t hear her shouts or the vitriol I was sure was spilling from her lips. I could only hear Kaius’ phantom screams thudding through my mind.

The ropes wouldn’t hurt her, though her chest heaved as she struggled against them. The outline of a necklace under her tight top put a stop to any hesitation that I had felt. I lunged towards her neck, her cry for me to stop unfulfilled. The flash of terror that swept over her face punched into my soul, and there was a voice screaming from inside me to let her go.

It wasn’t loud enough.

I hooked my finger around the silver chain as it slid free of her clothing, the pendant slipping into my hand, clenching it in my fist at the confirmation that Kaius’ pain was all her fucking fault.

That was enough to ignore the voice completely.

The emerald grew heavy in my palm, much heavier than I knew it was, as if it wanted to be back against her skin.

Yeah, fuck that.

Despite how much I wanted to, I couldn’t rip it from her neck, instead I used the flaming ropes to yank her forward, pulling it free and letting her head thud back into the pillows. I made the mistake then of meeting her eyes, and the fury I found there blazed hotter than any flame I could conjure.

Beads of sweat gathered on her brow, and while her restraints were little more than ropes of light, I knew heat was billowing from my body—fed by the anger coursing through my veins. The air shimmered with it, distorting the room around me until the only clear view I had was of her.

“Let me go,” she hissed, with a venom that penetrated my skin, and the sound cut through the roaring in my head.

Ripping myself from her bed, I ignored her request, forcing away the need to do as she asked. With Kaius’ necklace dangling from my hand, I left, focusing on where I had to be and not on the shouts of anger that followed me. I didn’t let my magik drop until I was in the corridor, barely feeling the flames rush back to me as I let myself back into Kaius’ room, running straight for his bed.

Kaius’ screams had turned to whimpers, agony etched into his features as he fought himself, and I stood over him with the necklace, ready to put it back where it should be. To end this.

But what would he do if he found out I’d taken it from her? Give it back?

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