Servants handed Lex clothes and food before she stepped through Camille’s portal—to a scene she’d hoped to never see again.
Lex was back in her worst nightmare. Dammit.
Dark Castle might be antiquated, but at least there were people. Out here, in the grave caves, no less, there was only ice and snow-covered mountains. Adding ghosts to the mix was just cruel.
Lex stood at the entrance to a massive cavity Garrin had blown a hole into—literally; he blew on it and the ice and snow that had packed the entrance melted away. “Are you sure this isn’t one of the burial sites?” She inched closer to him.
The walls inside the cave were relatively smooth, with a dirt floor and rocks and stones along the inner walls. “This one was a barracks of sorts,” he said. “Soldiers lived here during battles.”
The place was huge, so Lex could imagine a bunch of seven-foot Fae soldiers hunkering down. Still, burial caves and deadly wars? “There isn’t someplace else we can hide? A loyal friend’s hut, perhaps?” she asked hopefully.
Garrin’s jaw was tense. “I’m afraid not. I would rather you be cared for by my court, but after what Zed did…it’s not to be.”
“Zed?”
Garrin frowned. “He was the head guard who took me. A friend I’ve known all of my life.”
Lex grabbed his hand. He was being betrayed on all sides. “I’m sorry.”
Guilt washed over his face. “It is I who should be sorry. Much as I despise that Jasper creature, he had the right of it. I brought you into harm’s way, and I’ll do everything within my power to get you out.”
Lex gripped his hand tighter. She didn’t regret the turn her life had taken. And she didn’t regret being with Garrin. In fact, she worried more about his plan for her to leave and what that would mean. Would he go with her? She also wanted to know why his father’s soldiers had taken him away. “What did the king’s guards do to you?”
His chest fell on a heavy sigh. “They asked me questions.”
“What questions?”
He waited for Keen and Derek, the tall men carrying blankets and other rations from Em’s house, to pass. “It’s not important. Your mother was right about my father; that is all. We must get you out with the help of your friends.”
That sounded an awful lot like Garrin didn’t plan on going with her. Which didn’t sit well. Not well at all. They were in this together. But before Lex could say as much, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Camille slump over a large stone.
Lex rushed over, and Garrin followed. “Are you all right, Camille?” she asked.
Camille tilted her head up and smiled wearily. “I am fine, only tired. The Ancient Allon enhances my powers, but carrying power-heavy Fae and Halven across a kingdom after traversing the Land of Ice is draining.”
Garrin called to Zirel, and the healer ran over.
“Can you help her?” Lex asked.
Zirel shook his head slowly. “I cannot give her back her magic. Only time can do that. But I can ease her exhaustion.” Zirel placed his hand on Camille’s back and rubbed up and down.
She relaxed for a moment, then suddenly looked up, her gaze intent on something beyond the entrance of the cave. “Two Fae are about to emerge. It could be Amund, but I cannot be certain. Too drained…”
Garrin shoved Lex behind him and unsheathed a sword attached to his back—right as Amund stumbled into the cave, followed by Lex’s mother.
“Mom!” Lex rounded Garrin and embraced Isle. The hug wasn’t as familiar as it should be, but Lex drew comfort in knowing her mother was safe.
Isle stepped back and glared at Garrin. “Did I not tell you?”
Garrin put away his sword, his expression a mix of frustration and anger. “You were correct.” He scanned the people inside the cave. “Now that we are all here, it is time we hide our presence.” He waved his hand across the entrance of the cave, and a wall of ice and snow formed, enclosing them inside. His gaze darted between Lex and the wall as though he were realizing too late his mistake. “Does the barrier bother you?”
Garrin had witnessed her anxieties one too many times during their travels. But she didn’t experience the same panic she once did. She was never going to be a fan of snow, but it no longer caused her fight-or-flight response to go into hyperdrive. “I’m okay.”
“We’re all okay,” Isle said sarcastically. “Now, can we get back to what you learned, Dark Prince? What is your father’s plan?”
