Page 60 of Promise of Darkness
The prince’s fingers stroke lightly over my wet lips. “As you wish, Your Highness.”
But his smile is sleek and knowing.
He doesn’t need to demand another one, for he knows I finally gave in.
There’s no coming back from this.
And I need to.
* * *
Loud bootheels echoon the veranda to the hunting lodge.
My heart kicks right up into my ribs, and I lunge for my knife as the door slams open, a pair of broad shoulders filling it. The man who enters wears battle-scarred hunting leathers, a ruff of heavy fur guarding his throat.
My knife doesn’t waver. He looks far too pretty to be Unseelie, but that doesn’t mean he’s an ally. I certainly don’t recognize him.
“Who are you?” I demand.
The stranger’s eyes slide over me curiously, and then his lips quirk and he glances over my shoulder at Thiago. “I expected to find you in dire straits, judging by the amount of blood you’d lost between here and Mistmere, but here you are, lolling about in bed with a handsome wench.”
“Wench?”
They both ignore me.
“Took you long enough to find us,” Thiago says, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. “Did you take the scenic route?”
“Oh, you know me.” The stranger’s grin widens. “Ran across a few remaining banes and took care of them. Had a slight sweat up, so had to cool off.” He shakes his tousled hair. “Looking this good doesn’t just happen, my prince.”
“Alas,” Thiago replies dryly.
“I take it you two know each other.” Some warning would have been nice before I made a fool of myself.
Thiago pushes to his feet, clad in only his leather breeches. Those swirling black tattoos across his chest can’t hide the creep of iron poisoning that lingers like darkened bruises. “I have that misfortune, yes.”
“Misfortune,” the stranger snorts. He winks at me and bows. “Finn Archellion, Your Most Beautiful Highness. Slayer of giants. Rescuer of damsels—or in this case, princes—in distress. And hunter unparalleled—”
“Master of Arrogance,” Thiago drawls.
“Perhaps he’s been spending too much time with you?” I point out sweetly.
“Careful, love. Or I might just tell him how naked I was when I woke up.”
Finn’s eyebrows shoot up. “Don’t stop. I’d love to hear the story.”
I smile at the prince through my teeth.Breathe one word of it, and I’ll punch you in the balls.
He winks. “I’m afraid that’s between the princess and myself.”
Finn sighs. Thick dark hair brushes against his shoulders, and his eyes are as blue as an alpine lake. I don’t know what they’re putting in the water around here, but if there’s one thing the Kingdom of Evernight has, it’s an abundance of beautiful men.
“What happened?” he asks. “Apart from waking up naked? Eris told me you were heading for Mistmere and that was half a week ago. She’s been… upset.”
“How upset?” Thiago demands.
Finn coughs into his hand. “Drastic measures were required. Hence why I’m here and there’s not a slaughtered trail of Unseelie leading to your door.”
There’s something they’re not saying about Eris.
