A tray was already waiting for me when I sat down, courtesy of Shadow, who had disappeared to finalize shit before we left. Or maybe Angel had ordered it, since she dropped into the chair beside me not five minutes after I’d started to eat.
“Good,” she said, observing the classy way I shoved food into my mouth like I’d been starved for a month. “You need to fuel up as much as you can for the hard journey ahead.”
I chewed a few vegetables before swallowing my mouthful of stew. It was delicious, thick and hearty, and apparently needed for the hard journey ahead. “You could sugarcoat it for me,” I said with a sigh, stirring more of the dark broth. “Pretend we’re heading on vacation to a tropical island, where we’ll have cocktails and food brought to our lounger, while we sunbathe and swim in turquoise waters.”
Angel side-eyed me. “Been planning that vacation for a while, I see?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, there wasn’t much else I could do when I was a prisoner of Torma. Daydreaming about vacation destinations was my mental escape.”
She wrapped an arm around me. “Don’t worry. We’ll make it through the Shadow Realm, figure out your place in the world, and fit in a vacation to—”
Angel was cut off when someone screamed my name. As a reflex, her huge amber wings sprung to life as she spun to see who was causing the commotion.
I didn’t have to look. I knew that voice as well as I knew my own. Pushing to my feet, I was in the aisle, sprinting toward my friend. Simone and I collided, our hug lasting for what felt like days.
“Oh my freaking god,” she said, bouncing me in her arms, her thick blue-black hair flying around us. “This place is unbelievable. You must have been in heaven, Miss Book Lover, living in that incredible-as-fuck library.” Her words spilled out in a rush. “And there are so many other supernaturals, and worlds, and beings, and Shadow Beast lives here…”
I had to laugh because if she didn’t breathe soon, she was going to pass out.
“It’s definitely been a journey,” I told her when she finally ran out of steam and I could get a word in. “And you have to meet one of my favorite people here. Not that she’s a person, of course—Angel is a damn goddess. Which you’ll see quite clearly when you see how freaking gorgeous she is.”
Turning Simone toward the table, I looked for Angel, only to find the spot where she’d been empty. “Oh, guess she had to take off. But there will be plenty of time to meet her. Shadow said you could stay as long as I was here.”
Simone all but fell into Angel’s seat, and I had a flicker of worry that maybe I should ask her to move to the other side of me. Angel was pretty particular about this chair, and I sensed she was already upset about the way I’d ditched her mid-conversation to go to Simone.
Fuck. This was complicated, and hopefully my narcissistic ass was just creating drama. Angel was probably off preparing for our journey too.
I scooped up more of my food, knowing I had to finish it. “Are you hungry?” I asked, shoveling another spoonful into my mouth.
She shook her head. “Nope.” She popped her p. “I’d literally just finished dinner when a dark smoke cloud arrived with a note for me.”
Clearly, Shadow had gotten around Inky’s inability to communicate, and the mention of dark smoke clouds had me looking for mine. Midnight was still hovering up high, keeping an eye on everything. It swelled when my gaze turned its way, and I just waved my hand to say hello and I’m all good; you don’t need to come down to me.
We couldn’t actually communicate at this distance, but when it didn’t move, I figured it got the general idea.
I focused on Simone again. “Did Shadow show you to your room?”
I wanted her completely settled in before I left.
She nodded, brown eyes practically sparkling in excitement. “Last door on the left of the hallway before the library. It’s really nice, with a little lounge, television, and a marble bathroom! I mean, shit, it’s nicer than my parents’ house by a lot.”
Her parents’ house was pretty damn fancy. “Shadow Bastard hasn’t let me near a television since he kidnapped my ass,” I grumbled. “I’m gonna have words with him about that.”
Simone looked around in a panic. “Should you call him that out loud, I mean, especially here? Everyone is so scared and respectful of him.”
There was a deep chuckle from behind us, and Simone let out a squeak, spinning in her chair. I sighed, turning slower since I already knew what I’d see. And sure enough, there he was, leaned in his favorite position against the nearby wall. Shadow Basta—Beast.
“Sunshine is about the least respectful being from any of the worlds I’ve ever met,” he said, sounding amused.
Simone’s head jerked to me. Sunshine? she mouthed, her eyes wide.
She didn’t bother waiting for me to reply, her gaze returning to the beast in question. I had no idea if she’d ever really seen Shadow before—in the theater basement there had been so much chaos, especially with my tiny little fire incident, that I doubted she’d gotten a decent look.
She was making up for that today.
“Damn,” she murmured under her breath, and I hid my laughter in a cough.
“His face might be pretty, but his personality needs a lot of help.” I reminded her of the facts while eating another spoonful of stew.
Simone raised an eyebrow at me, panic in their dark depths. “Girl, you did not just insult the fucking Shadow Beast to his pretty face. What is wrong with you?”
I shrugged, chewing and swallowing before I answered. “What’s wrong with me? Let’s see… My father fucked up my entire life; I was mated to a piece of shit shifter; got kidnapped; got over being kidnapped; decided that if I was going to die, I might as well go out with a bang. Ever since then…”
“She’s let whatever random smartass thought she has fall from her mouth,” Shadow finished as he took the seat beside me.
