by Donna Grant
He went over every detail of the plan and tried to determine where things could go wrong. The problem was there were too many places. Kiril limited Shara’s involvement just in case she had a change of heart, or—even worse—Balladyn got ahold of her.
With nothing to do but wait, Kiril continued to doze while thinking of ways he wanted to take his anger out on Balladyn for what he had done to Rhi—and what he might do to Shara if Balladyn discovered she was helping him.
If Rhys were with him, Kiril knew his friend would caution him about trusting a Dark. He knew the chances, but if there was even the slightest chance that Shara really did want to help, then he had to take it.
Kiril wasn’t senseless, and though his body yearned for her with a passion that couldn’t be explained, he knew there was still the chance that Shara could be luring him into her well-crafted web.
It wasn’t just the all-consuming desire that drew Kiril to her. It was her smile, her sharp mind, her soft touch. It was her eyes that gave away her every emotion, it was the strip of silver in her coal black hair.
It was the way she’d made him feel whole since his dragons were sent away.
Please doona let me be wrong about her.
* * *
Shara felt … free. It was the only word that came to mind as she stood outside of her family’s home in the back garden. Never in her wildest dreams did she dare to talk to her parents as she had.
She wasn’t sure what had come over her.
Yes, you do. Kiril.
There was no doubt. Kiril had changed her, and not just by the way her body reacted to him. He altered the way she thought and the way she saw things. He made her take stock of her life and how she saw her future, of how she wanted to live.
He was the one who accepted her for what she was and didn’t demand anything from her or of her. He let her be herself, right or wrong. That had shown her what kind of person she could be—what kind she wanted to be.
The confidence she’d always had disappeared while locked away in her room, and somehow she had found it again in Kiril’s arms. She remembered she was strong, smart, and resilient.
Shara breathed deeply, a smile on her face. Any moment now Kiril would arrive so she could take him to the doorway to Balladyn’s fortress. He didn’t know it yet, but she was coming with him. He would put up a fuss. In the end, however, she would get her way because he would realize he needed her.
A frisson of something cold and foreboding ran down her spine. Balladyn wasn’t going to be as easy as her parents. He would have his entire army with him, but he had no idea what she had in store for him.
Like most powerful Dark, he would assume he could punish her for her so-called indiscretion. Shara wanted to laugh. As if she would allow that now. No one would ever again hold her prisoner.
Balladyn had enjoyed her spirit. She would wait for the right time and kill him. Dark like Balladyn would never think a female could hurt them. She didn’t want anyone coming after her when it was all over—not Balladyn, not her family. No one.
She would be the one in control of her life. She would be the one to decide if she took a husband and who.
Shara could hardly contain her excitement for the dawning of a new era in her life, but before she was able to grasp it, she would have to put herself in peril. She was scared, but if Kiril was willing to risk his own life for Rhi, Shara would do the same to help Kiril.
It was frightening how much she was willing to do for Kiril. He had no idea the hold he had on her heart or how, without even trying, he made her see the true path she was destined to take.
“Just wait,” she whispered.
“Wait for what?” asked a deep, menacing voice behind her.
Shara was frozen with shock. This wasn’t the plan.
Thick fingers bit into her skin as Balladyn’s hand reached across her and clamped on her jaw. He slowly turned her until she faced him. The coldness she had glimpsed while he terrorized Farrell was now directed at her, and it iced her veins.
“I asked you a question. You will answer.”
Fear kept her silent for a moment, then she remembered who she was. Shara narrowed her gaze on him. “I’m not yours yet, nor will I be if you continue this.”
“According to your family, you’re mine,” he said and leaned close, squeezing her chin until tears burned her eyes.
Balladyn might be the right hand to Taraeth and a famed warrior. But he was just a male like every other Dark Fae who thought they could rule the females. How she loathed him. What made her ever think to use him? How stupid she’d been to think he was the answer to get out from beneath her family.
“I’m not yours until the Claiming,” she said tightly, refusing to let the pain show.
He loosened his grip a fraction and pulled her against him so that his mouth was even with her ear. “You will be mine. Don’t even think of fighting the inevitable.”
Shara didn’t think she could hate anyone as much as she hated Farrell. How wrong she had been. She envisioned lopping off Balladyn’s head or cutting out his heart. Instead of telling him to go fuck himself, Shara held her tongue. One way or another she needed to buy Kiril time to get to Rhi.
Kiril was smart. He would figure out a way into Balladyn’s fortress. Shara wouldn’t be able to show him the doorway, but she would ensure Balladyn’s attention was focused solely on her.
She jerked her head out of his grasp and raised her chin. “Convince me you’re the male worthy enough for me.”
“Oh, I’ll convince you,” he said and yanked her against him.
It was all Shara could do not to shrink away in revulsion as she felt Balladyn’s arousal.
Dreagan
Lily dusted off her knees and stood from restocking the twelve-year-old Scotch, Dreagan’s bestseller. She rotated her left wrist that still ached. It had been three months since the break had healed, but she feared it would always pain her.
The bones that had been snapped in half throbbed agonizingly a few hours before the rain came. It was like an early warning sign.
