The Shadow Heir: A Standalone Fantasy Romance (Secrets of the Fae) by C. F. E. Black

Author:C. F. E. Black [Black, C. F. E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hill City Press
Published: 2024-09-16T00:00:00+00:00

21

Zara

Like an arrow aimed at the sandy sea floor, I shot straight down. Pain lanced through my spine and my awareness dimmed as a massive headache exploded through my skull.

Dark shapes swarmed around me, but they moved too fast, and the light faded too quickly for me to register what these creatures were.

Then something grabbed me.

My entire body lurched as a force yanked me upward, sucking me from my watery grave. The magic binding my muscles vanished, and my limbs floated outward in the water, as did my dress. My hair billowed around my face, obscuring my view as the darting fish swirled and writhed in the waves around me.

Cold hands grabbed my ankle, then my waist, spinning my body until my face pointed up. My eyes stung too badly to register what was in the water with me, but strong arms wrapped around me as we rose.

A second longer and I would’ve taken water into my lungs. Then cold air washed over my wet body as I was pulled from the waves and toward the clifftop like a bird.

Grasses prickled against my skin as I hit the earth.

My lungs burned as I sucked in air, and my wheezing was accompanied by the groans of my rescuer.

Casimiro stood a few steps away, hands on his knees, heaving air through clenched teeth as black lines pulsed up from his hands toward his elbows. When he spied me watching him, he straightened and slung his hair backward with one hand, tossing a few water droplets into the sunlight.

“I knew you’d try to leave.”

Fists formed and loosened at his sides. His white shirt stuck to his skin, and his chin dripped water like a garden fountain. He lifted his face toward the sky, eyes squeezed shut and mouth open in an uncharacteristic grimace.

“Stars, Valencia, you could have died.”

The words tumbled from his lips as if by accident, and I found that my inability to stand had nothing to do with the pain in my spine. I stared at him, trying to read the sarcasm that was surely buried somewhere, or the venom that would be hidden in his meaning. I found none.

He leveled his dark eyes at me, his cold veneer quickly returning, then glanced down at the black lines spreading up his arm. “Don’t flatter yourself by thinking your life matters to me,” he said. “When someone bound to our court escapes, the magic that ties your blood to the one who made the bargain will bind your body until you are retrieved.”

Finally, I clambered to my feet in my now heavy dress. “Why not let me die then?” I managed to breathe out.

“Because,” he said simply, his tone calm and even once more, “if you die outside of the prescribed trials you’ve agreed to, my father will suffer. The bargain comes with a price for both parties. And while I’m not opposed to my father suffering, I am opposed to him coming home early.”

My brows lifted. Here was a valuable piece of information, almost like he was handing it to me on a platter.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.