Page 5 of Queen of Whispers and Mist

Ronan’s heart froze before kicking into overdrive. “Wait, what? But what if she won?”

“The plan was the same regardless of the game’s outcome. If Shadow won, he was going to have her abdicate her title and marry him instead.”

“But his Champion—” Ronan wasn’t so sure why he was hung up on the position, but it seemed to be the only detail he could concentrate on. He simply could not handle the possibility of Shadow becoming Erebos’s wife.

“He was going to place someone else in her stead. The Vulture, perhaps, but no one knows for sure. These are all whispers, of course. But the one constant is that the High Lord means to be married before the end of the season, and he wants her.”

Ronan’s stomach churned at the thought of that snake laying hands on her. The mere thought had nausea curling in his gut. He was torn between wanting to shout his rage to the heavens or go on a murderous rampage.

As if he could sense Ronan’s downward spiral, Loren placed a hand on his shoulder and offered him a sliver of hope. “If I were you, with the ability to request anything I desired of the High Lord, I would make the best of it. Think very carefully about the boon you've been given and what a man might do with such a gift.” Readjusting the bag on his shoulder, he glanced out the window.

Ronan followed the other man’s gaze to find that the sun had slipped past the horizon while they’d been speaking. Their time for goodbyes was up.

“Sebastian,” Loren said gently, “we need to go.”

“Yes, of course.” He looked up at Ronan with a soft smile. “Finally, I’m rid of your dreadful snoring.”

“And I the sight of your naked arse.”

They held each other’s stares with slight smiles. Without another word, Bast gave Ronan a little nod, picked up a second bag, and followed Loren out of the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

He walked through the now empty space, mind racing. When he was nearly dizzy from pacing, he sat down on the bed, cupping his head in his hands, and scrambled to devise a plan. It had always been his intent to save Shadow, to take her home if she wished, or at the very least get her far away from here. So despite the unparalleled horror he felt at learning the secret Loren shared, the only thing it changed was Ronan’s timeline.

He didn’t have weeks. Or even days.

He had hours.

Because there was no reality that existed where he would stand idly by and allow Shadow to shackle herself to that pompous waste of air.

If only it was as simple as asking her to leave with him...

He barked out a laugh. When had Shadow ever done anything the easy way? Or agreed with him, for that matter?

But what if it didn’t matter what she wanted?

Ronan lifted his head, a devious smile curling his lips as his plan took shape. It was almost too easy, but the genius lay in its simplicity. The more he turned it over in his mind, the more certain he grew.

Hewouldget Shadow away from the High Lord.

Tonight.

And he was going to use the craven’s own rules against him when he did.

There would be no sneaking her out a secret tunnel. They’d walk out the front doors.

Together.

And there wasn’t a single fucking thing Erebos would be able to do about it.

* * *

Shadow

Meanwhile, at the Palace

She tookin the stone walls of her prison, the icy air not bothering her half as much as the tedium. After today’s spectacular failure, Erebos had her locked up beneath the bowels of his palace.

She stopped beside a dirt-mottled skeleton still locked in its chains. “I suppose it could be worse. I could be you.”

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