Page 74 of One Last Promise
Darce pulled me closer, feeling my panic.At this moment, I felt safer with him.If Nox knew who I really was, he would capture me and hold me for ransom.Darce knew that as well as I did.
Nox was much taller than Xavier.It made me wonder how matched they were on the battlefield.
“This is Lora.I met her on my trip to Ustavar,” Darce butted in.“She surprised me with a visit, and we lost track of the time.”
“You sly fucker!You didn’t tell me you gotpleasurethere while conducting your business,” Nox joked, punching Darce on the upper part of his arm.“I can see the fucking got a little heavy.”Nox pointed to the fallen painting.Did they all speak freely about fornication?
“I’m surprised they arebothfully dressed,” the other male chuckled.Mrak, I think Nyx had called him.“If you’re knocking paintings off the wall, he must really like you.”The male winked at me.Looking up at Darce, I noticed he was giving his friend a threatening glare.
“Did you want to rearrange tonight?”Nyx questioned.“We can beat you at poker some other time if you’re busy.”
“Yes, if you three didn’t mind,” Darce responded.“Lora and I haven’t quite finished.”
“Don’t let him keep you locked up in here forever,” Nyx grinned, touching my arm.I tried to force my power down at the feel of a Noxlin touching me, and was pleased when it obeyed for once.“Darce can be a little...intense.I blame his breeding.It’s not easy being the Noxlin prince.”That was one thing we both agreed on.
“Fuck you!”Darce snorted as his fingers gently stroked my side.I tried with all my strength not to be affected, but I failed.“We’ll continue the poker game tomorrow.”What even was poker?
“It’s been a pleasure to meet you, Lora.”Nox took my hand in his and brought it up to his mouth, placing a small kiss on the back of it.There was something about his manner that didn’t sit well with me.Perhaps it was knowing how many of my race he had murdered.
“Hopefully I’ll see yousoon, Lora,” Nyx added, looking between Darce and me.Mrak bowed his head in goodbye, and I watched as they left the room.
We both stood motionless for a few seconds until I realised our closeness and recoiled.
“Are you going to explain how you’re in my bedchamber?”Darce had a hint of annoyance in his eyes.Was it because I moved from his hold?
“I was thinking about you and what you’ddone.Fury blazed through my entire body.There was a bright light and suddenly, I was here.”
“You managed to portal using ourconnection?”His face was full of bewilderment.“Alora, do you realise how difficult that is?”
“It’s not so difficult when you want to run someone through with your blade!”
“I don’t see any weapons on you.Do I have to strip search you to be safe?”Heat flared to my cheeks.My traitorous body still reacted to him, and Darce could tell.“It’s nice to see I can still make those cheeks blush.”
“You stopped affecting me the moment I learnt the truth!There is onlyonething I want from you now.”
“My lifeless corpse in your hands?”That beautiful smirk was still playing on his lips as he stared down at me.
“Yes!I came here with one purpose!”
“You didn’t come to assassinate me.You’re angry with me.I completely understand that.Once you hear the full truth from my lips, I hope you’ll understand that everything I’ve done was to protect you and show you therealme.”
“I have no idea who you are.That’s the fucking problem.All those years of being with you.The things we did.It’s all tainted.You were training me to kill you!Do you have any idea how fucked up this is?You’re the Noxlin prince.”
“I had my suspicions that you may have been royalty the moment we met.”What?
“That is bullshit!”Boulder got up and rubbed herself against me.She reminded me of Enyo when she tried to soothe me.“There is no way you could have known who I was.”
“I lied about the reason I was out there that night we met.”Walking over to the corner of his room, he pulled out a chair that was tucked under his grand table, and motioned for me to sit.“This might take some time to explain.Take a seat, Alora.”He began to pour us both a glass of wine as I moved over to the black and gold marble table.Pulling the chair out at the opposite end, he took a seat the same time as I did.“The wine isn’t poisoned,” he chuckled, watching me sniff it before I took a sip.“No harm will come to you as long as I breathe.That, I promise.”Knowing Darce never broke a promise, I took a small sip of the wine, surprised at how much I enjoyed the taste.It was a lot sweeter than the wine we drank in Dallethas.
“This is pretty good.”
“Don’t look so surprised.Noxlin’s enjoy the finer things in life, too.We simply aren’t allregalabout it.”His eyes were alight with joy for a few short seconds before they dimmed.“I will say my piece and then portal you back to Dallethas.You may need some time to ponder on what I am about to tell you.”He downed his wine and poured himself another.For the first timeever, Darce appeared wary.“Whatever happens now, I have no control over it.You are all I see, Alora.”My mouth went dry as I watched his tormented face.“You can hate me and wish me dead—I completely understand that, andprobablydeserve it—but it doesn’t change how I feel about you.You have my heart and soul.If I could change the past, I would.If I could find a way for us to be together, I would give up my birthright.You have mecompletely, Starshine.Please know this while I explain everything.”
Darcelovedme.Was that what he was trying to say?I nearly confessed my feelings to him too, but fear held me back.The betrayal...the hatred was too deep now, and I couldn’t see that changing.My feelings were all mixed up.
Sitting there in silence, with an unreadable expression on my face, I waited for him to explain.
It was finally time to hear the truth.
