A Kiss of Shadow (Court of Starlight and Darkness #2)(13)

It had to be the luggage that the maid had packed for me, but there was no need to look inside it right now.

Quickly, I shucked off my clothes and pulled the dress over my head. It had thin straps that showed my shoulders and collar bones. The fabric flowed smoothly over my curves, draping down to the floor. When I turned around to look at my back in the mirror, I saw only an expanse of pale skin bisected by my bra.

I grimaced. “Well, there goes my bra.”

As I unhooked it—and thanked my lucky stars for my small chest—I couldn’t help but marvel at my life.

How the hell had this become my reality?

Magic and kings and gowns and trains through the French countryside. I’d gone from hustling in the gig economy in Seattle to this.

I looked out the window, surprised anew to see a rambling stone ruin only a hundred yards away. A castle or monastery, most likely. I’d never even seen a European ruin, and now I was doing so in a silk dress that had to cost more than my rent.

If I woke up and found this had all been a crazy dream, things would make more sense.

Until then, I was going to enjoy what I could.

A quick glance in the mirror revealed that I looked all right. My red curls concealed my rounded ears, and that was the most important thing.

I swung open the door and stepped forward, nearly colliding with the massive body that stood right in front of me.

Lore.

His hand was raised to knock, but he lowered it, his gaze dropping to my dress. Heat flared within his sapphire irises, and his jaw clenched.

“Where are you going?” There was a rasp to his voice that made a shiver run through me.

He wanted me.

It was written all over his face.

Worse, I wanted him right back. The tension between us was insane—a combination of desire and anger and mistrust and odd loyalty. Because I did feel loyal to him, even if I didn’t like him much. I couldn’t help it. And all of it made me feel like I was going to explode.

I needed to get out of there before I pulled him into the room and down onto the bed.

“I’m going to get a drink with my ladies-in-waiting.” Hearing the words come out of my mouth was crazy. Ladies-in-waiting. What a life.

But it was better than telling him I planned to snoop around for the identity of the person who wanted me off the throne. He’d just growl about it being too dangerous and lock me in my sleeping compartment.

He frowned.

“You can’t expect me to sit in my room all night.” I shoved by him, and he let me.

Still, I heard the hard breath he dragged into his lungs. Knowing that I affected him like that made heat pool inside me, and I drew in a shuddery breath.

“Sia.” His voice caught me like a fish on a line, and I turned, unable to help myself.

“Be careful.” His gaze was shadowed. “I’ve got guards watching you, but still… The fae are cunning. Especially the ones on this train. It’s how they keep their thrones.”

I nodded, wondering if he’d follow me to the bar car to keep an eye on me himself.

I wanted him to if I were being honest.

I didn’t like everything about him—especially the fact that he was a ruthless royal who had killed dozens of people over his long life—but I couldn’t help but want to be near him.

Crazy.

“I’ll be careful.” Before he could say anything else, I turned and walked down the narrow corridor toward the sitting area where my friends were waiting.

They were beautiful in their dresses. Meria looked like a princess, her blond hair shining. Eve, with her dark hair and midnight dress, looked like the sexy villain in a Bond movie.

Merebeth, the healer, lounged in one of the chairs with a book. She waved idly but didn’t look up from the pages.

Meria grinned at me. “That dress looks even better than I expected.”

“Thanks for the loaner.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m going to want to poke around in your royal luggage as repayment.”

“Have at it.”

“I’ll remember you said that.” She turned and headed through the door. “Come on, now. The party waits for no one!”





6





Lore



* * *



I lasted ten whole minutes before I followed Sia to the bar car. Though I’d put my best guards on her, I still couldn’t relax. The idea that something might happen to her was all I could focus on.

This kind of distraction was intolerable. There was no way that I could be a good ruler as long as I was obsessed with her.

Once the witch with the deathly magic was defeated, we would go our own ways. She, back to the human world and whatever she did there. And me, back to the cold comfort of my self-control.

I saw no one as I cut through our private car and entered the casual dining car. It was empty, and I made my way quickly into the next car. Fortunately, it was my destination.

Everyone else’s, too, apparently. The bar car was crowded with fae, all dressed in their finest. None looked a fraction as good as Sia. The thought annoyed me as I searched for her.

The car itself was ornately decorated with dark wooden walls and crimson wallpaper. Carvings of flowers and leaves bordered the windows, and it was dark enough outside that the windows reflected the scene within the car like mirrors.