Page 49 of Hopeless Kingdom
“I have to get him.” My hold tightens on the bloody hilt of my sword.
“You have to go. They’ll never let you go if they get their hands on you now, beautiful,” Ryder pulls at my hand but I don’t budge.
“I’m not leaving him. Mortals aren’t a match for me.”
“This new power is surging through you right now. Right now, they’re not a match for you, but it’ll tire out quickly. You’re still a new fae,” Ryder warns in a stern voice.
“He’s right,” Darrio says, his hand trailing down the black mark of the Hopeless on my arm to slip his fingers through mine. “Go with Ryder. I’ll get Dax and we’ll be right behind you.”
Ryder nods. Darrio nods. It’s as if it’s all settled. And before I even have a say in it, Ryder leaps into the swirling well.
The inky waves pull him under, pulling him home.
Finally.
The pale ends of his blonde hair twirl through the black waters, and it’s the last thing I see before he’s gone entirely.
I take a few steps closer, looking into the waters in consideration and wonder. Darrio stands at my side.
A silence settles for only a moment before I look up into his beautiful eyes.
I feel all-powerful; magic and power soars through me. And yet, Darrio’s strong body still makes me feel delicate.
His hands wrap around my hips, his knuckles grazing the soft feathers of my wings.
“I’m not leaving you two here,” I say with a defiant tilt of my chin.
“Yes, you are.” A small taunting smile pulls at his lips, distracting me from my deviant attitude. “You were right, though.”
My brows pull together in confusion as I hold his gaze.
“About what?”
His head tips down toward mine, eliminating the terrible space that separates his body from mine.
“Idolove you.”
His soft lips brush mine, taking my surprised gasp with him. A euphoric feeling flutters through my chest.
Darrio loves me.
Of all the men I thought might love me in my life, this asshole fae was not one of them.
Tangled hair meets my fingertips as I thread my fingers through his locks, pulling him closer. My body aligns with his in a perfect and warming way. The sword in my hand hangs tiredly at my side now. My breath catches once more when he suddenly leans back from me, his gaze holding mine as his temple rests against my forehead.
A strange look fills his beautiful eyes.
What is he thinking?
With a hard shove, he pushes me into the dark, inky waves.
The thick water seeps right into me, burning through my veins just as my head goes under. A feeling of overwhelming power wraps around my entire body, suffocating me with the weight of it. It claws at my skin until it’s all that I see.
The Hopeless realm has an odd way of welcoming an Eminence home.
Epilogue
Ryder
