Prince of Shadows by Tes Hilaire Read Free Book Online

on, her dark pupils that couldn’t decide between black or crimson narrowed. “In your dreams.”
    â€œExactly.” He smiled, taking a step toward the desk.
    She eyed him warily, but he couldn’t miss how her pulse skittered at the base of her throat or how her breathing had sped up.
    Not so indifferent to me, are you, cookie?
    She cleared her throat. “What was so vital that you had to track me down here, anyway? Is Roland okay?”
    â€œHe’s fine.”
    â€œKarissa?”
    â€œShe’s fine too. They’re all fine.” Well, except perhaps Logan, but that was half the point of why he’d put so much effort into finding her now rather than waiting for another chance encounter. Logan’s tragedy had been a real wake-up call for Valin. Not that he should’ve needed it. Not when he’d experienced for himself firsthand how fleeting life, love, and happiness could be.
    â€œThen why are you here?” she asked, suspicion lacing her voice.
    â€œTo see you, of course.” And to claim her. But that came later. Much later. First he was going to find out what the heck she’d been doing to make herself look so ill and then fix it. And he’d start with her most current need: blood.
    â€œDid you ever think that maybe that desire wasn’t reciprocated?” she asked snidely.
    â€œI admit I’ve had my doubts. Especially when you keep treating me to the view of your lovely backside.” He angled his head, leaning a bit to see around the desk and check out her luscious ass. When he looked back at her face he swore she was blushing. Hard to tell for sure with how pale she was. “Why is that, by the way? It’s certainly not any way to treat a guy who went through so much trouble to see you safe.”
    â€œYou…see me safe. How is that? Seems to me that you’re putting me in danger by coming here. Putting us all in danger, if Logan’s daddy finds out about this place.”
    â€œYou don’t remember the mines?” he asked, eating up another couple feet of distance between them.
    â€œOf course I remember the mines.”
    â€œYou left awfully quick after we rescued Karissa.” And another step.
    â€œHello? Logan? Getting ready to let loose his little heavenly light bomb? Remember that too?”
    â€œExactly.” He leaned forward over the desk and tipped his head close enough so that his breath caressed the side of her face as he spoke into her ear. “I searched for you. Practically tore those caves apart trying to find some sign of you. Four months I’ve wondered, hoped that you were out there. Prayed that you were safe.”
    She swallowed, shifting back from the desk closer to the cot. “You’ve come. You’ve seen that I’m all right. I want you to leave now.”
    â€œLeave? Like hell.” There was no way he’d be leaving now that he’d found her. Nor was he going to let her escape again either. He made to step around the desk, determined to close up the distance once more. She leapt on the bed, hands splayed against the wall behind her. Her eyes had gone full crimson now, the green iris thinning to less than a sliver of a line. Her fangs had also elongated, the sharp tips slicing into her bottom lip as she strained to keep her mouth closed.
    He took another step toward her, determined to ease her pain, when her voice in his mind brought him up short.
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    The plea, powerful and filled with so much pain and desperation it made his knees threaten to buckle, had him fisting his hands so hard his knuckles ached. He couldn’t leave her like this. It hurt his stomach just to look at her and see what she’d allowed to happen to herself. What must her own stomach feel like?
    He pulled out his blade. She immediately recoiled, hissing as she dove for the set of knives neatly stashed on a shelf above her cot.
    â€œWhat the