The Darkness Within Us (The Shadows Between Us, #2)

by Tricia Levenseller

“Ah, yes, well. This is all a bit awkward, but I’m afraid, Duchess, that the late duke updated his will.” “When?” I ask immediately. “Before his death.” I purse my lips. “It would be truly remarkable if he’d done so after his death, now, wouldn’t it?” Vander coughs awkwardly and loudly into a handkerchief. “Forgive me, Your Grace. I wasn’t thinking. The duke changed his will after your marriage.”

Eryx sighs. “Again, I’m not a peacock. A man needs naught but a single coat, five shirts, and two pairs of pants.” I bite the inside of my cheek. “I cannot tell if you are joking.” “I’m quite serious. You can wear one pair while the other is being washed.”

The fact that I’m still alive should tell you several things. First of which, that I’m a damned good soldier, and second, I don’t give a damn what you think. Third, I’m sick of killing and quite eager to take up a quiet life at this country estate.

Rhouben Contos,

I will take ANY Rhouben crumbs

You, swooning? Over that soft-handed man.”

I love that this is an insult. But kind of a true insult

I was trying to lighten your mood with a joke, not stoke your temper.”

I messed up. I’m supposed to be slowly charming him, yet I exploded on him. I told him I hated him, which is true, but not conducive to seducing him.

I have seen this pattern before…. and the seduction still happens

“Hate is not love.” “Of course not,” Tekla says, “but it’s remarkable how often the two coincide.”

“When you hate someone so fiercely, they have to be worthy of that hatred. You wouldn’t ardently hate someone who was beneath your notice or someone who didn’t compare to you in wits or charisma. You have to be on equal grounds to hate someone so much. And that level of hate inherently comes with a level of respect. You’re recognizing that they’re an actual threat. That they compare to you.” Tekla nods vehemently. “And when that level of hatred comes with that level of respect, it’s all too easy for that passion to turn from one form to another.”

“That’s why love stories about enemies turned to lovers are so popular,” Tekla says. “It’s the level of feeling. That intensity. It’s so dynamic.”

“You’re avoiding me.” “I do that when I don’t want to see you.”

“Every little thing about you does not irritate me.” “All evidence to the contrary.” I try to step around him, but he steps with me, continuing to block my path. “Do you respect me?” he asks suddenly. “What?” “Do you hate me so much because you recognize on some level that we’re equals?” My stomach falls at the words. He was at book club listening in!

“You. You make me forget all my rules and reasons for everything. You make me want to believe it’s possible not to be alone forever. You make me want to claim the whole world and gift it to you on a silver platter. You are unlike anyone I’ve ever known. And gods, but I love your mouth. The way it smiles. The words that come out of it. How it feels against mine. Just looking at your lips makes my mouth water.”

Eryx’s expression turns to one of horror. He looks around the room, and then his eyes land on the cup the doctor left for me. The one I didn’t drink, but Eryx likely comes to the conclusion that it was for me to have more of if I felt I needed it. He rakes his hands in his hair, even pulls out a few strands. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I never would have—” He cuts himself off and strides out of the duchess suite without a backward glance, but the door doesn’t slam in his wake.

“I do not care one whit that you’re half demon. You could have told me that you were a demon now living on this plane, and I wouldn’t care. That monstrous form is just a part of who you are, and I like it, too. I like all of it. Eryx Demos, liar, murderer, thief, demon. I don’t care. “This,” I say, and I reach out to touch the skin of his wrist with my fingers. Electric heat flows through me at the contact, just as I knew it would. “This is what I care about. This connection. This understanding. You were made for me.”

Eryx reaches down to take my hand in his, clearly still feeling territorial.

“Jealousy is unbecoming on you,

I love you, Chrysantha Stathos Demos. I love your fiery temperament and your wicked mouth. I love your intelligent mind and your love of books. I love that crass sense of humor and your passionate friendship. There is not one part of you that I don’t love, so how can I possibly stand in the way of what you want? What you need and deserve?

It is my dearest wish that you will allow me to stay at the estate, in whatever capacity you choose. I wish not to be parted from you, but more important, I wish you to be happy, so I will abide by whatever your wishes are. Whether they be to have this monster far, far from you or as close to

you as possible to protect you and love you for the rest of my life.

“Why are you helping me?” I ask.

“I would say it is because you are my sister, but I don’t think that has mattered to either of us for most of our lives.”

She smiles. “I thought to poison Kallias once. I didn’t go through with it, though. How fortunate that both our men survived us.” And though there is still danger to dispel, I find myself smiling in return. “We Stathos sisters are a force to be reckoned with.” “That we are. We are as arrogant as the gods, deciding who gets to live or die.” “If the gods didn’t want us killing men, then they shouldn’t have allowed them to hurt us so much.”

“I will be here. Come find me when it’s done. I will be ready. To celebrate or to comfort you. Whichever you end up needing.”

“You didn’t leave the king to kill me. You came back.” “Of course I came back, you stupid boy. I love you.” “Always with the age difference.”

“I love you. I fought loving you, but it was as inevitable as the sun rising every day. For you are my equal in nearly every way and my superior in all the rest.”

“I won’t be no footman. You cannot dress me up in that.” He looks over at Kyros. “What are your skills?” “Killing.” “We’ll … figure something out.”

“He’s still dangerous,” Kyros whispers. “He is.” And so am I, but I can’t very well say that. “But not to me. Not to those who we care about. Eryx has already brought up the subject of hiring a tutor for Nico. I think the idea is grand, and I would love to help him have a bright future.”

I try not to gag. These women are swooning at the thought of Eryx wearing less clothing? I suppose it’s my fault that I’ve made him out to be some honorable war hero. Little do they know he has fewer fine qualities than an irritable grizzly bear.

“Don’t you want a man who wants nothing from you? You should be the prize to him. Not the things you can give him.