Simone’s breathing grew heavier, and I couldn’t blame her. Shadow was a lot. Like… a lot lot. The intensity didn’t wear off as time went on, either—in all truth, the tingles that ran across my skin in his presence might actually be getting worse. I’d just learned to hide my reaction better.
And Simone would get there too. One day.
“When you’re done with this meal, we need to head into the realm,” Shadow said, focusing all of his attention on me, and, if his intense, lingering gaze didn’t lift from the side of my face, I was about to join Simone with the labored breathing. “The longer it takes for me to get to my sister, the greater the chance she’ll have amassed an army to stand against me.”
“What?” Simone leaned forward to see Shadow. The moment he was in her line of sight, a hungry expression pulled at her features, and I would bet good money she wanted to lick him. No judgement from me, even if I did sort of want to kick her ass for looking at him like that. This possessive shit was going to get me into big trouble one day.
“We’re heading into the Shadow Realm,” I told her. “To hopefully figure out how I’m able to burst into flames and draw creatures into this world. Oh, and yeah, Shadow has some shit to do there too.”
He actually laughed, chest rumbling beside me. “Yes, something like that. But rest assured, Sunshine’s friend, you’ll be safe here. I’m having Lucien stay in the room beside yours to keep an eye on you.”
Simone’s lips twitched. “The fact that you haven’t bothered to learn my name doesn’t even bother me because your nickname for Mera is just too damn cute.” Her voice went to a much higher pitch at the end.
Shadow got to his feet, his face set in resigned lines. “I’m going to leave now before the girly screaming starts. I’ll meet you in the library in five minutes, Mera.”
“Yes, sir.” I saluted him.
A flicker of his fire ran along my skin, but it didn’t burn. It sunk into my body, heating me through to my core, and I was literally panting as he walked away. Definitely a bastard.
Simone nudged me. “You okay? Your face is a little flushed.” She shot me a knowing look, and I had to sigh.
“I’m good.” I fanned my cheeks to try to cool my libido down. “Just Shadow playing hardball and reminding me who has the most power.”
If I had a spontaneous orgasm right here in the dining hall, I was going to fucking kill him. Right after I thanked him.
Simone grabbed my arm, her fingers digging in, and for the first time, I felt nails. I blinked. Simone always had the weakest nails, breaking before she could get any length on them—a pain she had more than once complained about. “Do you actually have long nails right now?”
She snorted. “Seriously? You want to talk about the fact that since my change I can’t keep my nails down, those bastards growing like weeds? Or should we discuss the beyond-this-world gorgeous, sexy, sexy god who was eye-fucking you the entire time he stood in the room?”
“There’s nothing to discuss,” I said to her, pushing my tray away—it was swept up by a robot server in seconds. “Shadow and I have to work together until the Shadow Realm situation is under control. There’s nothing else to it, really.”
She was the one to fan her face now. “I can’t tell if you’re lying to me or yourself. The heat between you two could set this hall on fire, and I’m not even talking about the fact you can literally burst into flames.” Her eyes narrowed on me. “We should add that to the list of things to discuss as well.”
“I’m so happy you’re here,” I said, hugging her as I got to my feet and pulled her up with me. “It’s been really hard navigating this new world without my BFF.”
She hugged me back just as fiercely. “You’ll never have to do that again. We are lifers, babe. For. Fucking. Life.”
My tears, once again hovering way too close to the surface, had to be forced down so I could get on with my day. There was no time for waterworks.
I reluctantly pulled away. “Can’t believe we have to be separated again,” I said sadly.
Her petite face screwed up, the brown in her eyes deeper than ever. Maybe it was the lighting here, or the release of her shifter side, but I was sure she’d never looked as beautiful or regal as she did now. “I think I should come with you. It doesn’t sit right that once again you’re off to dangerous lands without me.”
“I wish you could,” I told her truthfully. “But Shadow won’t even consider it, and no one goes against him here.”
Hence the reason I’d lost our bet. I’d been determined to lose my virginity to someone in the library; Shadow had been determined to stop me. One guess who came out on top in that situation. I was sure he’d inform me of my punishment for that soon enough. No doubt he was ready for me to fall on my knees and worship him as the god he was. Probably wanted me to call him master or lord…
“You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?” Simone both looked and sounded amused. “Girl, you got it bad. Thank fuck I’m here now to keep you from making any stupid decisions.”
I snorted. “Are you telling me you’d warn me off Shadow?”
Her laughter didn’t arrive as expected. “I’d warn you to not get your heart involved. He’s the perfect being to give your body to because girrllll, we know he has some skills. Did you see the size of his hands?” She bit her knuckle and I almost lost my shit right there in the dining hall, barely holding my laughter back.
She sobered. “Despite his many, many positives, I can tell he has the power to destroy you, Mera. I don’t trust he wouldn’t do just that.”
I didn’t argue with her because she wasn’t wrong. I’d already suffered a fissuring of my soul when Torin, my asshole of a true mate, had rejected me, and I wasn’t sure I’d survive another loss like that.
Maybe with Shadow, it would be even worse.
