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

in her throat.If she made this choice, she couldn’t turn back. She’d be puttingher neck on the line for a bunch of strangers and a douchey fae astrustworthy as a crocodile with a toothache.

“Why are you really doing this?” sheasked.

“The war against the Lord is taking on manyforms. Undermining him every chance we get is only one of thoseforms.”

She suspected it was more than that, but shecouldn’t bring herself to believe he might actually have a heart,even if it was a minuscule one.

“How many others are fighting on your side?”she asked.

“I can’t reveal that.”

“Will you reveal my tunnels to them?”

He hesitated before replying, “No. Yoursecret is safe with me.”

She shifted her hold on the shovel andlowered her forehead to rub it with one hand. He was probably lyingto her, but putting her decision off was pointless, and standingout here only put them at a greater risk of exposure.

They both knew she wasn’t going to turn thesepoor fugitives away.

“Elexiandra.” She lifted her head to look athim. “I won’t tell anyone about these tunnels.”

“You’ve already told these people.”

He slipped a vial from inside his shirtpocket and held it before her. “It’s a forgetting potion. Oncethey’re safely ensconced inside, I’ll give it to them.”

She wished she’d had that to use onhim.

“They’ll never remember how to get here,” hecontinued. “I will keep your secret safe because it benefits me todo so.”

And that was a truth she could count on.While the tunnels remained a secret, he would have a place to hide.Lowering her hands, she looked up at him.

“Were you planning on entering the tunnel nomatter what?” she asked.

“You told me you were going to shut itoff.”

“Don’t play your games with me; yes or no?Were you going to try to get into the tunnel without me?”

“Of course, but I don’t have to do that now,do I?”

Her teeth were going to be nubs if she didn’tstop grinding them. No matter what happened, when this was over,she was going to find a way to get back at this asshole for all theshit he’d put her through.

“I’ll hide them,” she bit out.

“I knew I could count on you,” he said with awink.

Without realizing she intended to do it, herhand fisted and she swung at him. Her punch was so hard and fastthat he didn’t have time to dodge it before it slammed into hisnose. His head shot back, and his hands flew to his face.

“Fuck you!” she spat.

The fugitives all gasped and took a couple ofsteps away from her. She glared at Orin as he covered his nose andstared at her over the top of his fingers. She scented his blood onthe air but couldn’t see it.

Though she’d begged him to teach her how tofight, her dad would only teach her how to punch. He said learninganything more was unladylike but did feel that she should know howto defend herself at least a little.

However, she’d never hit anyone out of angerbefore, and while she was still stunned by the action and her handthrobbed a little, she couldn’t deny it felt good. Thebastard deserved it.

This time, she was the one who smiledsmugly.

“Okay,” he muttered in a more nasally tone.“I’ll give you that one. But only that one. Don’t try itagain.”

She almost asked him what would happen if shedid try it again, but she decided not to test her luck bypushing him further. He may need her, but he was far more powerful,and he could hurt her.

“Do they know my name?” she asked in a lowwhisper that wouldn’t carry to the others.

“No.” Orin lowered his hands to reveal hisswollen nose. He wiped away the trickle of blood seeping from oneof his nostrils. “Your identity will remain hidden from them.”

“They’re on my land.”

“They don’t know that. We’ve been running solong that even the immortals have no idea where we are anymore. Andthe forgetting potion will erase any memories they might have ofhow they got here.”

She despised him, but she believed him whenhe promised her this. He needed her help, and he would keep herprotected while that remained true. What would happen afterward,she didn’t know, but he could destroy her now, so it didn’tmatter.

Lexi plastered on a smile and turned to thefugitives. She did not feel like smiling as her stomachchurned and her mind spun with all the ramifications of heractions, but she couldn’t turn them away. She would never sleepagain if she did.

“My name is Andi,” she said with falsecheeriness.

When she was a young girl, her father wouldsometimes call her Andi in a cute little rhyming game he made up.She recalled sitting on his lap and giggling while he tickled herand sang, “Andi Pandy smells like pickles and candy.”

She pushed aside the grief that came with thememory as she continued speaking. “I’m going to help you.”

It may be the worst decision she ever made,but the second the words left her mouth, the helplessness she’dexperienced since the destruction of the marketplace vanished.She’d chosen a different side than her father, but he would havebeen so proud of her for doing it.

“Please, follow me. I’ll take you somewheresafe,” she promised as she led them into the shed.

CHAPTER 60

Cole took his father’s king as he declared,“Checkmate.”

And it was about time. They’d played hundredsof matches over the past week and a half, and this was the firsthe’d won. He’d never been one for chess, but after days of beingstuck in these small rooms, with windows as their only access tothe outside world, he was becoming better at the game.

He’d also become better at rummy and keepinghis building rage restrained.

It took everything he had not to launch tohis feet and pace the small room containing only the gaming tableand two chairs. No decorations hung on the walls, no fire crackledin the hearth, and the only door out was locked.

The place looked exactly like what it was… aprison.

Cole resisted pummeling the gray stone wallsof the palace as he demanded to be released. However, he would notgive the Lord the satisfaction of seeing him break, so he followedhis father’s lead of cool indifference while plotting the many wayshe’d kill