Page 22 of The King is Dead
“No.Fucking, no!Fucking men and their fucking pride and stubborn heads!” I muttered, shoving out of the bed and wiping the pathetic tears from my face. “Fucking Nephilim and their blind fucking loyalty to a bestial pig, andI’mthe problem here? No!” I snarled.
I didn’t bother dressing, just yanked the first cloak I found in the wardrobe and threw it on over my nightdress as I rushed back into the chamber and out through the sitting area.
I was about to open the door to the corridor and storm out when I remembered where I was, who I was, and whatexactlywould happen if my guards learned what I was doing.
I made myself stop and think.
They couldn’t stop me. A word, even a look, and they would remain while I stormed through the Palace to the tower.
But they would talk.
Talk of a Queen who disappeared into the enemy’s lair and returnedchanged.
Talk of a woman who left holding virtue, and returned obsessed with the enemy—one of them in particular.
Talk of whether or not my judgment had been compromised, and my virtue stripped along with my body.
I shook my head. If I was going to follow that pulse in my chest that echoed Melek’s thudding heart, I needed to be smart about it.
I was a shadow walker, and a Queen. A woman, and a mate.
Not one of them understood what I carried, or why. Not even Melek, but definitely not Turo, or the other soldiers. They mean well, but… there was no need for them to even know I’d left my chambers.
Taking a deep breath, I re-examined the door.
Light glowed in a line around the frame, shadows from the hallway outside shifting across it along with low, murmured male voices.
Dammit, they had the lanterns lit. That meant no shadows large enough to hide me until the intersection of halls about thirty feet beyond my door.
It was a stretch, especially when I was this tired. But with the adrenaline still coursing in my veins I could do it.
With a whispered prayer, I waited until the voices grew more animated and broke into low chuckles, then held my breath and walked the shadows. Passing through the wall and past the guards, I moved into the deep shadow of night in the corner of the unlit hallway.
But moments later, steady on my feet in that pocket of darkness, I was cursing.
Bright cones of light punctured the corridors for the entire length, some dim enough not to reach the other edge of the corridor, but many melding and creating walls of light through which I’d be forced to pass.
Fucking Turo. He knewexactlywhat he was doing.
There was a niggle in the back of my mind, a question about what would make him so determined to keep me in my rooms, but I pushed it away.
I would deal with Turo tomorrow.
Right now, I had a gauntlet to run. And a mate to confront.
Almost an hour later, I was exhausted. But thankfully, easing past the guards lower in the tower wasn’t hard because the lights were few, casting thick shadows on the stairs between each landing. As I reached the top of the tower flight, my heart raced because I could feel Melekright there.But there was a final wide landing with several bright lanterns high on the walls and to either side of the double doors.
And four guards.
Praying the men were so focused on what was in front of them they wouldn’t notice my shadow walking, I veiled myself as close to the edge of the shadows as I dared, then took hold of my power and shoved myself through the light and past the guards and into the dark anteroom beyond.
There had been so much light on the landing that my skin smarted and I was panting when I materialized on the other side of the door. Sucking in chilled air, I took one step and caught myself before I stumbled.
When I straightened and my eyes adjusted to the dark, Melek was laying on his bed, his gaze two bright pinpoints of light fixed on me.
Our eyes locked and my heart sang. I felt his soul rush for me as well.
“Melek,” I breathed and started towards him.