Em walked up to Lex right as Garrin was about to answer. “It is cold, and we should change.”
Lex met Garrin’s gaze, but he said nothing.
Was he really not going to answer in front of her? “Did you discover the king’s motives?”
Garrin sent Lex a soft smile. “Go with Em. She will show you to one of the inner chambers.”
Lex’s mouth parted in disbelief. She glanced at her mother, who’d turned her back to Lex.
Were they truly going to keep her out of this?
The cave was freezing, and Lex was shivering because neither she nor Em had changed out of their wet clothing before they left for the caves. It turned out sharing a coat only offered partial coverage from the elements. That didn’t mean she wanted to leave the conversation. But Garrin simply waited.
Isle walked over to Camille, and Camille’s expression softened with affection.
Neither Isle nor Garrin were going to talk. At least, not with Lex around. “I know what you’re doing,” she said to Garrin. “If I’m the one in danger, I should know the facts.”
Garrin gave her a small nod. “Understood.”
Did he? Did he truly?
Lex was stronger in Dark Kingdom, and she wanted to be a part of the solution and not stuck in the shadows anymore. But her mother was angry at Garrin and blamed him for everything, and Garrin hadn’t been acting right since the king’s soldiers whisked him away. Lex wasn’t going to get anything out of them if she pushed now.
She shot a warning look at Garrin, signaling that this conversation wasn’t over, then followed Em out of the main cave and down a low, narrow passageway where a half-dozen offshoots of deeper caves existed.
“This place is a labyrinth,” Lex muttered as she hunched to avoid a silvery stalactite.
Em looked around. “I’ve never been here, but my parents have spoken of it. The quicker we leave, the better.”
Lex and Em chose one of the smaller offshoot caves and changed into clothes similar to what Lex had on, only dry.
Lex shivered at the warmth of clean, dry fabric. “I’ve never felt anything so good.”
Em flung the soaked dress she’d been wearing disgustedly to the side and tugged out two heavy coats from the bag she’d been carrying. “You won’t need this inside the cave. Our clothes are enhanced to keep us warmer, but keep the coat near.”
“In case of what?”
Em bit her lip. “If we need to leave suddenly, you won’t want to be outside in the elements without it.”
Lex clutched the coat to her chest. “Good point.”
“Do not worry. The prince is a master strategist. In his short life, he’s helped the king maintain power through two wars and survived many trips through the Land of Ice. He will ensure we get you out safely.”
“What about you, Em? If the king knows you’ve helped me, which he must at this point, you’re in danger too.”
Em smiled. “You’ve met my mother and father. There’s a reason my parents are related to the king and haven’t lost their heads. They are ruthless, and the king is indebted to them.”
“Indebted how?”
Em frowned, her gaze turning inward. “That I do not know, but I know it to be so. I fear my parents may have helped the king in ways that haven’t always been in our people’s best interest.”
Lex thought about that a moment. “They might not have had much choice.”
Em nodded. “Perhaps. Even so, I’m at your service.”
Lex touched Em’s arm. “You’re my only friend, Em.”
She shook her head slowly. “Not true. You have a friend in the prince. More than a friend. He is much changed since he came home. I’ve never seen him devoted to any woman. And he is devoted to you.”
Lex didn’t know about devoted, but there was something between them that grew with each day.
“Come,” Em said. “Let us return so you can discover what the king is up to.”
“Exactly!” Lex said. “Why did you pull me away during a crucial conversation?”
They started down the cave’s narrow inner corridor. “More will be disclosed if they do not fear worrying you,” Em said. “And we can always pry it out of the others later.”
Lex stopped and stared at her friend. “You’re very devious.”
Em laughed. “Indeed. All those years spent in the prince’s court.”
Lex looped her arm through Em’s, and they continued through the cave maze until they made it to the larger cavern where the others were getting organized. Except for Garrin and Isle, who were glaring at each other.
