Page 109 of Wrath of the Fae

‘Don’t. Don’t say that fuckers name.’ His words are as cold as ice. ‘I mean it. Never.’

‘Is he alive?’ I ask.

‘Not as far as I’m aware. I heard he died after you cut off his face. But if he is, and that’s a big if, he’s in the human world with Ivan.’

He shudders and steps back to sit on the edge of the bed, looking into nothing with a distant stare. I wonder if he’s thinking about that night. About what Jonah did to me as he wore Reid’s face.

When I found out the truth about what they did to my family.

‘You have to go,’ he sighs. ‘I mean it. You have to leave. They’ll figure it out, and when they do… you don’t know what they’re capable of.’

‘I do, Cyrus. I’ve seen the heads on spikes. The bodies left strung up. The men and women tied to trees and left to starve. The charred remains of villages. The grieving mothers whose children you stole. I’ve seen it up close.’

I wait for his reply.

None comes.

‘How’s Lucca?’ he asks instead.

‘He’s fine.’

‘Have he and the rebels been looking after you?’

‘Yes. Lucca has been a lifesaver. He’s really been there for me.’

He stills. ‘We heard rumours he had found a partner. A woman. Are you and he…’ He stops himself, but I see that look in his eye. The need to know. The fear of asking and hearing my reply, even though he just said he didn’t want to know. ‘He was always very protective over you.’

‘He knows what I’m going through. His Mate married his best friend and left him for dead. We have shit in common.’

His eye twitches, and his fists clench.

The door flies open and slams shut again before we react. Still bloody. Still with his sword encrusted with blood. Still in those fucking robes.

He doesn’t pause a beat as he instantly comes charging towards me.

‘Reid…’ I breathe, unsure if longing or fear makes me so breathless.

‘You stupid fucking idiot!’ he snarls.

‘Reid!’ Cyrus goes to grab him, but Reid avoids him with ease. ‘Wait!’

My back hits the wall hard, knocking the wind from my lungs.

Before I can say a single thing, his lips claim mine. Reid wraps my legs around his waist as he takes from me all he can. His hands grab and caress as his body keeps me pinned between him and the stone wall. He tugs my hair and moves his kiss to my neck. My jaw. Back to my mouth.

I grunt as I drive the dagger into his arm, stabbing him with several inches of steel.

His lips are still on mine as he opens his eyes, so dark and full of fire and wrath.

‘Is that all you have for me, Little Bird?’ He continues kissing me, unblinking and uncaring that I just stabbed him. ‘You can do better than that.’

I pull free the dagger and drop it to the floor, sinking into his kiss. Caressing his face and dragging my fingers through his hair.

My lips hum as he slowly lowers me, returning my feet to the floor. It feels like an age before he looks at me.

‘You knew it was me?’ I ask.

‘Of course, Little Bird. How could I not recognise my entire fucking world when it’s standing before me.’ He looks over his shoulder at Cyrus. ‘She stab you too?’

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