She glanced at the clock with the Dreagan logo of two dragons back-to-back, announcing it was well past time to end her shift. It was an early closing day for Dreagan, which meant she had the rest of the afternoon to herself. She grabbed the empty box and brought it behind the counter so Rhys or one of the others could take it to have it filled again.
There was very little wasted on Dreagan, and Lily found she liked the concept. It also helped that she could relax there. Relaxing hadn’t been something she’d thought she would ever do again.
With all the tourists gone for the day, she filled a pail with water and headed through the open door outside to water the rosebushes set in huge clay pots on either side of the door.
Lily watered the first bush and leaned in to smell the fragrant creamy orange blossom. She turned to the second pot when she stilled as she caught sight of Rhys.
He was dressed in black jeans that looked light gray on the thigh as if they had been sanded. His button-down shirt was white and the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. The back of the shirt had black wings embroidered and spread across his wide shoulders. The ensemble was completed with black boots, a black leather cuff at his right wrist, and a watch on his left.
Lily couldn’t take her eyes off him. His dark brown hair was left loose, the long waves falling to brush his shoulders. From the distance she couldn’t see his eyes, but she knew the color by heart—aqua ringed by navy.
He was smiling, his steps purposeful. Lily was about to call out a hello when he jerked to a stop and whipped his head around as someone said his name.
As soon as Lily saw Constantine she knew she should go back inside the shop, but she wanted just a few more minutes to gaze at Rhys with no one watching her. She lifted the pail to water the second bush when Con’s voice reached her.
“Wanted to let you know that I heard from Kiril.”
Rhys’s smile widened. “I’m guessing it’s good new
s, then?”
“Aye. He’ll be home soon. I gave him until noon, but I suspect he’s wanting a last farewell with his woman.”
Rhys’s smile vanished as he looked at his watch. “You spoke with him at dawn, aye?”
Con slapped him on the arm, his eyes crinkling in the corners from smiling. “Be happy, Rhys. Kiril is coming home. He’s no’ reckless as you are. If he says he’s going to do something, he’ll do it. Besides, I’m giving him another hour before I contact him again.”
“You’re right,” Rhys said grudgingly.
Lily felt something wet hit her toe in her sandals. She looked down to discover she had overflowed the pot. “Oh, dang,” she mumbled and quickly stepped back.
When she looked up, Rhys was no longer in the same spot. She let her gaze quickly roam, but she didn’t see him. With a sigh, she began to turn to enter the shop when she heard his voice filled with merriment.
“Ladies!” he shouted.
She gradually turned her head to find two women leaning on Rhys’s red convertible Jaguar F-type. The women were drop-dead gorgeous, both tall, with long legs, slender bodies, and plump breasts. Both were blondes and had long, full hair. They stood, all smiles, as Rhys walked up.
Suddenly conscious of her dour, plain clothes that were several sizes too big, Lily glanced down at herself. She pulled on the oversized top and grimaced.
Rhys put an arm around the women before kissing each of them fully on the lips. He then walked them around to the passenger side of the car and opened the door. “Buckle up,” he said with a grin as he closed the door and strode to the driver’s side.
Lily swallowed hard as Cassie walked up beside her, her head shaking from side to side in displeasure. “That car only fits two. He can’t have two women in one seat,” she said in her American accent.
“He’s gorgeous. It’s no wonder he always has such beautiful women on his arms.”
Cassie snorted derisively. “Puh-leeze, Lily. If you look up the word skank, you’ll find a picture of those women beside it.”
Lily found herself chuckling, but it didn’t make her feel any better. Rhys was so far out of her league he wasn’t even a speck on the horizon.
“He’s charming. Always has been,” Cassie continued. “But I wouldn’t set my sights on him, if I were you.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Lily said and walked back into the shop.
She set down the pail behind the counter and grasped her purse. When she straightened, there was a smile on her face. She had perfected it after years of learning to deftly hide the pain within her. “Good night.”
“I’m only trying to help.” Cassie stood in the doorway, blocking her exit. “I never meant to hurt you.”
“You didn’t,” Lily answered honestly. She rubbed her wrist. “It’s just been a long day.”
Cassie nodded and moved to allow her to pass. She was walking past when Cassie sucked in a quick breath. Lily didn’t have to look to know that she had seen the scar on her back.
“My God, Lily. What happened?”
She turned away quickly so that her back was no longer visible to Cassie. “It was an accident a long time ago.”
“Of course. My apologies,” Cassie said hastily.
Lily removed her purse from her shoulder and fixed her shirt to hide the scar. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You bet.”
Lily’s legs felt as heavy as lead as she walked to her car. Would her lies never be finished? Would she never outrun her past?
She was so tired of reliving those years. If only she could have left the memories behind when she got away, but they were buried too deep in too much pain. It was why they revisited her every night in her dreams.
And it was one of a thousand reasons why she could only look at a man like Rhys and daydream of what could never—would never—be.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Shara stood in the middle of Balladyn’s chamber and waited for what was to come. He wanted her, but she wasn’t sure if he would wait until the Claiming to take her or not. Shara hoped he waited, because she wouldn’t be able to fake her enjoyment of him touching her. Not after she knew what true pleasure was in Kiril’s arms.
