Page 13 of Queen of Whispers and Mist

Everything he’d worked so hard for was finally within reach.

All because of her. His secret weapon.

There was no containing his predatory smile as he asked his final question. “And how are you going to deal with the threat?”

Her eyes glittered. “I’m going to kill him.”

CHAPTER5

RONAN

“Do not leave this room. Your...prizewill join you shortly.” Dovina spared him little more than a disdainful glare before slamming the door shut and leaving him alone. The solidsnickof the lock sliding into place a not-so-subtle ‘fuck you very much’ from the Raven. If she didn’t work for the enemy, he might have liked the woman.

In the aftermath of what essentially constituted a verbal duel, Dovina had swooped in like a thunderstorm and ordered him to follow her. Ronan wasn’t surprised they wanted to isolate him. He’d proven himself to be a threat, especially when he’d gotten the crowd on his side. They’d found his little display amusing, not well-versed enough to recognize or appreciate the violent subtext in the very public exchange. That was probably for the best. He was here to save his woman, not start a bloody revolution.

Ronan glanced around the elegant but plain guestroom, using the time alone to take note of his surroundings and identify potential weapons—candlestick, poker, and letter opener—as well as any exits—the locked door behind him or the balcony to his right. Some habits died hard.

When he’d come up with his somewhat harried scheme, he’d pictured Shadow leaving the party with him then and there. Taking him to some sort of secluded hideout of hers just out of town, a romantic and quiet place where they could plot their next steps together. The realist in him knew that would never happen, but he hadn’t really considered the alternatives either. An escape from the palace was going to be tricky, especially with the High Lord and his minions on alert. Hopefully Shadow knew of a secret passage or something similar they might make use of.

The goal was both simple and impossibly complicated. Get her as far away from Erebos before anyone realized she was gone. Simple in theory, nearly impossible in execution. Because once the alarm was sounded, staying hidden would require all of their combined tricks. If not for her familiarity with the area and getting around undetected, he wouldn’t have much faith in their chances. Her willing participation in her own rescue was crucial to the success of the mission.

Ronan grinned, feeling confident it wouldn’t take much to persuade her to leave with him. Not after the way she fell apart in his arms in that alcove. He let out a low groan, his body reacting instantly to the memory. He couldn’t wait for a repeat performance. To hear her shatter when she didn’t have to swallow back her cries of pleasure. To taste her when they had nothing but time so he could truly savor the experience. To explore and memorize her body, revealing all its secrets until he’d mastered each and every way to make her come.

He’d lied when he said he only wanted one night. One night would never be enough. Not for them and everything he had planned. He wanted to slide into her slowly. He wanted to fuck her hard. He wanted to satisfy her so thoroughly she could do little more than whimper his name. In short, he wanted to brand himself so deeply on her soul nothing could ever make her forget him again.

So no, Ronan didn’t want one night with Shadow. He intended to claim them all.

They may not be each other’s first lovers, but he would be her last.

He blamed the distracting nature of his thoughts for not hearing the door open. It wasn’t until her voice hit his ears and her breath tickled his neck that he even realized he was no longer alone.

“That was very bold of you.”

His body was strung tight with anticipation of what came next. The adventure they were about to embark on. The life they’d lead. All of it. He allowed himself a moment to revel in the sensation of being suspended on the edge of a cliff, seconds away from taking a life-changing leap. It should have been terrifying, and it was, in a way, but it was also exhilarating.

This was their turning point. The precise moment their future truly began. After everything it took them to get here, he almost couldn’t believe it was finally happening.

Excitement and something that felt a hell of a lot like joy exploded in his chest. There was no hiding his smile as he turned to face her. “I wasn’t the only one making bold choices today.”

It only took a single look into those multihued irises to realize something was very fucking wrong. This was not a woman in love on the verge of getting everything she wanted. This was the High Lord’s assassin.

Cold.

Calculated.

Murderous.

But there was something else too. Something that frightened him far more than the blade coming straight at him.

It was the empty, detached way she went about it. Where was the woman from earlier? The one who could barely stand to look at him as she held her dagger to his throat. What had changed in a manner of hours? Fuck, not even hours, minutes?

He’d seen her reaction to his request. The flush of her cheeks at the prospect of their night together. She hadn’t been contemplating murder in that moment. He’d bet his life on it.

So why the one-eighty?

The answer was so obvious it was almost laughable.

Erebos.

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