Page 53 of Shadows of Light
The dark fae was more than happy to slaughter its enemies… and one of the enemies it sought to destroy was the shadows. The dark fae and lycan halves of himself often contrasted with each other. Lycans were dominant creatures by nature, but until Lexi entered his life, the dark fae was the more dominant part of himself.
Upon recognizing her as its mate, the lycan sought to dominate. The two sides of himself were often at odds with each other, but they’d still worked together because they both wantedher.
While determined to protect Lexi, the shadows didn’t want any other part of him to exist. For now, while another enemy was present, the war inside himself calmed a little aseverypart of him focused on seeking out his foe and keeping Lexi safe.
Cole sniffed the air while he prowled around the outside of the bar. The familiar scents of immortals, alcohol, food, and smoke wafted out.
As he padded around to the back of the small, wooden structure, his ears flicked while he listened for any hint of treachery. Only the sounds of laughter, music, and chatter filled the night while the rest of the realm remained still, but the shadows whispered of something more here.
While he despised the things, they had yet to be wrong. Heading to the front door, Cole pushed it open with his snout and entered.
CHAPTERFORTY-THREE
The place wasfull of assorted immortals sitting at scarred wooden tables, teetering on uneven legs. Lanterns on each of the dozen tables were the only light source as no windows opened onto the night.
A small card table was shoved in the corner by the bar. Immortals sat around it, tossing cards onto the table and sipping from their mugs while bickering.
In the corner closest to the door, two pixies danced over the keys of a scratched and dented upright piano. They played a lively, upbeat number that didn’t mesh with the sullen crowd.
Behind the bar, a vampire was pouring drinks. When he spotted Cole, he thrust a finger at the door. “No wolves allowed in here. You either enter in your true form or get out.”
When Cole growled at the man, he thumped the glass down on the bar. “If we’re going to have a problem, I’ve got a gun loaded with silver bullets.”
Despite his dislike of the man, Cole chuffed a little. The man was a fool; silver bullets wouldn’t destroy him, just as fae metal through his heart wouldn’t kill him. They may often contrast with each other, but his dark fae and lycan halves made him stronger.
And now, the shadows made him nearly invincible.
Those same shadows itched for a fight, and the bartender’s words caused them to skitter across the ground as his hackles rose and he bared his teeth. The bartender blanched a little, and his hand dropped behind the bar.
“You shouldn’t do that,” a melodious voice interjected. “First, he’ll kill you before you get the gun out. Second, he’s not your typical lycan; those bullets won’t kill him.”
Cole kept his attention on the bartender, but his ears flattened when he recognized the voice.Becca.
He hadn’t seen his ex-lover and member of the dark fae council in a while. She didn’t fight against the Lord, but she didn’t fight for him either.
Movement on his left alerted him that she’d risen from her seat and started toward him. Cole suspected Becca was the one who kept running to the Lord to report what was going on between him and Lexi and inside the Gloaming. He’d never been able to confirm it, but his gums skimmed back more.
Was she the reason the shadows had drawn him here? Was she plotting how to bring down Lexi?
It wouldn’t surprise him; she’d never kept her disdain for Lexi hidden. But if she was the reason he was here, her time left alive was ending.
However, the shadows whispered of something more sinister in this realm, and it wasn’t in this room. He turned his head back toward the bartender and the door behind him.
“What are you doing here, Cole?” Becca inquired.
When he remained focused on the man behind the bar, Becca stepped in front of him. Her black corset pushed her lush breasts up; a short, black skirt emphasized her small waist and toned legs. Her black hair swayed around her chin as she tilted her head to study him from her assessing black eyes.
“I’d put your hands back on the bar,” she said to the vampire.
The man’s eyes narrowed, but before he could speak, a dwarf asked, “Cole? As inKingColburnof the dark fae?”
A murmur ran through the crowd, and the bartender carefully placed his palms back on the bar.
“That’s the one,” Becca murmured.
“Also known as the Reaver,” someone else whispered.
When the shadows shifted, the sharp intake of breaths followed their movements. Cole ignored the call of those shadows as they whispered for him to follow them. The threat wasn’t in this room; it was elsewhere.
