A Kiss of Shadow (Court of Starlight and Darkness #2)(45)

The hearth was blazing merrily, and I tore off my dirty dress, then tossed it in the flames. I stood, shivering, watching to make sure it burned away entirely. When it was gone, I stumbled into the shower and scrubbed the dirt and soot off myself.

What the hell had happened?

I leaned against the shower wall, my mind racing.

Something had gone terribly wrong. I’d been caught up in some kind of attack, maybe?

Once I was finally clean, I stepped out and dried off, then wrapped a towel around myself. I needed to find something to sleep in tonight. Would Lore and I actually share that bed?

I walked out into the main bedroom. The door slammed open, and I gasped, stumbling backward.

Lore charged into the room, his gaze landing immediately on me. He was covered in soot and dirt, and his face was wild with fear.

“Oh, thank fates.” Relief was thick in his voice. “You’re here.” He strode toward me and pulled me into his arms, hugging me close.

“Of course I’m here.” He was holding me so tightly that the words squeaked out of me. “What’s wrong with you?”

He heaved a relieved sigh and pulled back, looking down at me. He didn’t let me go, however. His hands stayed clasped around my waist, and he looked like he’d been through hell.

“What happened?” I asked. “You seem…off center. And dirty.”

“Off center?” He laughed darkly. “There was a massive explosion at the greenhouse in the meadow, and your scent was there. I was afraid you were dead.”

Shock made my knees weaken, and I had to reach out to grip the stone wall next to me. “An explosion?”

“The entire place was leveled.”

“Holy shit.” My mind raced. “Was it the witch with the deathly magic?”

“We think so.”

She’s here. “Was anyone hurt?”

“No, thank fates. Why was your scent there, though?”

Oh shit. What had happened?

The last thing I remembered was collapsing.

I should tell him that.

Definitely.

But…

Instinct kept my mouth shut. I had no idea what had happened, but what if I had caused the explosion? I hadn’t a clue how I could have done it, but I’d been feeling really funny right before I collapsed.

I rubbed my temple, trying to think. No matter how I played it out in my head, I couldn’t find the right thing to say. So I lied.

I plowed forward, hating the secrecy but driven toward it. “My friends and I walked through the field earlier today. That could have been it.”

He nodded, his brow creased with concern as his gaze raced over my face. “I’m so relieved you’re here and safe.”

My heart thudded. His words, his expression… It seemed like he really cared for me.

I wanted to push for more. A little beast inside me wanted him to confess to feeling for me like I felt for him.

And yet, now wasn’t a good time.

There was too much going on, and too much at stake.

I drew in a shuddery breath, cold fear rushing through me. What had happened out there?

I couldn’t solve it now. My limbs were shaky, I was so weak. I didn’t want to sleep alone.

“Will you hold me while we sleep?” I knew I was making things messy by asking. A moment ago, I’d lied to him about something huge. I’d had to. My gut made that clear. And yet, I was asking him to hold me.

“Yes.” He swallowed hard, no doubt remembering what had happened on the train. But his gaze softened as he looked at me. “You look exhausted.”

“I feel exhausted.”

“Let me get you something to wear.” He walked toward the armoire. I watched him go, stunned to see the ice king fetching me clothing.

Who was this man?

He returned with a long shirt, and I took it. I was too tired to go back into the bathroom for privacy, so I made a spinning motion with my fingertip. “Turn around.”

He did as I asked, and I dropped the towel and pulled on the shirt. “All right, I’m good.”

He turned back to me, his gaze moving over me. The concern deepened, and he stepped forward and swept me up into his arms. The floor disappeared from under me, and I gasped, wrapping my arms around his neck.

As the surprise faded, I had to admit it felt good to get off my feet. It had taken all my strength to shower, and I was tapped out.

He carried me to the bed and laid me down, gently covering me with the blanket. I sighed as the comforter enveloped me, exhaustion already pulling at my mind.

He strode around the end of the bed, and I heard him kick his shoes off. There was a mirror on my side of the room, and I caught sight of him climbing into the bed behind me. He hadn’t taken off a single item of clothing.

It was for the best.

He also didn’t climb under the covers.

“You can—”

“No.” His voice was rough as he cut me off. “It’s better this way.”

His strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me into the cradle of his embrace. Immediately, I felt protected. Loved, almost.

And he was right. It was better if he didn’t join me under the covers. I was wearier than I’d ever been in my life, yet my body still heated at the contact with his.

“Sleep.” He pressed a soft kiss to the back of my head.