Was it true?
Even if it was, tothink that…
“The scariest thing about a monster in the movies is when you can’t see it. When you can see a monster, it isn’t scary anymore. Right?”
“You think me a monster.”
“I mean—no—but—” She paused. “I mean—but—um—fuck.”Ava slapped a hand over her eyes. “Shit, that’s not what I meant, I meant—” Letting out a whine, she gave up. “I shouldn’t have had any booze,damn it.”
He was chuckling. Quietly, but chuckling. “You are correct, little butterfly. I am a monster.” When she looked up at him, he had turned around to watch her, once more with an unreadable expression on his face. “I am the disfigured minotaur, whose maze you have wandered within. And for that, I am deeply sorry for you.”
Putting down her glass of alcohol, she stood from the chair and walked up to him. She didn’t know why she did it, and she knew she shouldn’t, but he’d done a great act of kindness for her when she’d needed it.
And something told herheneeded a great act of kindness in return.
She hugged him.
After a pause, he wrapped his arms around her and held her for a moment before gently nudging her away from him a few inches. With the crook of his fingers, he tipped her chin up to look at him, his yellow-gold eyes searching hers.
It was hard to imagine someone so utterlyperfect,so handsome, being disgusting. She found herself suddenly tempted to kiss him. To just pull him down to her and see what he tasted like. What those fangs might feel like against her tongue.
Bad Ava. Bad.
Spider fae. Dangerous, absolutely murderous, spider fae.
It seemed he might almost be tempted to do the same, the way his eyes flicked to her lips.
He wanted to commit genocide.
To kill an entire race of people.
His people.
And it would cause untold catastrophe for hers in its wake. She knew she had to kill him—someday, somehow. That was the future that lay ahead of her. That was the path she had to walk.
But as he bent his head down, ever so slightly closer—her breath caught.
Could he?
Did he want her, too?
Abruptly, without warning, he took a step back. The jarring absence of him left her reeling, and almost knocked her off balance. “Tomorrow, when you wake, you will have the first key. You must force Ibin to make good on her word and guide you to the door. Youmustunlock the first seal, Ava.”
She stammered uselessly. “I—s-sure—” Her cheeks were warm. She was blushing. She felt embarrassed—like a complete idiot. She’d mistaken the moment for attraction.
“Rest, Ava. The act of opening a lock will be unkind to you. You will need your strength for what is to come.” With a flick of Serrik’s wrist, the dream ended.
And she was pitched into nothingness.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Serrik had sent her away.
Not because it was something he had wished to do.
But because it was something he had needed to do.
His self-control had been dangerously close to shattering. The alcohol and the pain of having a part of his soul ripped from him had left his guard down. Her nearness, her scent, the warmth of her body when she had embraced him—the surge of wild desire in him had been almost overwhelming.
