The Darkest Craving (Lords of the Underworld #10)(91)
Author: Gena Showalter

Kane threw himself at Josephina, knocking her into the ground, absorbing most of the impact. What—

Boom!

A hot gust of air licked over her, then Kane was rolling away from her and helping her to her feet. Or rather, trying to. She accidentally jerked him down beside her, and he hit with so much force he might have punctured a lung.

“Sorry,” she said. “Sorry.”

He laughed. Actually laughed. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart.” He stood and motioned for her to do the same.

She hopped to her feet and saw that William had somehow blasted through the realm to create a doorway into Séduire. Night had fallen—the time for parties. The entire Fae court would be gathered in the throne room. The moon was out, a crimson sliver in the blackness of the sky. A walking path was lit by torches.

“Maybe we should think about this,” she said, suddenly nervous.

“No more thinking.”

What about stalling? “What happened to the key?”

“Apparently, if you aren’t a Fae, they break down and stop working,” Kane replied. “Mine stopped working.”

“All right. Okay.” If she didn’t act now, she wasn’t going to act at all. “I’m ready.” She raced forward.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Kane called, stopping her.

“What—” Oh, yeah. “Sorry.” She backtracked and grabbed Kane’s hand. He cringed, and she realized she had to keep her newfound strength in check or she would crush his bones. “Sorry again!”

His grin returned, wide and toothy and full of good humor. “I told you. Don’t worry about it. Now do what needs doing.”

They marched toward the Fae realm.

“I’ll give you thirty minutes, then I’m coming in,” William announced.

“We’ve got this,” Kane replied without turning back.

His friends were staying in the Realm of Blood and Shadows to protect their weakened women. William was their backup.

“See you in thirty,” William said with a wave.

“I said no.”

“Twenty-five, then.”

“Frustrating,” Kane muttered.

They passed through the doorway, entered the charred remains of her father’s garden. Dark smoke still wafted through the air.

Josephina’s heart thundered in her chest. What if she failed, like she’d done during much of her training today? What if Kane got hurt? She would forever blame herself—and rightly so.

Yeah, but what if you succeed?

From the corner of her eye, she thought she spotted the warrior with white-and-gold wings, the one who’d brought her new clothing. But…surely not. That would mean he was following her.

She searched the darkness, but found no other sign of him.

“This way,” Kane said.

He led her toward the palace. Whenever a guard passed, he would shield her with his body, doing his best to hide them both. Finally, they reached the door to one of the secret passages.

Inside, Josephina took the lead. Down the hall. Up a flight of steps. Down a flight of steps. Around a corner. Around another corner. Trading one passage for another, moving at such a rapid pace, never giving herself time to think, until they reached their destination.

Her heart drummed as she stopped. Through the two-way mirror, she saw the throne room was as crowded as she’d expected.

“You ready?” Kane asked.

No. Yes. She had better be. “I am.”

“You’ve got this, sweetheart. I believe in you.”

Now, to believe in herself. Josephina pushed open the door, and with her head held high, entered the throng.

Two girls spotted her and gasped. They told their friends, and their friends gasped. One set of eyes after another found her.

Josephina walked forward, Kane behind her; the crowd parted, making way. Soon, the royal family came into view, each member perched on a throne.

Leopold spotted her and stood. Synda waved and smiled, as if Josephina hadn’t ruined her wedding. The queen scowled.

“Well, well,” the king said, rubbing his jaw. “You have returned.” His gaze slid to Kane and filled with satisfaction. “Tired of her already?”

Kane wound his arm around her and kissed her temple. “I’ll never be tired of her. She’s mine. I chose her then, and I choose her now. I’ll choose her tomorrow and every day after.”

Sweet heat. No one had ever… He’d just said…

Murmurs swept through the crowd. Josephina turned in a circle, meeting the stunned gazes of the Fae. These people had ignored her and talked down to her and laughed at her pain. No one had ever offered to help her. Now, envy looked back at her.

In a single moment, Kane had undone years of rejection. He’d given worth to the female no one had wanted. This man… He wasn’t a disaster. He was a savior.

And he’s mine.

King Tiberius frowned. “Then why are you here, Lord Kane?”

Do it. Finish this. “He heard you were looking for me, coming for me,” Josephina said. “I decided to save you the trouble and settle things.”

“You want to settle things?” The king perked up, motioning to the space at his feet. “Then bow before me. Offer your apologies for the destruction of the garden and accept your sentence when it’s pronounced.”

“And what, exactly, did I do wrong?” she asked, lifting her chin.

A pause. Then, “Just like your mother…everything.”

Anger torched any remorse she might have entertained over this. Bludgeoned any sadness, strangled any guilt.

But then, realization struck her. He blamed her for her mother’s decline and death, and always had. Always would.

Had he actually loved the woman, in his own warped way?

“I would like to approach you, yes.” Eyes narrowing, she moved away from Kane, and every ounce of her new, massive strength was required not to ghost her fingers through his hair, enjoying one last touch before Séduire forever changed. Before she changed.

At the dais, the guard backed away, allowing her to draw closer. In front of the king, she bowed her head, presenting the perfect picture of submission. “Majesty,” she said with a curtsy.

“Lower.”

The command scraped against the piece of her heart that had hoped she would finally, at long last, find favor with him.

“How about this instead?” Quick as a blink, she grabbed him by the throat, lifting him from his seat, startling him—and crushing the pipes beneath her fingers. “You bow before me.”