Reaching outwards, I turned her face towards me meeting the blaze in her emerald eyes. Goddess, I could lose myself in her eyes alone. Pledge my entire being with just one look from them.
“I know exactly what you are capable of and more Remnant Dark. I’m not afraid of it. I fucking want to unleash it. But if you cannot be in my fan club…then I will be in yours. Always.” I leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her plush mouth before pulling away. “I also find that I cannot deny you anything. So prepare yourself.”
She frowned.
“Your turn, cat.”I growled low in warning. "Don’t fuck this up.”
Chapter 56
Inabrightflash,the breath rushed out of me as I stared up at the shifted towering form of Emon’s beast.
A radiant and monstrousgoldenpanther.
His fierce feline eyes, rich with the same gold light as Emon, lowered down to peer at me and the power that radiated off of him was terrifying.
Without any self preservation, I took a trembling step forward in awe. If I thought that being around Emon was like being burned by the sun, then his panther's presence was like being burned by all the stars in the sky.
Emon was correct. His beast was not of this world, perhaps not even this universe.
The cat’s regal head bowed.“Finally we meet, princess of the shadows.”His voice was dulcet and cultured, it boomed melodiously insideof my head.
My shadows rushed toward the giant beast the moment he spoke, draping over him like one would a lost friend. For a brief moment, the beast was a true panther in all black and within, there was darkness. A cold calculated killer that lurked beneath the breathtaking shimmer of his mystic self.
“Where is Emon?” I narrowed my gaze on him suspiciously, suddenly worried for the fae that was stealing the shattered pieces of my heart.
“Fairy boy is more than safe.”His bright eyes blinked slowly.“He is currently yelling at me to stop scaring you.”
My lips twitched. “Fairy boy.” I shook my head. “I am not frightened but merely intrigued.”
The panther’s great paw swiped at the shadows, peeling them off of him like the shedding of a cloak.“Forgive me. He said that your look indicated either you were afraid of me or were going to kill me. I didn’t believe the latter.”Lowering his body to the ground so that his massive head was only inches from mine, he regarded me thoughtfully. His long golden tail flicked back and forth.“We are trapped with each other as you see but worry not. He is still here. He’s always here. Like an itch I can’t scratch. Like a parasite that won’t die. Like a disease with no cure.”
I laughed in the face of the universe's ultimate predator. “That is most unfortunate.” I said with mock sincerity.
The panther grinned, a terrifying sight of sharp gleaming white teeth that in length were as long as my arms.
“Are there any more like you?” I said breathlessly.
He shook his great golden head, sadness echoing in those mystic glowing eyes before answering.“I do not know. I cannot remember, princess of shadows.”
“I am sorry to hear that.” I said simply.
“As am I.”
My shadows rubbed against his front legs sympathetically and he turned his head into them purring affectionately before batting them down playfully into the ground. His dangerous black claws slicing through them without harm.
“You seem to know each other?” I watched the shadows curl around his front legs and he nipped at them friskily.
“Perhaps from a life that has long passed, I believe.”He rumbled, shaking the shadows off of him, growling. “Would you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you to the outposts? Fairy boy is most anxious to get there before nightfall.”
I opened my mouth to protest but snapped it closed when the regal panther moved closer, turning one eye on me. I could see my full silhouette in the reflection of his golden gaze and my nervous shifting in the presence of his greatness.
“I understand that you would prefer not to, but please spare an old cat the torture of listening to the fairy boy complain about it. He is already demanding that I will have to make you see reason.”
I snorted and rolled my eyes. Swallowing down the numerous questions I wanted to ask the panther. “I’ll concede then, only to spare you the torture of course. But you will owe me.”
The great cat’s pink tongue darted out to lick his lethal sharp canine slowly.“To owe a fae is a dangerous bargain.”He smiled again and I suppressed a shudder.“But I find I am intrigued and will play this game.”
“May I?” I reached my hand out towards the side of his face, his whiskers brushing coarsely against my bare arms.
