Now she would.
Taraeth walked in a circle around Balladyn, the robe flowing behind him dramatically. Rhi rolled her eyes. “The Dark would never follow him. They know who their true master is. I could call them back any time.”
“The longer they’re with him, the more he feels as if he’s in control.”
“I’ll set him straight soon enough.”
Balladyn clenched his jaw. “And if he wins? He’ll wipe the world of the mortals, thereby driving us out of this realm.”
“We won’t be leaving this realm.”
“It’s a possibility. Regardless of what he’s promised.”
Taraeth took a deep breath and stopped before Balladyn. “This is your reasoning for acting so different these past few months?”
“Of course. You may believe the word of a Dragon King, but I don’t. I’m going to make sure that regardless of the outcome that this place is protected.”
Rhi nearly laughed. Taraeth was so full of himself he’d missed Balladyn’s choice of words. No doubt Balladyn was going to protect the palace—for himself. He wasn’t doing anything to protect Taraeth.
Without a word, Taraeth walked away, leaving Balladyn in the corridor. Balladyn looked to where she was standing and gave her a curt look.
Rhi gave him a flat look. If he only knew how long she’d been in the palace, then he might have a reason to be angry.
She followed him down the hallway to a Fae doorway. As soon as she stepped through, she recognized his compound. It was no longer in ruins. Rhi waited until her watcher was with her before she continued after Balladyn.
Once she was in Balladyn’s chamber, she pushed the door closed and unveiled herself. Balladyn had her pressed against the wall a second later.
“Have you lost your damn mind?” he demanded, anger and worry filling his gaze. “Do you know what Taraeth would do to you if he ever got his hands on you? I can’t believe you were so reckless.”
Rhi tried repeatedly to get a word in edgewise, but Balladyn was having none of it.
“It was beyond stupid for you to go there. You shouldn’t even be here with me,” Balladyn said and whirled around. He ran a hand through his long hair and paced the width of his chamber.
“I was veiled.”
That stopped him in his tracks. His head jerked to her as he gave her a fierce glare. “I can sense you, Rhi. If I can, others could as well.”
But he didn’t sense her watcher. Ever. It was more that he was attuned to her, which was why he was able to sense her. Yet Rhi decided to keep that tidbit to herself. With the mood Balladyn was in, he wouldn’t want to hear any of it.
“Taraeth still believes I’m searching for you to turn you Dark,” he said with a snort.
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “And whose fault is that? You’re the one who kidnapped me in the first place.”
“Don’t remind me.” He put his hands on his hips and hung his head. “I can’t take that back, but I can keep you away from him. If you’d only cooperate.”
Rhi dropped her arms and walked to him. She stopped before him and put her hands on his face, bending her knees so she could tilt her head to the side and see his face. With a smile, she lifted his head so she could stand straight. “I know what I’m doing.”
“You’re good and lucky. Don’t get cocky.”
“Yes, sir.”
That made him grin. His red eyes softened as he gazed down at her. “Now that I like coming from your lips.”
“Don’t get used to it,” she warned with a wink.
Balladyn wrapped his arms around her, bringing her against him. “You’d never let me.”
Rhi rested her head on his chest for just a moment. It felt good to have someone again. She closed her eyes and savored the moment—because it couldn’t last long.
“Why were you at the palace?”
Rhi lifted her head and stepped out of his arms. “I wanted to see what the Dark were saying about the Reapers.”
“And you couldn’t ask me?”
“Yes, but I wanted to hear it from them.”
Balladyn shook his head “Rhi.”
“I was hoping to run into you though.”
“To see my library and what I found on the Reapers, right?”
She flashed him a smile. “You’re so smart.”
“This way,” he said and turned on his heel.
Rhi could feel her watcher’s displeasure increase the moment they left the Dark palace and arrived at Balladyn’s compound. Well, in truth, he hadn’t been pleased to be at the Dark palace to begin with.
“I could’ve brought these to you,” Balladyn said. “It would’ve been better than you coming here and chance being seen.”
Rhi lifted a shoulder nonchalantly. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
“The Fae have said that around the humans so often that it’s become one of the mortals’ favorite phrases.”
They walked through a large arched doorway from his chamber. Rhi smiled when she saw the sheer number of bookshelves and books lining the walls.