He raises an eyebrow at me as he pulls on his clothes. He says nothing with his mouth, but so much with his eyes. For a moment it's almost easy to forget everything that's happened. Everything we are running from. We are in his room. We are safe. We are together. But we can't let our guard down. He takes three long steps and is standing in front of me. He raises his finger to my cheek and runs it down my jaw. "This face, these eyes, this mouth, filled my thoughts every moment I was imprisoned. I feared I would never see you again."

I reach for his hand and hold it against my face. "I'm not so easy to get rid of."

He leans in and his lips find mine. It is a moment I have dreamt of every night. The feel of him. The taste of him. I don't want it to end. I want to lose myself in his embrace. But we are nearly out of time. We could still be caught. We could still be killed.

We pull away from each other with great reluctance and grab our swords. It's time.

It doesn't take us long to make our way out of the castle. Fen knows even more secret passages than I; this has been his home for longer than I can even imagine.

I show him the note, and he nods and leads us to the barge. I can see the questions in his eyes, but we both know this isn't the time. First, we must escape and get somewhere safe.

I have no idea where that somewhere is, but I know it's not here.

The moons are high in the sky by the time we make it to our meeting place: the docks, which I have only visited a handful of times. Usually, they're bustling with people unloading delivered goods or freshly caught fish. There is laughter and the smell of wine and the river. Now, it is quiet, dark, but for a few torches in the distance. Black waters shimmer under the pale light, and a small boat sways on the waves. From a distance I see a man cloaked in black, standing on shore with his back to us. It isn't until we get closer that I realize who it is.

Fen grabs my hand and stops me. We both hold our ground, drawing our blades. Baron leaps in front of us growling, as the man turns to face us.

He grins and holds out his hand. "Brother, you don't look nearly happy enough to see me."

Fen growls. "What are you doing here, Dean?"

Chapter 3

THE BLACK LOTUS

"I know where you're going. And I know why. But consider this, before you act rashly. Your people have fallen. They need their prince. What will you choose, Prince of War? Who will you save?"

—Ace

We are both dumbfounded. Why is Dean here? I was expecting Asher. Maybe Ace, though the way he was behaving during the confrontation with Levi makes me question his loyalty now.

Fen strides up to him. "What's going on, Dean?"

The Prince of Lust smirks. "Good to see you too, brother. You know, we should probably table the questions until we find a place where you're not in danger of being hanged, don't you think?"

Fen turns to me, and I walk toward the boat. "He's right," I say. "We have to go. We can sort it out later." I place a hand on Fen’s shoulder and whisper in his ear. "There’s no reason for a trap. I was already under Levi’s power."

Fen mumbles something about "Levi’s power" and "other dangers."

As I'm about to step onto the boat, something flies through the air.

And impales my shoulder.

I look down in shock, the pain not yet reaching my mind. A feathered arrow sticks out of my body.

There is a moment of pause, as if time has stopped, and I hear nothing. Then it all comes rushing back: noise, screaming, a frenzy. I reach for my sword but my shoulder spasms in pain, and I cannot grasp the hilt with my right hand.

I grow lightheaded and fall to the ground, my knees hitting the rocky earth with a thud.

Movies make getting shot by guns and arrows seem so easy. Guy gets shot, guy looks down, shrugs, keeps going.

What a crock.

This hurts like hell.

My vision grows dim. Fen and Dean fight soldiers dressed in black. No colors to identify their realm, but it doesn't take much to figure out. I know he’s coming. He walks out of the mist and into the light of the moons.

Levi.

His red cape and white hair flick about in the cold wind. He doesn't join in the battle. Instead, he targets me with a hateful smile. And before I can blink, he is at my side, lifting me easily off the ground and pulling me away from Fen and Dean.

"You should have taken me up on my offer when you had the chance, Princess."

"I would never choose you," I say, spitting in his face. "You are selfish, childish, petty and cruel. You're not fit to rule your realm, let alone an entire kingdom. I'm better off dead than by your side."

His face contorts in rage. He honestly was not expecting me to reject him. And like so many entitled men who think women owe them something they don't, his rage turns outward, toward me. He grabs me and pulls me closer to him, squeezing my chest so tight I can barely breathe as the arrow digs deeper into my flesh. "You bitch. You think you can treat me like that and get away with it?"

My heart pounds so hard in my chest I feel like I'm going to vomit, but I don't back off. I have nothing left to lose, and maybe if I'm clever enough I can buy some time. "What are you going to do, Levi? Kill me? And deny everyone the pleasure of seeing me hanged? How will your brothers feel if you take justice into your own hands at the last hour? You think they will forgive that so easily?"

His teeth elongate and he leans in toward my neck. I brace myself. I can feel his breath on my skin, smell the sweat seeping from his body. He's nervous, worried, aroused. I have never hated someone so much as I do right now.