Starkeeper of the Fractured Crown

My body still shivered remembering how hungry he sounded. Hungry for me. Seconds before Mark had walked in, I half thought he would lose control. I thought he might have…

I swallowed, shoving the thoughts away, trying to calm my heart.

How long had it been since I had actually finished?

A month? I couldn’t remember. Whenever I let those strangers fuck me while Trick was gone. I finished with two of them.

But since?

I had considered helping myself to find my own end after Mark went back to bed, but the mood was gone. Trick had left, and my thoughts went back to the cottage. If I had enough. Feeding Cole, Mark, and myself, I was going through food too quickly.

My thoughts had also drifted back to Evanora’s threat.

“Bring me the boy or we’ll hunt you to the ends of the world to capture him ourselves.”

I remembered what Raphael had said too. How they would destroy Mark if they got their hands on him.

How could I find my release with that on my mind?

Now I stood across the town square from the castle, staring at those looming double doors, wondering what Madam Levine would think of me now. Out of all of the stupid, reckless decisions I had made, this had to be the worst.

When I went into that castle, there was a chance I would never leave, but I wanted to make it clear to the witch that I wasn’t giving Mark up, and she could hunt him down all she wanted, she would never find him.

I would make sure of it while I was still here. When I disappeared, Cole would take him to Penny’s Court, and I was sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Penny would never let anyone harm him.

It was part of her law. He would be safe forever.

“What are you doing?”

Even the sound of his voice had me forcing myself not to press my thighs together.

I honestly hadn’t expected to see him today. I trulyhadn’t and I had to admit that I was slightly annoyed that he had come.

I stepped back into the shadows and turned to him. He was wearing all black today, save for his blood red tie. He stood in the darkest parts of the shadows, and I couldn’t help but wonder why. He could choose who saw him, he didn’t need to hide like that.

“I’m going to speak with Evanora,” I replied, folding my arms across my chest. “What are you doing?”

His eyes were hard, icy, so far away from how he had looked last night that it almost took my breath away. “I’m wondering why you’re wanting to go back.”

“Yeah? Well I’m wondering why you’re even here,” I countered, looking him over. I didn’t need him distracting me, not while I was trying to be strong and unwavering.

“Where else would I be, Angel? You’re here.”

I shrugged, bitter about last night. “You usually disappear for a week or more after teasing me. Shame, I assume, but I truly didn’t expect to see you until next week.”

His eyes narrowed and he melted away from the shadows. “Shame?” he breathed as if it were the most preposterous thing I could have said. “I don’tfeelshame, especially when it comes to you.”

“Hmm,” I nodded, and turned back towards the castle. “Can you summon the rest of your shadows? Evanora didn’t sense Aniya, but I don’t want to take a bigger risk than that.” Aniya was a good name for her, I thought. It fit her.

“You’re angry because I’ve left? Did youmiss me, Angel? Is that why?”

I scoffed. “In your dreams.”

“Don’t lie to me now,” he warned, his voice deadly.

I swallowed, my spine tingling at the threat in his tone. “Just take your shadows and go do whatever it is you do for the next week. I’ll see you when you return to collect a half-finished orgasm again.” I didn’t want him to go, but I would never admit that to him. Ever. It was pathetic. Desperate, and wasn’t I supposed to be playing prey? I couldn’t let him know that I wanted to be caught. It’d boost his already over-inflated ego too much.

Between one breath and the next, Trick had me pinned against the wall, one hand gripping my waist, the other settling above my head.