Shadows of Fire (The Shadow Realms, Book 1) by Brenda Davies (free e books to read .TXT) 📕

He’d been there when she entered the room,but she’d never noticed as the shadows kept him hidden. After sheleft Malakai behind, Cole lost sight of her and assumed sheretreated for the night. Needing some time to himself, he slippedaway to what was once his mother’s place and was now his.

Her gaze returned to the doorway, but she hadto know he’d stop her before she ever made it there.

“Are you part lycan?” he asked as he stoppeda few feet away from her.

CHAPTER 10

A small crease formed between her eyes. “No, myfather was a vampire.”

“I’m aware. I knew your father.”

The confusion left her face as a sparkbloomed in her exquisite green eyes. “You did?”

“Yes. He was an amazing strategist.”

“I didn’t know that,” she murmured andglanced at the door again. “He didn’t talk about the war much.”

Of course, he wouldn’t talk about the warwith her. He recalled Del saying she was young, but even if she wasa couple of centuries old, an air of innocence surrounded her, andDel would seek to protect that.

“I spent a lot of time with him,” Cole said.“We fought together often, and I considered him a friend.”

“Were you….” She paused to swallow as tearsbriefly glistened in her eyes. “Were you there when he died?”

“Yes.”

Her shoulders slumped a little before theywent back again and she looked to the doorway. He sensed her urgeto bolt as she folded her hands before her and shifted from foot tofoot, but she didn’t try to leave.

“Was it…? Did he… did he suffer?” shewhispered.

Cole recalled watching Del go down beneaththe crush of bodies. He didn’t know if the man suffered or not, asthat was the last time he saw him. By the time they were able tohunt for the bodies of their fallen, the sun was already up and Delwas nothing more than ash, but he couldn’t tell her that.

“No,” he said.

A single tear slid free before she wiped itaway. Tears had never moved him before, and he never feltsympathy for anyone outside his family, but he found himselfwanting to comfort her.

Over the years, he’d probably caused hundredsof tears to fall in his lifetime, and not once had they swayed himto compassion. But he hated the sight of her tears.

“Good,” she said. “I should go.”

At the same time, he asked, “Was your mothera lycan?”

She frowned at him. “No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I never met my mother, but she washuman.”

“I see,” he murmured as he glanced at theflowers still tilted toward her. “The luna flowers are from thelycan realm. I’ve only ever seen them respond to lycans, such asmyself.”

He found himself entranced by her as shestudied the flowers again.

“I didn’t know the lycans had flowers.”

“The luna flowers grow in their land. Theyonly bloom when the rays of the moon are shining down on them.”

“Amazing,” she whispered.

“They’re reacting to you like you’re alycan.”

When she laughed, the sound made him blink.He’d never heard a sound so clear and sweet before. It reminded himof the joy he experienced as a child when he’d run through thefields with his arms open and the full moon shining down onhim.

It was a time before the death of his motherand centuries before the war. A time when he was still innocenttoo. It was a time so long ago that he’d forgotten about it… untilnow.

Elexiandra’s eyes twinkled when she looked atthe flowers again, and her laughter trailed away.

“I hate to disappoint them, but I am avampire,” she said.

As she spoke, he saw the tips of her smallfangs again. They would extend when she fed, but no vampire couldever completely hide them like a lycan could.

“I can see that,” he murmured.

Her head bowed as a blush crept up her neckand spread across her cheeks. It was so endearing his fingersitched to brush the hair back from her face, but he kept himselfrestrained.

He didn’t know why; he’d always gone for andalmost always gotten what he wanted. But though he longed to touchher, he simply stood and watched as she stretched a hand toward oneof the flowers before pulling it back.

When Cole clasped one of the flowers, some ofthe vines slid down to brush his arms as he moved. The flower’spetals were as smooth as silk and just as soft as he ran his fingeracross it before bringing it toward her.

Her fingers inched toward the flower, andwhen they landed on it, a smile lit her face. In response to hertouch, the petals closed around her hand. She jumped and started topull away but kept it there instead.

“It tickles!” She laughed.

Cole was stunned to realize he was grinningwhile watching the interaction between her and the flower. Itspetals moved over her hand before it released her. Cole carefullyreturned the plant; it lifted its petals to the moon beforetwisting toward her again.

“They’re amazing!” she breathed.

There was something far more amazing to himinside this room.

“This was my mother’s room,” he told her. “Myfather had it built for her so that no matter where she stood init, she could see at least a piece of a moon.”

A wistful smile played across her full lipsas she gazed around the room. “It’s beautiful. I’m sorry. Ishouldn’t be here. I was trying to find the room I was assigned toand got lost.”

“That can happen in this place. Sometimes, itchanges around you.”

“Really?”

When he grinned at her, Cole realized hecouldn’t recall the last time he genuinely smiled at anyone, butshe made it easy to do.

“No, but it’s something my father used totell me when I was a child. I think he was teasing me because Ialways got lost in this place.”

CHAPTER 11

Lexi couldn’t see the intimidating king of the darkfae teasing anyone, even his son, but she saw no reason for theprince to lie to her. Then again, she didn’t understand why he wastalking to her.

Part of her remained tempted to bolt out ofhere, but he so entranced the other part of her that she foundherself eager to learn more.

“Do you still get lost here?” she asked.

“On occasion,” he said with a ruefulsmile.

She didn’t know if he was telling her thetruth or saying that