Page 77 of The King's Man
It was frustrating and exhausting that I couldn’t retain invisibility in the bright sunlight. I was forced to keep appearing before I’d reach a new shadow, which meant Jann kept following.
“Dee!Diadre!Stop, let me—”
My pulse was heavy in my ears as I ran. I was fit and strong, but it had been a helluva few days and my body was weary.
I didn’t follow trails, or slow to rest. I madestraightfor the Shadows of Shade, running for over an hour, even scaling a small rocky hillside to cut a mile off the trip—but regretting it as soon as I reached the top because my heart beat so hard after that climb that I worried I might faint.
Jann had stopped calling, but every time I’d looked behind me, I’d caught sight of him, so I stopped turning and kept going, walking the Shadows whenever I could, grateful that I knew thisground better than him. I knew without the breaks where he couldn’t see me and had to slow to wait and find me again, his long legs would have closed the distance between us.
So, when I finally took the turn between trees and the mountainside which was the trail into the Shadows, I almost wept with relief. Even in the brightest part of the day, the mists cost me far less to walk the Shadows—and once Jann couldn’t see me, he’d turn back to camp. I was sure of it. I’d seen him sweat when he spoke of their days in the Shadows with Hever. He wasn’t braving them without me.
Of course… that meant I had to stay far enough ahead of him that he couldn’t see me. Which would mean, I couldn’t see him either. Which would mean, I wouldn’t know if he was stupid enough to try and navigate the mists.
Nerves jangled in my belly, but I pushed them away. He was a lying son-of-a-bitch, but not a stupid one. He knew the Shadows were a death sentence without me close. He’d stop before he drew too far in.
The moment the cool mists closed over me, I heaved a sigh of relief—but still I kept a steady pace, fast enough to get out of reach for Jann, but slow enough to keep my footfalls quiet.
“Diadre…Please!”he bellowed, his voice echoing in the mists. The Shadows of Shade sometimes amplified sound, other times muffled it. You never knew which it would be. But his screaming would only call the Shadows’ attention. I prayed he wouldn’t move deeper on the trail, but walk back out when he realized he hadn’t caught me.
“Diadre—mate. Please!Please!”The torment in his voice made my chest thrum and stopped my breathandmy feet. My body turned without my permission, instinctively drawn back to him. And for a moment I wanted to go.
Then I remembered.He didn’t tell me.
He knew. He knew what that crackle when I touched him meant. He recognized the bond and drew closer to me. Seduced me… and didn’t tell me.
A tiny voice in the back of my mind wanted to insist that deep down, I’d known. That I’d wanted to avoid seeing what was in front of me. But I shook my head.
I hadn’tknown.There were moments of fleeting wonder followed by the niggle of doubt. And the immediate conviction thatof course not.I’d known for a long time that I wasn’t meant for mating. I had a purpose in my work that conflicted with a woman’s role of family and wife.
Yilan does it.
Yilan is a Queen and can do what she pleases. And she’s not a normal wife.
He’s not a normal mate.
I groaned and heard crashing footsteps behind me. Cursing, I ran again.
This man would not stop! He’d taken me, then turned cold. Matebond or not, I couldn’t allow myself to be tied to a man for the rest of my life! Ihadto run. And he had to go back—not forward. This wasn’t meant to be. God had made a mistake or… something.
But that space at the center of my chest gave a sharp pang at the thoughts of Jann crashing through the Shadows, disoriented, and eventually killed...
Oh God. I didn’t want himdead.
Especially if there was any link between us. His death would herald mine. But I could hear those thudding footsteps. He wasn’t even trying to be quiet. The Shadows would be on him in no time, and if I wasn’t close by…
Without a conscious decision, I slowed, then stepped off the trail, releasing the Shadows and hiding behind a thick tree trunk until a few seconds later, Jann came jogging up the trail. He wassweating heavily, his eyes red and breath tearing in and out of his throat.
He was an athletic man, but the past few days had been even harder on him.
As he rounded the corner I stepped out from behind the tree, and he staggered to a halt, leaning forward, hands on his hips, sucking at the air.
“Thank God,” he wheezed. “Thank God. Please… don’t move. Let me explain—”
“Leave,Jann,” I said, cursing when that space in my chest constricted to stop my breath for a moment. I coughed, then continued, my voice hoarse. “This place will kill you. Go back now before you get too deep. I’m going to my brother. None of the Neph can survive in here—including you.Go.I’ll return when I’m… rested.”
“Dee, please—”
“I want nothing to do with you—”