“Oh, no. What are they doing now?” The antagonism between Garrin and Isle wouldn’t do. They needed to work together if they were to leave together.
Em frowned. “Don’t underestimate your influence on the prince. He will listen to you.” She released Lex’s arm and tipped her chin in Garrin’s direction. “Go to him.”
“I don’t know about influence, but I’ll do my best to keep those two from brawling.”
Lex took a deep breath and approached Garrin. Her mother sent Lex a tense smile and walked away. “I see you’re getting along well with my mom.”
Garrin’s brow furrowed. “Ah, I see. You are jesting.”
“Why are you and Isle fighting?”
Garrin absently brushed hair off her shoulder, the back of his warm knuckles skimming her neck and sending shivers down her body. “Your mother is a fine person, but her experience with my father has tainted her opinion of me. I do not blame her.”
“Won’t that be a problem? What if something goes wrong? How are we going to safely get out of here if none of us trust each other?”
“It matters most that you and I trust each other, yes?”
Warmth suffused her face at the intimate look in his eyes. “Yes.”
A long moment passed before Lex realized she and Garrin stood so close that she could feel the heat blasting off him. And that it had grown quiet inside the cave. The others, attempting to look busy, glanced every now and then in Garrin and Lex’s direction.
Garrin’s gaze slid down her body, his expression distracted.
Her stomach wobbled and she stepped back a few inches. She cleared her throat. “How long can we stay here before your father finds us?”
He scratched the stubble along his jaw that had begun to grow. “A few days, at most. Our magic isn’t as sophisticated as your human GPS, but your power level is unique. It won’t take my father long to discover where we are.”
Not for the first time, Lex realized how much danger she was putting them in. “First of all, I’m not human. Second, when have you used GPS?”
Garrin picked up a round stone and weighed it in his hand. “The Earth realm has many useful tools. I used everything at my disposal to find you.”
“Aren’t you worried your dad will find us before we can leave?”
“We have no choice but to wait until Camille has rested. Chances are that between her and Amund, and their ability to detect magic, we’ll be long gone before anyone finds us.”
Lex’s shoulders loosened. “That’s good. What should we do in the meantime?”
Garrin gathered more rocks and set them in a large circle at the center of the cave. “We plot our escape. Nothing can be done to save my people in our present state. We must leave the Land of Ice and my father, and beg assistance from another kingdom. There are others like Amund and Camille, with the ability to create portals, but not many. And none as powerful as what my people need to escape Dark Kingdom.”
He set another stone in the circle and looked at his work. “Thousands live in Dark Kingdom. I’m afraid of what my father would do if we left anyone behind. We need a way to get everyone out at once. And right now, I know of no way.” Garrin frowned.
She hadn’t missed that he’d said “our escape.” Lex placed her hand on his arm. “We will find a way, but are you sure everyone will come?”
“Most wish to move freely between our land and the other kingdoms. And Earth. There are those who wish to venture off this realm.”
“Is that a good idea?”
Garrin looked at her, his gaze sultry. “Certainly not.”
Lex swallowed. She might be Fae, but it was still new to her. As far as she was concerned, she was extremely vulnerable to this man’s magnetism. What sort of havoc would beautiful Fae let loose on Earth cause?
A hell of a lot. Halven—there would be a shitload of new Halven.
But then Lex thought of Elena and Derek, and Keen’s girlfriend, Reese. They were half Fae, and Lex felt inferior beside their confidence and capability. Maybe more Halven wasn’t such a bad thing.
Garrin glanced across the cave at Elena as though reading Lex’s mind. “It is useful that the Halven queen of New Kingdom and the Old Kingdom king are among us. I’m told they detected me and my men entering their lands on my way to find you, and Jasper asked for their assistance in getting you back. Presumably, they wished to know what Dark Fae were up to and if we were a threat. Which my father most certainly is.” He let out a long sigh. “Now I must convince their courts of a truce with Dark Kingdom. Elena is not popular among her people, and Keen is only newly crowned. A deal must be brokered before the kingdoms will allow Dark Fae into their lands.”
