Shadows of Fire (The Shadow Realms, Book 1) by Brenda Davies (chrome ebook reader .txt) 📗

“Sahira—”

“He’s no good, Lexi. You’re also completelydifferent. He’s a seasoned warrior, a prince, and a darkfae. You know what they’re like with men and women.”

She did. She’d heard the stories about thetwisted sex fiends the fae could leave in their wake. Heard howthey went through sexual partners like most others went throughclothes, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at Cole likethat.

She was probably a fool for thinking he wasdifferent. She was sure plenty of other women probably convincedthemselves of the same thing, but she couldn’t believe he wasnothing but a callous immortal seeking only one thing from her… andevery other woman he met.

“He’s also part lycan,” Lexi said. “They’reknown to be notoriously free with their sexuality until they findtheir mate, and then they never waver from their partner.”

“Lexi—”

“I don’t know why we’re talking about this.Like you said, we’re completely different. He isn’t going to returnhere.”

The sadness those words evoked surprised her.She shouldn’t want him to return while Orin was here, or even afterOrin left, but… but… she did.

“I need a shower,” she muttered.

“Would you like to finish our tea?” Sahiraasked.

She was too annoyed for tea right now. Colemight not return, but Malakai would, and she suspected he wouldmake her pay for the embarrassment he experienced today.

“No,” she murmured. “We’ll catch uptomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Lexi started to walk away, but she stoppedand turned back to her aunt. “What do you think Malakai is going todo?”

“Nothing, if he knows what’s good forhim.”

“That amulet proves he’s close to the Lord.With Father dead, he could make me marry Malakai.”

Sahira’s shoulders went back, and hernostrils flared. “Over my dead body.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of, and we’vehad more than enough dead bodies.”

Some of the fight went out of Sahira. “Yourfather also fought for the Lord; he wouldn’t throw that away justto please Malakai.”

“My father is dead and can’t do anything forthe Lord anymore; Malakai is alive, especially vicious, andobviously close to him. He might not ask the Lord to marry me. Hemay ask him to give me to him as his concubine so that way, whenMalakai finishes with me, he can toss me aside again.”

Sahira opened her mouth to respond, but thenshe closed it. They stared at each other as her words hung in theair between them. The sad truth was, being used and discarded byhim was the better of the two options.

Feeling as if the world rested on hershoulders, Lexi started up the curving stairs toward the secondfloor.

“Lexi.” She stopped and turned back toSahira. “We won’t let it happen.”

Lexi didn’t say what they were both thinking;there was nothing they could do to stop it if the Lord decided todo it.

CHAPTER 25

“Your brothers were here earlier,” Lexi said to Orinas she set a basket of bread on the ground.

Judging by the color in his face and the facthe didn’t wince every time he moved, he’d taken some of the potion.Apparently, his concern over being unable to defend himselfoutweighed his dislike of having to rely on the witches foranything.

“Cole and Brokk?” he asked.

“Do you have any other brothers?” sheretorted.

“Yes, but Varo is well hidden. The others areall dead.”

She winced at the reminder his familysustained many losses too, but then, many families lost so much. “Iforgot they were dead.”

“Your father is dead too, isn’t he?” Orinasked.

Lexi stared warily at him as she steppedback. “How do you know who my father is?”

“It took me some time to remember, but I’veseen your manor before. I rode by it once, before the war. Itbelonged to Delano Harper, and I heard that Del did not survive thewar.”

Lexi wiped her suddenly sweaty palms on herjeans. She hadn’t realized he knew who she was, but then, he wouldhave figured it out once he left here. It’s not like he couldn’tfind her manor again, but she still didn’t like him knowing who shewas.

“No, he didn’t,” she said.

“You’re Elexiandra Harper.”

“Yes.” She didn’t tell him to call her Lexi;she would not be friends with this jerk.

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

Lexi blinked at him. After his wordsyesterday, she hadn’t expected any sympathy from this callousman.

“Thank you.” Then after a few seconds passed,she said, “I’m sorry for your losses too.”

His black eyes studied her. “Thank you. Whatdid you tell Cole and Brokk?”

“Well, since neither of us is locked up rightnow, I’d guess I told them that I hadn’t seen you.”

A strand of black hair fell into one of hiseyes as he examined her. The movement revealed the ciphers on hisneck, but her father’s clothes hid whatever other marks hebore.

“You don’t strike me as a liar,Elexiandra.”

“Normally, I’m not, Orin.”

He lifted a loaf of bread and broke off apiece. “You are now. And you must be a pretty good liar if mybrothers believed you.”

When he took a bite of the bread, Lexicontemplated kicking it down his throat. “You don’t know what I’mcapable of doing.”

Orin lowered the bread and leaned toward her.“Neither do you.”

Lexi recoiled. “What’s that mean?”

“Only that I don’t think you know what you’recapable of doing. I bet you never considered harboring a warcriminal or lying to the side your father fought on. Warchanges us and makes us do things we never thought we would. Itbrings out the worst and best in us.”

“The war is over.”

“Now you’re lying to yourself.”

She frowned at him while he ate more of thebread. After a minute, he licked his fingers and looked up at heragain.

“The rebels lost the war, but the battlestill wages,” he said. “And eventually, you’re going to have todecide what you will and won’t stand for.”

“I can tell you that I won’t stand for anarrogant fae trying to tell me who or what I am.”

His arrogant grin set her teeth on edge.“Obviously, you will, because I’m still here.”

“I didn’t have much choice,” she reminded himthrough gritted teeth.

“You might be lying to yourself again.”

Having had enough of his crap, Lexi openedthe bag hanging from her arm and removed a jug of water. She placedit beside him. Then she took out a couple of flashlights and setthem down too.

“I won’t be back for a few days,” shesaid.

“And why is that?”

“Because I can’t keep taking the