“Yes.”
“You’re going to see her now?”
“Yes.”
“There are a thousand things that will haveto be taken care of; why would you go see her now?”
“Because I have to.”
The door slammed shut behind him, and thenthe padding sound of Brokk’s soft boots sounded against the stoneas he hurried after him. Cole didn’t look back at his brother as henavigated the palace halls toward his room.
He’d spent his entire life within thesewalls, and during that time, he’d passed the numerous closed doorsthat would never open to him. Those rooms belonged to others, andthey would not open to anyone but them, even if they were dead.
He wondered if the palace would seal off hisfather’s room now, too; a pang broke through his rage to pierce hisheart, but he swiftly buried it. This was not the time or place; hehad to see Lexi then meet with the dark fae council and arrange tostart the trials.
Once that was settled and the trials wereover, he would use his power to help him find a way to sink hisclaws into the Lord and rip him to pieces. He would celebrate asthat bastard’s blood covered him.
“Cole.” Brokk reached for his arm, but bloodcoated him so thickly that his brother hesitated before loweringhis hand without touching him. “The fae council is going to descendon this palace as soon as they learn of father’s death.”
“I know.”
“They won’t want either of us ruling. We’reonly half breeds.”
“They’re not going to have a choice.”
“Great. Fantastic. Glad to hear you say thatbecause I’d really like to kill the Lord, and we’re going to needthe power of the fae throne behind us to help with that, but ifyou’re not here when they arrive, then what? I don’t want to throwmyself in the ring as I want nothing to do with ruling theGloaming.”
“I know.”
“You never wanted to rule it either.”
“I still don’t.”
“Then—”
“I don’t have a choice either. I amgoing to rule because if I don’t, the Lord is going to destroy usall,” Cole interrupted. “I will rule because I’m going to fuckingkill that prick if it’s the last thing I do. But I have tosee Lexi first.”
“Cole—”
Brokk stopped speaking and took a startledstep back when Cole spun on him. “She’s my mate, Brokk. She’smine, and I am going to see her. If the council shows uphere before I return, then you will have to stall them. I don’tcare how you do it. Just do it.”
Brokk gawked at him, and this time when Colewalked away from him, it was a few seconds before his brotherscrambled to catch up again.
“Your mate as in your lycan mate?”Brokk demanded when he arrived at Cole’s side again.
“Yes.”
“Holy shit. Why didn’t you say something? Icould have checked on her.”
“I wasn’t expecting to be gone so long.” Orto come back soaked in his father’s blood. “I didn’t expect any ofthis.”
And he’d certainly never expected to watchhis father die, to be forced to endure the trials, rule theGloaming, or have the Lord breathing down his neck about hisrebellious brothers. He hadn’t expected to leave Lexi for nearlytwo weeks when he walked away from her manor.
Because of his dark fae nature, she probablythought he’d abandoned her, and she had every right to believethat, but he would make sure she learned the truth. And he had tomake sure she was safe before starting the trials. He would neverget through them if he were worried about her, and there wasno way Cole could let her keep thinking that he’d used herand left her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Brokk demanded.
“I wasn’t ready.”
Brokk didn’t speak again as Cole continued tohis room. He hated the silence that descended because with thesilence came the memories, and every room and hallway he everentered this place contained memories of his father.
His father had walked these halls. He’d ruledover and loved them, just as he’d loved his children. And hischildren loved him.
With every corner Cole turned, he expected tofind his father gliding toward him. A smile would brighten his facewhen he saw Cole, and his arms would open for a quick embrace andpat on the back.
Tove, King of the dark fae, was a cold andruthless ruler to the outside world. To his sons, he was a man whowas loved, and they loved him in return.
Cole fingered the rings his father gave himbefore everything went to shit. The rings once belonged to hisfather and mother, and now they were his. And he hoped that one dayLexi would wear his mother’s.
But that was an obstacle for a later time.Now, Cole just had to see her, to make sure she was safe, andreturn here to take control of the Gloaming.
He sneered at the reminder. He never thoughtanything would ever happen to his father. The man had ruled theselands for over seven hundred years; he was ruler before Cole wasborn. He’d been the longest-running dark fae king, and in a moment…just one, lightning-fast, hideous fucking moment, he was gone.
Cole shuddered as some of his rage ebbed, andthe grief crept back in again. Except, he had no time forgrief.
He had trials to survive, a throne to ascend,and hell to unleash.
Lexi and Cole’s story continues in Shadows of Discovery.
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ABOUT THEAUTHOR
Brenda K. Davies is the USA Today Bestselling authorof the Vampire Awakening Series, Alliance Series, Road to HellSeries, Hell on Earth Series, and historical romantic fiction. Shealso writes under the pen name, Erica Stevens. When not out withfriends and family, she can be found at home with her husband, son,dogs, cat, and horse.
