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

Malakai rose away from her and his mouthparted before he closed it. Then he gave her a scathing look as hislip curled in disgust.

Lexi’s shoulders went back, and her chinlifted defiantly. Getting involved with a dark fae was astupid decision, but she decided to make it, and she wasn’tgoing to be judged for it by this asshole.

“What’s going on here?” Cole inquired.

“I’ve come to speak with Elexiandra,” Malakaisaid in a clipped tone.

“As she said, she’s busy right now.”

Lexi glanced between the two men. Out of thetwo of them, there was no doubt who was more powerful, but Malakaiwas not the type to fight fair.

When Malakai’s attention shifted back to her,there was no denying the loathing in his eyes. “I’ll be backsoon.”

Cole’s fingers tightened on her hip, andbefore she could reply, Malakai vanished. She stood staring at thespot where he’d been before Cole guided her back and closed thedoor.

“That should keep him away for a while,” Colesaid.

“He’ll be back,” Lexi muttered. “He alwayscomes back, except he’ll be pissed off next time, and you won’t behere.”

Needing to be alone, Lexi shrugged out of hishold and backed away from him. Cole reached for her, but she dodgedhis hand and hurried down the hall as she resisted running.

However, there was nowhere for her to go, andshe didn’t know who she was running from, Malakai, Cole, or herselfand her shitty decisions.

As she strode down the hall, she spottedSahira standing in the shadows next to the stairs. Sahira openedher mouth to say something, but whatever she saw on Lexi’s facesilenced her.

She didn’t say a word to her aunt as she wentup the stairs to her room.

CHAPTER 40

Cole followed Lexi for a few feet before stopping towatch as she disappeared into the hallway above. She’d purposelyavoided him, and she needed some time alone. In truth, so did he asthe echo of her words continued in his head.

When the click of her door closing sounded afew seconds later, his attention shifted to Sahira. She stood withher shoulders slumped forward and her eyes closed.

“How bad is it with him?” he asked her.

Sahira opened her eyes and met his gaze. “Hewon’t stop until he gets what he wants.”

“And that’s Lexi.”

“Lexi, the manor, and the land. He intends tomarry her.”

Cole felt like she’d kicked him in the nuts.Not only could he not stand the idea of Lexi as Malakai’s wife, buthe couldn’t imagine her married to that asshole. Malakai woulddestroy her.

However, Malakai must want her and everythingshe offered badly if he was willing to marry her for it. Marriagewas sacred to immortals, and it was rare when something other thandeath severed the bond.

“He’s been asking for her hand in marriagesince she was fourteen,” Sahira continued. “Her father alwaysrefused him.”

“Fourteen? She was only a child.”

“She was beautiful, even then.”

“I’m sure she was, but immortals don’t marryfor beauty or lust.”

“Malakai’s different. His property abutsours, and not only does he want her, but he’s also after bothlands.”

“And when Del refused to let them marry, shebecame an obsession to him.”

“When Del refused to let her be hisconcubine, she became an obsession,” Sahira corrected.

“He wanted to take her as a concubine atfourteen?”

“Yes. He later offered marriage, but mybrother was not going to let that happen.”

Cole’s claws lengthened and retracted as heglanced over his shoulder at the closed door. He’d never likedMalakai, but now he despised the man even more.

“And now that Del is gone, he thinks it’sopen season on her,” Sahira said. “And nothing is going to stophim.”

“I will.”

Sahira laughed mirthlessly and rolled hereyes. “And why would you do that?”

Why would he do that? He wanted andliked Lexi, but why involve himself in her life? He’d never given asingle fuck about any of the other women he’d desired before.

However, Lexi wasn’t like those other women.For one thing, her father had been his friend and co-conspiratoragainst the Lord. He was a man Cole respected, and he could notforget Del’s love for his daughter or the fact they werefriends.

Cole kept his gaze focused on the front dooras he recalled the red in Malakai’s eyes and the hatred on hisface. Malakai coveted Lexi, but he also despised her.

Her father had turned him down—she’dturned him down and became the one thing he couldn’t have. If heever got his hands on her, he would destroy her for that.

“Del was my friend, and I can’t forget that.We saved each other’s lives many times during the war, and I won’tleave his daughter unprotected,” Cole told Sahira.

There was more to it than that, but he wasn’tin the mood to figure it out. Cole stalked away from the door andstarted up the stairs. He’d only traversed a couple of them beforeSahira spoke again.

“And who is going to protect her fromyou?”

He stopped walking, and his head turnedtoward her. When he met her steely gaze, Cole glowered at her, butthe witch didn’t back down.

Turning away, he stalked up the stairs. Whenhe arrived at the top, he spotted Brokk leaning against the doorwayof his room. Cole’s step faltered at the sight of his brother’ssweat-streaked face.

“Who indeed, brother?” Brokk inquired.

Cole’s shock faded as he scowled at hisbrother. “What are you doing out of bed?”

“Who could sleep with all that pounding?”

Cole strode toward him, and clasping his arm,he swung it around his shoulders and supported Brokk’s weight as hesteered him into the room. “You shouldn’t be up.”

“I had to make sure someone wasn’t coming tokill us,” Brokk muttered as he let Cole lead him back to thebed.

Cole lowered his arm from his shoulders andsat him on the edge of the mattress. Brokk fell back with a groan.Grasping his legs, Cole swung them into the bed.

“I’m not an invalid,” Brokk protested, but ashe pushed himself up to rest his back against the bed, he wincedand lifted his arm to wipe the sweat from his brow.

“You’re barely any better,” Cole muttered ashe jerked the blankets over his brother.

“I’m doing a lot better.”

“Yes, you managed to stand today. You’redoing fucking fantastic.”

Cole ignored the finger Brokk gave him.

“What game are you playing with the girl?”Brokk asked when Cole finished getting him settled.

Cole