House of Darken (Secret Keepers #1)(88)

“You’ve always accepted being overlord? Never fought against it?” I wanted to know the real Lexen, the foundation that built him.

He nodded, slowly, like he wasn’t sure he was being completely truthful. “I’ve been groomed since birth, and I was … fine with that. I like to be in control. I like to protect my people. I’m very good at doing both of those things. I’m the ideal candidate for overlord.”

“But…” I started … because I sensed a but there.

“But there were moments I contemplated jumping on Qenita and taking off. Soaring through the sky, traveling to other worlds.” He paused, eyes focusing past me, before they came back to my face. “Until you, though, I’ve never had a good reason to truly question my duty.”

I bit my lip, trying to stem the waterworks. I’d probably cried more in the last eight months than I had the previous eighteen years, so now I tried not to just sob for no reason. But Lexen was talking the duty in his life making no room for us. And that cut me deep.

“What would happen if ... you and I … were together…?” I broke off.

He used his free hand to brush some of my disheveled hair back. “I have no idea. No human has ever bonded to a Daelighter. Especially not an overlord.”

Rigid rules bothered me. I often disregarded them. But it wasn’t my place to suggest that we ignore the very important traditions of his world. I also wasn’t sure what bonding exactly entailed. I would like to start with dating, move on to bonded after that. If we didn’t kill each other in the meantime.

The hand that had moved my hair settled against my face, cupping it. “You’re worth fighting for, Em. I’m going to figure this out. There has to be a way.”

My eyes filled and flowed over as I lost my battle with the tears. I couldn’t stop from pressing my lips to his, just for a brief second so I could breathe him in. I pulled back as fast, giving him a watery smile. “This isn’t just because we’re in the level of desire, right?”

Lexen laughed again. There was a relaxed nature to him that I had never seen before. “No, this is all real.”

He lifted his body up into a sitting position, bringing me with him, and stood. I was set on my feet, his huge body crowding round me for a beat, before he moved a little away.

“Where did Daniel go?” I asked, staring at the empty rock.

I’d forgotten about him. Since waking, Lexen had been the only thing on my mind.

“He’s just gone to check if a certain path is there for us to use,” Lexen said, his gaze scanning above my head.

Daniel appeared in that same moment, like we had summoned him. He waved us over, and as soon as we joined him he took a sharp right through two trees, leading us out into a wide, open field of snow. Well, snow for me anyway.

“Focus ahead,” Daniel said, his voice even more rumbly than usual. Probably because of how rigid his jaw was. “Nothing you see is real. Don’t let it sway you. We just need to cross this field and then we will be able to step into redemption. From there, I can get you back topside.”

Bouncing on my toes a little – I was filled with nerves and I had to pee – I set my sight on what looked like the end of this platform. I could do this. I could ignore everything I saw, no matter what it was.

Feeling eyes on me, I lifted my head to find Lexen staring at me. “You ready, Em?”

Dammit, I was starting to like the sound of Em from him. The accent. The fact he wasn’t sneering and calling me human. I was a goner.

“I’m so ready.” I bounced again. “Ready as anybody here. I was born ready. Running is my thing.”

So many lies.

I was trying to convince myself as well, so hopefully the pep talk worked. Lexen and Daniel just shook their heads at me. “Try not to fall over, badass,” Daniel finally said.

I very maturely stuck my tongue out at him, receiving a glimpse of dimple in return. With a wink, he faced out across the snowy plain again. I saw him taking a few grounding breaths, before he nodded his head. “Let’s do this,” he growled.

Then we were running.

Now, under normal circumstances I have the grace of a hippo on land, all wobbling and roaring, jaw flapping in the breeze. Add in some snow to that mix and I turned from hippo to fish – flopping around, gasping for breath, dying second by second.

And I was wearing a dress.

We were all going to die.

Sure enough, I almost went down in the first five steps. Somehow Lexen snaked a hand around my waist, catching me with speed and grace. Athletic bastard. He didn’t stop moving, flying along behind Daniel, who was pumping his arms rapidly, head firmly facing forward.

My feet weren’t really on the ground now, so I kind of just skimmed my feet along as Lexen ran. At what looked like the halfway point, I started to feel hopeful. We were close. We were going to make it. I hadn’t seen anything that would hold me up at all.

Daniel let out a roar then. “Leave me alone!” he shouted, starting to slow. As we drew even, his eyes were squeezed tightly closed and he swung out blindly.

“What’s happening,” I asked Lexen.

There was no answer, so I tore my gaze from Daniel and looked up at the Darken. Those fires were back in his eyes; he watched his friend closely. “Will you be okay, for a second?”

Lexen’s soft question jolted me, but I nodded rapidly. “Yes, I’ll just stand right here.”