Page 49 of Black Hearted
Suddenly, Lorelei gasped, her body jolting as she sat bolt upright.
Her purple eyes locked onto mine, and it was like taking a lightning strike straight to the chest.
At that moment, I knew—I would never be the same again.
Chapter Fifteen
Lorelei
I’d gone to a terrifying place when the queen took my magic— an endless void with no dream doors. I was near death, but then Zane found me. I remembered calling his name into the void.
And then I regained consciousness.
When I opened my eyes, he was there, standing in front of me with a look of raw awe mixed with desire on his face. The intensity of it sent a rush of awareness through me.
Of course, we’d already met in his dreams, but seeing him in real life was entirely different. I found myself staring at him across the firelight as Captain Lace peppered me with questions, his voice fading into the background.
Zane was everything I remembered from my dreams: tall, handsome, and striking blue eyes. But he was also so much more. His shoulders seemed broader. His gaze was more intense. And his sheer presence left me breathless.
It was as if the dream version of Zane had been only a pale imitation of the man standing before me.
Now that I was seeing him in the flesh, I couldn’t stop the questions that had lingered in the back of my mind.
Was Zane truly my mate?
And if he was, what did that mean?
Was he expecting me to live with him in Ethereum, like the other princesses? Would he want to stay here in Faerie instead?
Did I even want a mate at all?
Before he’d appeared, I’d been content, expecting to live out my life in my court. Of course, I’d known that someday I would find a partner and marry. But I’d always assumed that fae would be my choice, not someone thrust upon me by fate.
Yet the pull I felt toward Zane, from just one glance, was undeniable.
It was all so overwhelming that I couldn’t even sort out my own thoughts. So, I did what I had done before and pushed it to the back of my mind.
I held a hand out to Captain Lace, and he helped me to my feet.
I curtsied to Lord Zane. “Thank you for rescuing me.”
“Yes—you’re wel … come.” He fumbled over his words, then cleared his throat.
I didn’t miss the slight color that rose high on his cheekbones, and I blushed as well.
We had both been so confident in his dreams, yet now, standing before each other, it felt as if we were starting anew.
“Are you still hurt?” Captain Lace asked, breaking a little of the awkward tension.
I shook my head, glancing at the withered plants around me. They had been smart to bring them—my mother’s idea, no doubt.
“Where’s my mother?” I asked.
It was crucial I spoke with both her and Zane. They needed to know that Queen Liliana had taken my faestone dagger to Ethereum so we could form a plan for what to do next.
“She’s—”
“I’m here.”
