Dark Love

B2 P65

The drive to the Pallid Prince's court was damn slow. The streets between The pallids and the darlings seemed to be packed with limos. They made the drive in somber silence. Hand clasped in hand and each staring out the other window.

"You don't have to go," suggested the Elvan Prince, finally. His tone soft but carefully devoid of emotions. "You don't need to put yourself through this."

But Saera's thoughts were on Darr. How betrayed he'd been thinking she preferred Sven to him, thinking that was the reason why she'd gone to the Darklings first. It wasn't.

She had to go. If only to make him see that. To make him see it's not her who's at fault... but them.

"I need to say my goodbye," she said instead. Her gaze snagging on the shadowy shape of a wolf running through the forest alongside their vehicles. Cade.

Her heart shifted a beat, moving momentarily from sadness to happiness, before she settled back in her seat with heavy sigh. The Were came with their own brand of problems. None of which she was at all eager to delve into. Was it so hard to find a simple man to love and who would love her back?

Her gaze moved over to Ash and another heavy sigh deflated her lungs.   The night lit up with the flash of lightning and a deep rumble sounded overhead. The gods looked to be every bit as displeased with this mess as she was. Not that raining on their parade was the right way to go about showing it.

A howl rang out from the depth of the woods and then they were turning, following the curve in the road that took them past the open gates of the palace grounds and on to the climb that would take them up to the palace itself. All lit up on the peak of the mound of a hill it sat pretty upon.

"Shit! We're here." Saera got out on an unhappy huff, staring at the palace with mingled apprehension. Was she too late here as well? Did that even matter anymore? Nick was lost to her, and Svenneth was gone too. What did it matter anymore if Darr dropped off her path of existence. Perhaps it was all for the best. Perhaps they were never meant to be. Perhaps Cade was her mate and the rest had been... just fluff.

The limo pulled into a halt before the palace entrance. The door was opened with ridiculously attired footmen. The role had gone extinct with the ages but it seemed they were plucked out of obscurity for ceremonial purposes.

Saera thrusted her hand into the gloved one reaching for her then she ignored the threatening growl of displeasure that erupted out of the drenched night. She flashed a scowl into dark informing Cade she did not appreciate his jealousy over what was   just a footman but then Ash sidled up right beside her, his hand slipping into hers automatically and the Were's displeasure took on new meaning.

She sighed. And shrugged her shoulders. She couldn't deal with that just then, her focus was on her palid Prince. The closet vampire that clung to sanity on a thread. Her hand left their tightened grip on Ash's and instead took hold of the heavy fall of her gown. Lifting it above her feet, she made for the never ending bout of stairs that would take her to the palace.

What was it with Power and their need for height? The cool night breeze whipped drops of rain against her skin and her feet took on urgency needed to get out of its reach. Soon she was at the door and slipping in past security unnoticed thanks to Ash's handy glamour.