Fate of a Royal (Lords of Rathe, #1)(53)

Knight?

I point toward the two of them, heart pounding in my chest as I subconsciously move farther and farther away. “Which one of you is Knight?”

The hooded one slowly rolls back, turning to face me completely as Knight pushes himself off the floor, swiping the blood from his mouth. They stand side-by-side identical, and I squeeze my eyes closed to force them to focus. Only this time when I open them, they’re still standing in the same spot.

Knight picks up his shirt from the ground, throwing it over his shoulder and pulls out a fat looking cigar. He bites it into his mouth. “Damn. Now that doesn’t happen every day.”

Knight—wait—I turn to the left, Knight. The hooded Knight closes the distance between us before his hands are wrapped around my face and chin and he’s forcing me up against the wall, my head cracking against it. “You mean to tell me you didn’t know that wasn’t me?”

“How the fuck—” I force myself out of his grip. “—was I to know? You’re fucking twins! And you’re both here? Wait—” I swallow thickly. “Why the fuck are you both here?”

The corner of this Knight’s mouth curls and I swear I hear a deep growl vibrate off his chest.

“You ever—” A loud sound of wind swirls around the room and Hoodie Knight, who I’m guessing is real Knight, unless Knight is just some name they use to fuck with people, turns over his shoulder. Dust falls over my face and everything goes black.





Nineteen





Knight



My hand catches the skin around the back of his neck just as the portal shuts behind us. I don’t give him a second to stand before I’m throwing his body against the brick building behind him. The marble stones crack when his body falls back to the ground.

“What the fuck is your problem?” Sin shoves me in my chest, swiping his new blood splatters off his chin. “What the fuck do you care?” The streets in the city are quiet, but then I knew they would be. It’s timeless here, but even the magic needs to refuel.

“Knight!” he shouts, but I give him no more than my fucking back as I barrel down the road.

If I don’t get away from him now, I’ll do something I’ll regret. Show my cards, not that I didn’t do that already.

I don’t ask why he sent us here out of everywhere. Why does he portal us home? I let my feet take me to the only place where I’ll find answers. The city is almost always alive, but tonight, on All Hallows’ Eve, we don’t have a chance. We don’t celebrate the same way the Giftless do.

If only. Then maybe it would be over quicker.

I keep following the marble pathway down the street, passing all of the smaller shops. Convenience stores, bars. That’s all we really need down here—or up. I stop walking when I hit the entrance to a dark alley. Trees curve over the pathway, with shadows dancing across the pavement. The trees whisper little notes.

That’s a Royal…oh no…whatever will he do.

Someone giggles and then adds, He will come and steal us. Only we hope he actually takes us to bed this time. I roll my eyes. The squawking of the butterflies dying off into the distance.

The store catches my eyes instantly. Nestled between two over-the-top large buildings is a smaller one with two pointed cones reaching up to the sky from the ceiling. It kind of looks like a miniature dark castle. Blood red illuminates from the windows and I quickly pick up my pace to make it across the road. My hands come to the door handle, and I push it open. Fog swims around my ankles as the smell of burning sage and lavender drifts up my nostrils.

“Sit.” The Mage points to the chair opposite hers, and my hands come to the back. Zhara is the greatest Mage to ever speak, and that’s saying something since they’re so powerful already.

Her long fingers curve around the deck of cards as she shuffles them. “I know that you are not here for this, royal, so what is it that I can help you with?”

I lean forward, resting my elbows on the table. “I need help.”

“With what?” she asks, her soft pink eyes shifting up and down my body. She leans back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other until the split parts and exposes her lean, tanned thigh. “I mean…” She flicks the ash off her whatever it is she’s smoking, bringing it back to her pastel pink lips. “I have a feeling you need me for something other than what I am most excited about.”

Usually, Zhara and I dance around the fact that we both fuck like animals. But nothing. I’ve got nothing for her right now, and I ain’t even fucking sorry.

“Tell me about being mated and what usually happens.”

Zhara pauses, the cigarette short of her lips. She tilts her head slightly to the right, studying me closely.

“You know what happens. You’re not here for that.” She pauses and I hate the way a Mage can sniff out even your deepest and darkest secrets. I feel the heavy pull of breath being forced out of me, and my fists clench.

“Watch it, Mage,” I warn as she uses her magic. She giggles, butting her joint out in the floating ashtray. “Oh, boy. The first royal to find his mate.”

“I thought you couldn’t mate with a Giftless?” I growl through clenched teeth.

Zhara raises her brow, her pierced tongue sliding over her lip. “You can’t.”