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

by Tricia Levenseller

And then out come his horns. They sprout from the top of his forehead, just like in the dream. He snarls at me. “There you are,” I say, taking in every detail I can see, as though it is wondrous. On some level, I suppose it is.

Only then does a true sense of horror set in. Because that sound I made, that whimper? It wasn’t one of fear. And that is more terrifying than anything else.

They look just like the shadows that poured from Eryx’s mouth the night I poisoned him.

And she’s not wearing white. No, Alessandra’s dress is blacker than a sky without stars. Her skirt is full, her sleeves long and tight, and she’s got so much chiffon layered about her that the material shifts when she moves. Like shadows.

Walking as though she needs nothing and no one. She belongs to no one. She is choosing a life with the king. She doesn’t take note of me when she walks past. No, she sees nothing but the man at the end of the aisle waiting for her. And I realize for the first time that she is in love with him.

I feel sorry for her. By loving the king, she is giving up her power. If he knows how much she cares, he will use it to try to control her. She should have been more careful.

So I incline my head toward Alessandra. A sign of respect, and even a congratulatory nod.

Now that Kallias Maheras is wed, Eryx Demos is the most eligible bachelor in the world.

“So you can spare patience for strangers but not the woman you share a living space with?” “Precisely.”

“Of course not, Your Grace. I hope you will recover your nerves. Please do write me, if—if you can manage.” The man walks away with less confidence than when he approached.

“I said it was nothing to swoon over.” “And who should I be swooning over? You?”

He stumbles over his next words. As though he’s unsure whether he should encourage the notion or vehemently protest it.

“You’re prettier than he is, but I am loyal to your sister.” The response is the last thing I expected to hear. He must be close to Alessandra if he knows the nature of our relationship.

“Devils, there’s two of you,” Eryx mutters under his breath, too quiet for anyone other than me to catch.

I feel that familiar rage try to overcome me again. There my sister is with a man who loves her. Who’s treating her well. How does Alessandra keep doing that? What secret has she learned that I haven’t? Why does she get what she wants when here I am, yet again, subjected to someone who thinks more of his polished boots than he does of me?

“Are you saying that you would kill that man for me?” His eyes widen, as though he’s just realizing the truth of what he’s said. And meant.

“How the hell am I supposed to be calm when I handed you off to a man who—” “Because you know I will make you suffer for it. When we get home, I’m going to make you wish you’d never met me.”

“No one,” he says, “no one is going to touch you like that again. I will make sure of it.”

“Are they disposing of a body for you?” Eryx’s whole body freezes in place, and my eyes widen at his reaction. “I was joking!” But it’s too late. He’s given away the truth, and he knows it.

“I’m sorry, Chrysantha.” Of course it’s Eryx. “You ruined my reading time.” “I had no idea the man was already married. I wasn’t trying to sell you or anything, I swear. I’m not that kind of man.”

The longer I talk, the more the shift happens. First, his eyes. Then his ears. Finally, his horns and canines sprout at the word pawed.

“I’m so sorry for how you were treated by my grandfather. It wasn’t right. It was an abuse of power, and I hope he burns in one of the devils’ hells for it. But just because one man behaved that way, it doesn’t mean that all men—” “Do. Not. Finish. That. Sentence.”

“You want me to put my trust in another man? Just hope that the next one won’t abuse his power? I want to be the one with the power: the power to remove myself from those who treat me poorly, the power to protect myself, the power to always make my own decisions about my body and my life. Neither you nor anyone else can put a price on that freedom. So you and your twenty thousand necos can leave me the hell alone.”

“The Maheras line claims that their shadows are a divine right to rule, even though the truth is that the shadows were a curse from a devil. Devils love to make mischief in the lives of humans, though few are strong enough to manifest on this plane physically. Even then, they’re only able to do so after centuries of building their strength. The Maheras line was cursed by the most powerful of them all, and they don’t want any threats to their crown. If anyone with abilities makes them public, they are immediately executed in private. How can the shadows be a sign of a divine right to rule if other people have powers?”

“You also shift when you are impassioned. Just say it. There’s nothing embarrassing about that.” “Impassioned. Such a delicate way of putting it.”

Men are the most sensitive individuals I have ever met, yet they claim it is women who are always close to hysterics.

“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.”

“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.”

“Do not siblings treat each other abominably when they truly love each other deep down? Can’t two lovers do the same?” Karla asks.

“One where the duchess pays men for favors. For her, love is only present when she’s the one in control.”

“I do not experience attraction the way others do, but that does not mean that I don’t like reading these books and discussing them. When did this meeting turn so sour?”

You don’t need to be afraid of me.” And, despite everything, I let out a snort. “Me? Afraid of you? Please.” His puzzled expression looks absolutely comical with his wolf eyes on display. “Then, why—” “My arm hurts, dammit. I don’t want you touching it!”

“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.”

“Change of plans. Send the girl away when she gets here. We’ll be using the room, though. No questions. You two spend the evening however you think is best.”

“I don’t need another woman in this room to consummate our marriage. I don’t want anyone else in this room with us.” He hovers over my lips but doesn’t touch me again.

“The doctor and I had an interesting chat before he left today. You told me a wicked lie.”

“I think we are a good match.” “If you think fire and oil are a good match.” “Exactly. Together, we could burn the world down if we wanted to.”

“What if I don’t want to burn down the world? What if all I want is my quiet country life?” “Then I’ll burn anyone who tries to take it away from you.”

“Her hatred grew to such depths that she attracted the attention of a demon, a different one than that which granted powers to the Maheras line.”

“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.

I bring out the demon in him. Oh, and he undoubtedly brings out the demon in me.

“I thought to poison Kallias once. I didn’t go through with it, though. How fortunate that both our men survived us.”

“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.”