I straightened my shoulders as I spoke. Not giving him a chance to say a word before I walked away and headed further
into the gardens and towards the summer house. Nausea rolled through my stomach and my heart raced. He didn’t chase after
me. I didn’t expect him to, but I wished he did.
Oh, how I wished he’d follow me where we could be by ourselves. Away from the castle and the eyes that followed us.
Even when we were in our room, I knew the guards outside were listening.
Chapter 46
NICHOLAS
What was I doing? I didn’t even know where my own mind took me when the shadows grabbed control. I watched her
walk away from me. Again. Desperation and wrath took over as my desire for her grew. I could feel my body
become covered in the coldness of my shadows. Before I even had a chance to tell them to stop, before she reached
the door to the summer house, I stood in front of her.
“Please, move,” she begged me, her cheeks red and glistening from tears.
“No.”
“Nicholas, please. I can’t keep doing this with you.”
I couldn’t keep doing it either. This fighting back and forth. The king in me told me to stay away, blaming her for the
misfortune my family had been dealt with. Even when she wasn’t even born for half of it.
The Fae inside me, who only wished to be near her and only ever her, begged to be released. To be able to beg at her feet
for forgiveness as I’d done once before. I wanted to drop to my knees before her and never leave.
But, no, I was a king as she already told me kings did not beg. Kings took what they wanted, and she was what I wanted,
even if it meant burning the entire world to ashes. I would do it for her, she’d only need to ask.
My fists tightened at my sides as she thrust me aside. A fiery spark ran up my side from when her hands touched me and
then she was forcefully pushing open the summer house doors.
“Ornella!”
Turning around, I stormed towards her, and she was stopped dead as I reached her. My shadows rumbling in my chest. She
didn’t turn to face me, just stood still as a statue. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest, her breath rising fast and shallow. I
didn’t want to lose control, not again. I could barely look at her for the shame of hurting her was too great. But that other part of
me, that darkness within me demanded blood. It needed it to survive.
“What, Nic?! What in Goddess’ name do you want from me? I can’t keep doing this with you.”
Ornella turned to me, she was crying once again, because of me. Her hands were shaking violently, her whole body
seemed to be wrecked by her sobs. I stared at her from across the path. Even if she was angry, she was the most beautiful sight