He looked at the circle he’d created as though insuring its symmetry, then back at her. “I don’t know how much you recall of our history, but brokering a deal with those who have traditionally been our enemy will not come easily. Dark Kingdom rulers were inhospitable even before we were locked away.” He dusted off his hands on his pants. “Perhaps someday I can return with an army and deal with my father. No matter what, Dark Fae must come first.”
That sounded an awful lot like he was going to shelter her from danger and put himself in it. This was her land too. Her kingdom. And she felt a profound urge to rid it of tyranny. “We can determine the specifics later,” she said, and his mouth turned down. “What did you learn about your father?”
“Enough to know he will do anything to get his hands on you.” Garrin stepped closer and towered over her. “I will never allow that, Lexandra.”
Truth be told, the Dark King’s influence over the land was scary. Garrin had indicated Fae kings and queens needed support from their followers, and yet Casone Branimir had manipulated his kingdom and pulled the wool over the eyes of most everyone.
“It’s not safe for you to fight your father. The soldiers and men in robes who took you are loyal to him.”
Garrin lifted an eyebrow. “I allowed them to take me because I wanted to draw attention away from you. And to discover who controlled them. For now, the soldiers are loyal to my father, but my father has betrayed them too, if everything your mother says is true. I would be no better than my father should I allow him to continue as he has.”
Zirel walked up and dragged a heavy hand down the top of his head. It had been a long day. “The camp is set up, my prince. We should rest for a few hours.”
Garrin moved toward the entrance and waved a hand over the ice and snow he’d sealed the cave off with earlier, thickening it and darkening the cave further.
“And that is why he is the Ice Prince,” Isle said forbiddingly.
Lex turned to see her mother standing across the circle of stones, staring at Garrin. She looked at Lex. “I sense the attachment, daughter, but never trust the Dark Prince. He is his father’s son.”
Garrin stood off to the side, speaking quietly with Zirel and strategically lighting small, suspended balls of blue fire around the cave. Keen and Reese walked up to one and raised their hands above it while continuing their conversation. Jas snarled at Garrin’s blue fireballs, but he moved closer to the heat too.
Lex turned toward Isle. “You’re wrong, Mom. Garrin is nothing like his father. He cares about his people.”
“Garrin has been his father’s mercenary since he was a boy. When the time comes, he will not turn on the Dark King.”
Lex’s memories of Dark Kingdom were as solid as swiss cheese. She remembered bits and pieces, but nothing concrete. Certainly nothing about Garrin and the royal court and his mercenary past. Even so, she didn’t believe what her mother said. And that felt wrong, continuing to disagree with a mother with whom she’d only just reconnected. So she walked away, not wanting to give in to her mom’s antagonism.
Lex was squeezing her hands, concerned about her mother’s distrust of Garrin, when he walked up to her.
“Everything okay?”
She nodded. “Thank you for keeping us warm.”
He glanced around. “I wish it were more. For now, this will have to do.” He waved his hand to the side, and a large fire roared inside the circle of stones he’d built.
Light flickered off his handsome profile, and her resolve strengthened. He might be an Ice Prince, as her mother said, but he was an Ice Prince who created fire. He wasn’t this cold shell of a person Isle believed him to be.
Her mother stood just outside the central firepit, arms crossed, studying Lex and watching everything that passed between her and Garrin.
Garrin caught Lex looking at her mother. “What has happened?”
Lex huffed out a sigh. “Isle believes you’ll hurt me.”
His brow furrowed ever so slightly. “Is that your opinion?”
She held his gaze. “You would never hurt me.”
He let out a deep breath and reached for her hand. “Nor will I allow harm to come to you.” He looked around at the others talking quietly in small groups while Camille slept to regain her portal abilities. “Will you rest a while with me?”
Lex swallowed. Rest, as in lie down? Next to him?
What was she thinking? She’d slept beside Garrin for weeks. This was no different.
