Page 157 of The Rebel and the Rose
Stopping halfway down the narrowing tunnel, Sera tugged him back to her, pressing a calming hand against his chest. His heart galloped against her palm.
‘You don’t need the shadows all the time,’ she said softly. ‘Rest a while. Take a moment to breathe.’
He turned into her, gently pressing her back against the wall. ‘How else can I keep you safe, spitfire?’
‘I don’t need minding, Ransom.’
‘I know.’ He tucked a hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her cheeks. ‘Let me do it anyway.’
Slowly, like a dying wind, she sensed the shadows behind her melting away, his eyes returning to their usual honeyed warmth as he sank back into himself.
‘Better,’ she murmured, sliding her other hand up his chest. ‘What did you want to talk about?’
He dipped his chin, looking serious now. ‘I know you’re eager to try again. But take your time, Seraphine. There can be no mistakes.’
No more Larks.
‘You say that like you have a particularmistakein mind.’
‘You know I do.’
She glowered at him. ‘Theo saved Anouk’s life back at theSummer Palace. He lifted her body out of the rubble. When are you going to let up on him?’
‘When he stops badgering you about your magic.’
‘Easy for you to say,saint.’ She was teasing now, prodding at the stress he wore so heavily. Tugging his collar open, she traced the top of her handprint on his chest, the gold there shining faintly in the dimness. ‘I’ve already had my way with you.’
He dropped his gaze, trailing his finger down her neck. ‘Don’t tempt me.’
‘Why not?’
Deftly angling her head to the side, he dragged his lips along her neck. Arching her back, she twined her fingers in his thick hair. She pulled him closer, pressed his mouth harder until she could feel the nip of his teeth against her skin. Magic roared through her bloodstream, greedy for more. It tangled with his own, a blanket of shadows coming over them, as if to hide them away from the world.
Sera was so lost in him that she nearly missed the sound of the bell echoing down the passageway. Until it rang again. Longer. Louder.
Dragging himself away from her, Ransom stepped back.
His eyes were wild and bright. In all the time she’d known him, he’d never seemed more alive. Morehers. A king woven from the darkness, with a soul as bright as the sun.
‘Someone’s here.’ Composing himself, he turned and stalked towards the entryway. His beasts ran on ahead of him, two broad-winged ravens flying overhead.
Sera hurried after him.
One glance through the peephole and Ransom stood back, twisting the skull on the wall. The entrance to Hugo’s Passage groaned open, revealing a well-dressed young boy with a pale face and a dark mop of hair.
Ransom’s voice was a growl. ‘I thought I told you never to come back here.’
The boy’s eyes widened as a raven shot out of the tunnel. Stumbling backwards, he caught himself before he fell. He found his voice a beat later. ‘Had to, Mr Hale. I’ve got a letter from my mistress, see.’ He pulled a dark green envelope from the inside of his smart brown jacket. Sera recognized the wax seal at once.
‘Madame Cordelia Mercure,’ she said, noticing the cloak around the boy’s shoulders. ‘You’re from House Armand.’
The boy nodded. ‘I’m Fabian.’
Softening ever so slightly, Ransom took the envelope and ripped it open. His brows shot up, and when he spoke again, there was a hint of bemusement in his voice. ‘Cordelia’s heard what happened at the Summer Palace. She seeks a new alliance.’
Sera blinked in alarm. ‘With theDaggers?’
Ransom slowly shook his head. ‘With the saints.’