“Strip,” Balladyn demanded.
Shara raised a brow. “Why would I do that?”
“Because I want to see you.”
The longer he stared at her, the more anxiety filled her. “After the Claiming.”
“You wanted me, remember,” he said as he lounged on the bed leaning on one elbow. “You sought me out. I know it wasn’t for my charm. You wanted what my power could grant you—a chance to get away from your family.”
Shara shrugged. “That’s true. You’re the only Dark that wouldn’t worship every word my father spouted. You would make the rules.”
“I do make the rules, Shara. For everyone.”
“I thought that was Taraeth.”
Balladyn smiled slowly. “Have you seen Taraeth since the human lopped off his arm? He’s not the same. It won’t be long before I’m ruling.”
“Everyone knows you’ll take Taraeth’s place.”
“You have the cunning mind to be a perfect partner for me.” He sat up and looked her up and down. “Yesterday I thought it was what you wanted, but that was before I knew you were sent to seduce the Dragon King.”
Shara wisely kept silent. This made her all too aware of how little she knew of Balladyn. She had heard stories, but that was different than the man himself. For the first time, Shara wondered if she had gotten herself in too deep.
“Did you bed him?” Balladyn asked.
Shara held his gaze, refusing to talk.
Balladyn came off the bed in a blur of movement to put his face to hers. “Did you sully yourself as Rhi did with a Dragon King?” he yelled.
For a split second, Shara almost returned his yell with a “Yes!” But somehow she kept her wits about her. Balladyn might have been an impressive warrior for the Light, but his mind wasn’t fully intact now. Whatever the Dark did to him to turn him had taken part of his mind.
Shara tried to teleport out, only to hear Balladyn’s laughter as he walked slowly around her.
“Do you really think I would allow anyone other than myself to be able to appear or disappear in my chamber?” He shook his head, his eyes alight with malice. “You’re not going anywhere, Shara. I told you, you are mine.”
She tried to gather her magic, but nothing was happening. Shara turned and started running for the door when she was hit with a blast of magic from behind, slamming her into the door.
The wind was knocked out of her as she crumpled to the floor, leaving her powerless as Balladyn stood over her. With one twist of his hands, his magic divested her of her clothes.
Shara gasped in a breath and kicked out at him. If only she had managed to connect with his balls. She merely succeeded in angering him. She was beyond caring at that point. All she wanted was to get away, to get out of his chamber so she could teleport somewhere safe.
It became apparent a moment later how great Balladyn’s magic was as he had her in the middle of the room with her arms held above her, hanging so that her toes only skimmed the floor.
Was this how a human felt? So helpless and powerless? She was filled with fury … and terror. Her magic wasn’t anything to sneeze at, and yet she couldn’t bring forth a pinkie full of it thanks to Balladyn.
He kept just out of sight except for his black boots as he walked around her. The humiliation of standing naked in the middle of his chamber was only the beginning. Shara knew he would do so much more to her.
She wondered if Kiril had come to her house yet. The fact Balladyn was with her meant that he wasn’t looking for Kiril yet. And she had to wonder why. If it was so important to catch a Dragon King, why was he lingering?
“Why did you leave the pub?” Balladyn suddenly asked.
She swallowed and cut her eyes to the side when she glimpsed his boots. “As if I’d remain and get b
etween two males fighting.”
Balladyn cackled. “That wasn’t a fight. That was my boot stomping on an ant.” There was a pause before he touched her head, causing her to jump. His hand then slid through her hair. “If you hate Farrell as much as he despises you, then you should’ve wanted to see him put in his place. But you didn’t watch it, which leads me to believe you used the time to go somewhere else. Your Dragon King, perhaps? What’s his name?”
“Why would I want to be near a Dragon King?” Shara retorted, hoping the heat she added to her words would be enough to convince Balladyn.
He continued his caress down her back, pausing to fondle first one butt cheek and then the other. “I wanted to show you off, and I wanted you to see how I hurt Farrell. For you. I almost believed your lies, just as I believed Rhi’s once.”
Shara’s heart pounded at his words. His meaning went deeper, but she wasn’t sure how deep when it came to Rhi.
Her attention was diverted as he continued to stroke her skin. She wanted to cover herself and scream at him to never touch her again, but she couldn’t. Not if she wanted to get out of this alive and be able to help Kiril. In the end, she knew her chances of living were on the slim side, but she would do it for Kiril.
No one had ever cared enough about her to risk such danger. Rhi had no idea how lucky she was, and Shara wished she could be the one to tell her.
“What’s this?” Balladyn’s voice had gone hard.
Shara’s lungs locked when she realized he was tracing the spot on her shoulder that Kiril had nipped. Kiril had marked her. She hadn’t comprehended it until then and it gave her hope. A man didn’t mark his lover on a whim.
If there was a chance that he had feelings for her Shara would fight with everything she had to return to him.
She had to think of a story fast, or everything she had done to stay alive would vanish in an instant. “It was the Dragon King’s response when I teased him to a state of desire and refused to finish him.”
“Why would you do that?” Balladyn asked skeptically.