Only it felt different. Now that they were in Dark Kingdom, Lex was not only strongly aware of her physical attraction to Garrin, but also her emotional connection to him as well. Lying beside each other alone left room for those feelings to manifest into something more.
Camille was passed out in a corner, and Zirel and Amund quietly talked near the entrance of the cave. Jas and the others had moved to the central firepit and sat around it in quiet discussion. “Where should we go?”
Garrin led her toward the back of the main cave, down the narrow passageway, and to the alcoves where Lex and Em had changed. He gestured to one of them. “Here?”
Lex entered, and Garrin walked to the back. He took off his coat and splayed it on the hard ground. His gaze grew hooded. “I would like to hold you, if that is all right?”
“We don’t have to pretend to be engaged. You don’t have to pretend to-to like me,” she stammered. “Everyone here knows who I really am.”
He studied her. “There is nothing fanciful about my feelings for you. You know that by now, yes?”
“Do I?”
He looked away. “I took you from your home and nearly got you killed, not to mention the danger you face inside my kingdom. I suppose you wouldn’t.” He stood and moved to her, gently pulling her closer. Lex was tall, but Garrin was easily a foot taller. “I should have predicted my father’s spies inside the castle. I know how his mind works. I am sorry for the trouble I have caused you.”
“Spies?”
He glanced at the entrance of their small cave and beyond, where the others resided. “Not Em, as far as I can tell.” He tilted his head. “You know, she has asked to be your lady. She no longer wishes to be a part of my court, but a member of yours.”
Lex laughed. “Court? I’m not royalty.”
He gave her a slow, leisurely look that ended on her mouth. “You are a queen in my eyes.”
“That was super cheesy.” She licked her suddenly dry lips. “Are you trying to seduce me?”
“Only if you want to be seduced.” His finger grazed her jaw, causing a flurry of sparks inside her chest.
“I might,” she said in a breathy voice. What was the Dark Prince doing to her?
Garrin waved his hand at the entrance, and an ice partition formed, blocking off the smaller cave.
She felt it. The magic that rushed through him when he drew on his powers and touched her at the same time. “Wow.”
“The shield is thin and can be taken down at any time. I thought we might want a small amount of privacy.”
Her eyes returned to his face and his mouth inches away. “Privacy is good. My surprise wasn’t at the ice wall, but at the magic I sensed when you made the barrier.”
He studied her face. “It is good that you are getting better at sensing your ability. At some point, you will have mastery of it, but I’m afraid that won’t be soon enough for our escape.” He gently pushed a lock of hair from her face. “Camille will regain her abilities by tomorrow or the next day, and between her and Amund, we will get you and your friends out of Dark Kingdom.”
Lex frowned. “My powers were supposed to help your people. I feel useless.”
He shook his head. “You cannot help anyone if you are harmed.”
“There has to be a way.”
He cradled her face with his hands. “Anything that pits you against my father, I will not allow.”
The heat from his palms was intoxicating. “You’re very bossy, you know that?”
“I am very protective of what is mine.” He leaned down and softly kissed her, his lips lingering above hers.
Her heart thumped in her chest, and she leaned up and returned the kiss, pressing her body closer.
Garrin tilted her head and took her mouth fully. He tugged at her chin and parted her lips, his tongue taking possession in a way that had her body trembling.
Body trembles? Could she be any more virginal?
Garrin pulled back. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” He looked intently into her eyes. “You understand that, yes?”
Lex nodded, but she really felt like shaking her head. She didn’t understand why Garrin desired her. She was powerless and, thus far, had been more burden than help. Her mother said he wouldn’t put Lex above his people, but that seemed exactly what he was doing. “What if I decide to protect you?”
He kissed the corner of her mouth. “That is not how it’s done here.”
She tilted her head back, but he leaned closer, focused on her lips, undeterred. “Why not?”
Garrin continued to pepper the sides of her mouth and chin with light, seductive kisses. “Because Fae men take care of their women.”
