It was going to take a certain kind of woman to tame him, and she suspected that the woman now lay in Rhys’s arms. But did Rhys realize that?
If Rhys hadn’t had his ability to shift taken from him, Rhi imagined that he would’ve gone after Lily and made her his own in quick order. The fact he had spent weeks away from Dreagan so as not to see her didn’t bode well. However, seeing them in bed naked was definitely a step in the right direction.
The question now was would Rhys take what was meant to be his? Or would he run?
The Dragon Kings were frustratingly idiotic at times. They were fearful of trusting humans, and rightly so after what had happened to Ulrik. Despite that, they found love among the mortals.
Well, some did. Kiril was the odd one who’d found love with a Fae.
A stab of pain lanced through Rhi’s chest every time she thought of Kiril and Shara. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Shara. She was the first Dark Fae to turn Light, and she made Kiril happy.
No, Rhi was hurt because they had what she was told could never be—a union of the Kings and Fae.
The overwhelming tide of heartbreak still had the ability to take her breath away. For thousands of years she’d lived with the pain of her one-sided love. There was a way to turn it off. It was there, inside her, waiting. All she had to do was search out the darkness within her and she could shake free of the hold her lover had on her.
She could move on with her life, forget the love they shared and the happiness that had been hers for a short time. She could wipe away the promises he’d made her—and broken. She could ignore the pull Dreagan had on her.
Usaeil and the Dragon Kings all thought she was her old self. They assumed because she broke the Chains of Mordare that had held her and escaped Balladyn that the dark couldn’t penetrate the light inside her.
They were wrong.
At all times she knew were Balladyn was. The darkness inside her sought him out, searched for him. She almost went to him once while in Rome.
Even with Balladyn becoming a Dark Fae, he was the only family she had left. He hated her though. He blamed her for his becoming Dark. It was her fault. She shouldn’t have left him. He wouldn’t have left her, even in the middle of battle.
Rhi was tired of the weight of her unreturned love. She was tired of pretending the darkness wasn’t part of her. She was tired of fighting the inevitable.
The Dragon Kings had a good chance to win the war, but that chance was growing slimmer by the day. The writing was on the wall. Ulrik would win. The Kings would be defeated, and the Silvers woken.
As soon as the Silvers woke and took to the skies, the humans would die. The Dark Fae believed they would still have mortals to feed off of, but Rhi recognized the truth.
Ulrik wanted to rule this realm as it once was—with dragons. He would kill any King who didn’t side with him, and he would find a way to return the dragons to this realm to eradicate mortals once and for all. Earth would no longer be inhabited by humans, and the Fae—Light and Dark—would have no reason to remain.
Rhi jerked as she felt the darkness pulse inside her. Balladyn was in the city. She located him and teleported nearby, remaining veiled.
It was lucky that she could keep the veil up for long periods, unlike most Fae. She peered around the corner of the building and spotted Balladyn talking to another Dark who wore glamour to appear human, hiding his red eyes and black and silver hair.
Balladyn finished the conversation and turned on his heel to walk away. He took ten steps before he halted and turned his face in her direction. He was only twenty feet from her. She could see his red eyes in the light of the streetlamp. His long black and silver hair was pulled back in a series of small braids that formed one thick plait down his back.
His customary black leather pants were sculpted to his muscular legs, and the deep red V-neck tee showed off the thick sinew of his chest and arms.
“Rhi?” he called softly in his Irish accent. “I can feel you. Talk to me.”
She remained veiled, barely breathing.
“You’ve sought me out for a reason,” he continued. “I’ve been searching for you. Let me see you.”
Rhi teleported away before she gave in.
*
Rhys woke suddenly, immediately reaching for Lily as the morning sun filled the room. His hands met cool sheets. He lay there on his elbow looking at the empty bed, his heart thumping in his chest.
Not once had he remained all night with one woman, and he certainly had never woken to find himself alone. He didn’t like the desolation, the void that filled his chest.
He jumped from the bed and walked naked to the doorway. His steps slowed when he saw the light on in the bathroom. Rhys looked inside to find Lily with the white hotel robe on, standing at the sink looking at the tattoo on her forearm.