Page 10 of Endless Terrors
I stared at him.
“That depends,” I managed. “Did you hear any of it? This asshole won’t stop, Collith. He’s been hunting Nightmares for centuries. Until I figure out how to kill him, or find some other magical solution, anyone I … associate with is in danger. If you’re smart, you’ll disappear, too. Feel free to pass the message along to Laurie.”
Anyone I love. That’s what I had been about to say. Collith’s eyes flashed, as if he’d heard the words, anyway.
“I’m aware of what ‘this asshole’ is capable of, Fortuna,” he told me, still annoyingly composed. “I spent years being tortured in his realm. I may not remember him specifically, but I remember the pain. I remember how his demons broke me.”
“Then why aren’t you afraid?” I demanded.
This time, he didn’t answer. The silence stretched, the noise of the running car behind us an ominous rumble. I studied Collith, frowning. I knew this faerie—well, as much as anyone could know a member of the fae—and there was a reason he’d shut down. Collith only withdrew when he was hiding something. Something I wouldn’t like. I forced myself to look into his hazel eyes and tried to think like he did. At his core, Collith was analytical and calculating. He read Agatha Christie and studied history. He based most of his decisions off evidence and results.
And just like that, I understood. My voice was flat as I said, “You don’t believe me.”
Collith’s face still didn’t change, but somehow, that made his skepticism more obvious. Before I could say something we’d both regret, he finally broke his silence. “I do believe you. But no one I know has ever laid eyes on the Dark Prince, much less spoken to him directly. It’s possible someone else came to the loft that night. Something else.”
I made a humorless sound. I would never admit it, but his doubt felt like another betrayal. “Whatever. I have to go. Goodbye, Collith.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” he called after me.
I faced him across the pavement. Knowing this would be the last night we saw each other for a long, long time, my gaze moved over his features again, starting at that stubborn lock of hair and ending at his full, solemn mouth. My attention lingered there, and I caught myself thinking about that kiss. Heat expanded in my lower stomach, making me clench.
Collith’s eyes went dark.
He’d sensed my arousal, of course. Suddenly the distance between us felt like too much, and not enough. I was torn between the instinct to bolt and the urge to finish what we’d started an hour ago.
My resistance wasn’t just because we had an audience. Months ago, before I found out about Collith’s greatest secret and biggest deceit, I’d let him inside. Not only my body, but everything else. For the first time in years, I had allowed myself to want something. To dream of a bright future and warm somedays. Stepping back into the darkness had almost destroyed me.
I didn’t think I would survive it again.
“Tell you what?” I said, after a pause that was just a beat too long.
I was stalling, and Collith probably knew that, too, the way he always seemed to know my secrets. But he played along. His low, soft voice drifted through the cold, and somehow it felt like a caress. “Why didn’t you tell me and Laurelis about him? Why did you run without any explanation?” he asked quietly.
My heartbeat felt unsteady, and I was painfully aware Collith could hear it. Trying to regain control, I imagined myself as frozen as the ground beneath us. I decided to give half of the truth, because it made lies harder to detect. Collith had taught me that, too.
“I thought if you knew, you’d try to be a martyr. I don’t need any more blood on my hands,” I told him.
He raised his eyebrows. “It didn’t occur to you that we might be able to help in other ways? Use our considerable resources, or add our strength to yours, if it comes down to a confrontation?”
“First I need to figure out how to survive another confrontation,” I countered sharply. “I caught him by surprise at the loft, and something tells me he’ll be prepared next time. We don’t know how far his reach is. What if you start asking questions and catch his attention? What if he uses you against me? What if he just rips your fucking head off to teach me a lesson?”
I stopped, breathing hard, as if I’d run a mile. But even now, Collith stood there without a trace of fear, his focus calm and steady. “You don’t have to do this alone, Fortuna,” he said.
“I’m not alone, and my people are waiting.” As I mentioned them, I glanced back at Finn and Gil. It seemed like a small miracle they hadn’t tried to kill each other yet. I started to take a step toward the car, but as an afterthought, I turned back to Collith and added, “If you even think about offering yourself to you-know-who, I’ll make sure you regret it. The things he’ll do to you will feel like nothing once I’ve had my turn.”
My threat didn’t have the effect I’d hoped for. A faint smile curved Collith’s lips, and his voice was soft as he replied, “I don’t doubt it.”
There were a hundred memories tucked into his voice. For a moment, all I could do was stare, and it felt like I was reliving every moment between us since we’d first met at the black market. Locking eyes with him for the first time. Hating him. Loving him. Grieving together. Healing together. Hating him again. Now I wasn’t entirely sure what I felt for this faerie king.
All I knew was that it hurt.
“Goodbye, Collith,” I forced myself to say.
He gave no response. It didn’t seem like there was anything left to say. Once again, I turned from him … and my stomach lurched at the sight of Laurie.
I gasped and pressed a hand against my chest. Distantly, I heard Finn snarling from inside the car again. He must’ve been taken by surprise, too. “How long have you been standing there?” I managed.
Just as Collith had, Laurie heard the words I didn’t say. The question I was really asking. How much did you hear?
