Page 165 of A Promise so Bold and Broken

“Come on!” Kerym slapped Raine’s back when he continued to mutter something incomprehensible. “It would be boring if there weren’t any risks.”

“It still puts you at risk,” Loche mumbled. “Rioner isn’t dumb. He’ll be suspicious.”

“Then we have to be convincing.” Keeping Merrick’s gaze, she swallowed any uncertainty. “We’ll have to make him believe it.”

Shewould have to make him believe it.

But she’d fooled him before.

All the years she’d been bound to him, she’d evaded any questions that might have led him to understand who she truly was.

Merrick stared back at her, and he didn’t need to tell her what he was thinking.

Worry and fear tangled with pride and love in those storming eyes.

“Do you have more of whatever you gave us to mute our magic?” Lessia moved her glare to Loche when that flame flickered to life inside her again, and when he nodded, an ember of relief fought with the fury at what he’d done as she stared into his gray eyes.

“We all will need some on us,” she stated.

Raine was right.

It wasa plan.

And a lot could go wrong.

But if it didn’t…

They might have a chance to save Ellow.

ChapterForty-One

Lessia tugged Merrick’s hand as they walked the familiar streets of Asker, heads down and hoods up to avoid attracting attention from any of the townsfolk walking the streets.

Still, Lessia had to steal a peek at him—revel in how different everything was.

It wasn’t because she was hiding from Merrick that she now walked these streets with her cloak over her face and shoulders taut.

She couldn’t even fathom that there had been a time when she had.

When she’d been frightened of him…

Merrick’s eyes found hers, and when he arched a brow, she smiled at him and rushed her steps.

They should perhaps have slept—used the few hours remaining until Rioner showed up to gather strength—but she hadn’t been able to settle down after they’d talked through the plan a few more times as a strange, unfamiliar feeling began to fester within her.

Attributing it to all the risks and pitfalls that came with her perhaps not-so-thoroughly-thought-out plan, she decided she needed a distraction.

So while Loche went to find more of the liquid—which apparently was a version of Vincere the leaders of Ellow had gotten their hands on during the war and had refined until, undetected, it would suppress the abilities of Fae, neutralizing their advantage should the alliance break apart—and Kerym and Raine joined one of Loche’s guards to find any smaller weapons they could hide on their bodies, Lessia had asked Merrick to come with her to her old house.

He hadn’t asked why, and for that, Lessia was grateful.

She had no idea why she wanted—needed—to go there, but something within her urged her to see it, urged her to go back, especially if it was for the final time.

A hollow ache spread in her chest when they reached the metal door and a silky cobweb, glittering from the pearls of water stuck to it, covered the door handle.

She tried to remind herself that Loche had already sent for Amalise, Zaddock, and hopefully Ardow and Venko, who should be with them.

After he’d agreed to Lessia’s plan, they’d decided they could use reinforcement if anything went wrong when they met Rioner.

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