My eyelids begin to soften and my breath catches just as the fire within the mantle sparks loudly, sending embers floating down onto the rug. I gasp, pushing back as Kane leaps forward, patting the smoking fur with his hands. The connection is broken, and part of me fears it is lost to the other world of violence and deceit that lurks just beyond the heavy wooden doors of Kane’s private dwellings.
Chapter 2
Kane
“I’m disappointed in you, Briar. Despite your skills as a fighter, you are clearly someone who is terribly uncoordinated,” I tease, still smiling despite myself as I bump my shoulder against her.
The pull between us intensifies, just as it has all night, and the redness of her lips is suddenly too much to resist. I lean closer and smell the wine on her breath. It is my second chance, and I feel as if the heat and intensity between us will bring me to my primal place.
Briar arches toward me for a second, her body perfectly curved. I can imagine my hands placed right at the base of her back, holding her body beneath me. But just as my hand slides forward, she pulls away before our lips can connect.
“I should go to bed,” she whispers.
There is a tenderness but a caution in her voice. I know she still despises me for the threat I made to her father; the threat to break her down and use her for my own cruelty, to ruin her. I had hoped that she would realize that they were words meant to hurt him, not statements of true intent. I am not so good at making amends, it’s not something I do on a regular basis. But I feel as though I need her kiss more than the air in my lungs, and without her trust, I fear I will never feel the softness of her lips again. I flutter between making her my property and giving her everything she desires. My fangs itch with a soul-deep yearning to bite and mark her as my own.
Briar stands and fixes her skirts. She glances down at me as I struggle to my feet, the pain in my side nearly unbearable. Before I can reach my height, she turns and begins walking toward the door. I attempt to follow, but she presses her hand to my chest.
“Tonight was lovely, Kane. I hope our future is filled with more just like this.” Her smile is rehearsed, just the same as I had seen it a hundred times since we met.
There’s a sadness I don’t quite understand dancing in the pit of my heart. She slips through the door, leaving me in the center of the room with a dumbfounded look on my face.
I send the tray and empty bottle of wine away with the servants and reluctantly retire to my sleeping quarters. The scent of Briar’s perfume and that subtle hint of vanilla still clings to my shirt. I strip everything off and crawl beneath the covers. With a deep breath, I call forth my power and pull the darkness into my body to heal my wounds. Shadow wraps around me with its icy embrace until the pain bleeds out of my tired limbs. If not for that, I would lay awake thinking of Briar but the exhaustion slams into me without mercy. With the relief of my pain, a much deeper sleep than I am accustomed to sends me spiraling off into the dream world.
The persistent knock on the door the following morning is followed by Willem’s face hovering over me. I blink open my eyes and scowl, not wanting to wake just yet. “Last thing I wanted to wake up to was your beat up mug.”
The reaper scuffs at my failed attempt at humor and crosses his arms over his chest. He taps his foot impatiently against the floor of my room as I tear myself from the rejuvenating sanctity of my bed and put on some clothes. “You know, sometimes I think you forget that I’m your king.”
“I don’t forget, I just don’t prioritize your rank over our friendship. Unlike you.” Willem feigns offense and trails along behind me as we return to the office.
“Planning for this trip won’t happen unless I can move you to sit and decide exactly what path is best,” Willem defiantly says as I take a seat behind my desk. “We are facing a long and arduous journey, only made worse by the fact that we have to look after a mortal the entire way. If it were just us…”
“It’s not,” I pointedly say, cutting him off. “There is no use in fighting over that fact. You know just as well as I do that we need her. Briar is vital to our plans.”
For the past few days, we’ve overlooked the proposed details for our trek through the underworld countless times.
Willem stares at me for a couple of moments, gauging my anger, knowing when he has pushed too far. He clears his throat and looks down at the map strewn across my desk. Pointing at one of the many options of routes, his eyes shift up toward mine. “We could cut through the mountains to shorten the distance. Not only will it benefit us, but it will make the trek all the less stressful for the mortal. I know that is one of your concerns.”
Crossing my arms, I shake my head. “Not with Briar with us. The creatures that dwell there are likely to sense her mortality. I can’t shield her scent the entire journey or else I’ll be too drained to fight, if that’s what it comes to. I used a lot of strength to heal my wounds and I’m still restoring my depleted energy. And let’s face it, you can’t take on those creatures on your own, nor
