Page 55 of Sent To A Fantasy World and Now All the Men Want Me 7

Titus bowed before leaving.

Rowan withdrew his flask and took a swig, brow heavy.

“You’ll join us again someday, Shadow,” Draven told him. Knowing Rowan well enough by now to get a read on his thoughts. Guess it was a perk of… well, being a wallflower. It helped him observe everything around him. “You’re our brother. Now and always.”

“Just don’t do anything too exciting without me.” Rowan averted his gaze to the wall. I caught the tremble in his chin though.

“You’re more than welcome to continue your spy duties here in my realm,” Onyx told him. “You already sneak around my castle in late hours, eavesdropping on conversations between Varys, Koga, and others under my roof.”

“You do what?” I asked, hands going straight to my hips in my signature brat pose. Sitting down kind of ruined the impact of it though. “Get over here right now.”

Rowan glanced between me and Onyx. “Not sure which one of you I fear more right now.”

Lake’s ears perked up as he, too, looked between me and the demon lord. “I’d say Evan. He has the power to withhold our treats.”

Onyx softly coughed. It took me a second to realize it wasn’t a cough at all though, but rather, an attempt to stifle a laugh.

Warmth burrowed into my chest, then branched out and trickled through my bloodstream. “Find something funny, my lord?”

As the demon lord’s gaze locked onto mine, his ruby red eyes appeared to shine brighter. “I suppose I do. You wield incredible power, yet it’s the threat of being denied your pastries that garners their obedience.”

I laughed. “I may not understand anything about being the Hallowed Saint or how my powers work, but baking? That, I know.”

“I’d say.” Duke patted his belly. Crumbs lingered at the edge of his mouth. The glutton had already found the cookies.

“The difference is now you’d have my blessing,” Onyx continued, gaze shifting from me and back to Rowan. “Become a spy of the Shadow Realm and keep watch with your shadows, much like you did in Bremloc. Report to me of any suspicious dealings. In exchange for your assistance, I’ll begin your training.”

Rowan appeared dumbfounded. “My training?”

“You wished to learn from me, yes?” Onyx asked him, then smirked over at me. “It’s the reason you captured this little bird last summer and tried to bring him to me. Unless you’ve changed your mind?”

“Not at all,” Rowan said in a rush, so shocked his leg slipped from where he’d had it kicked up on the edge of the table. “I’d love to train with you. To learn all I can.”

I recalled Rowan’s frustration the night of the ball when I was thrown into the dungeon. He’d come to me and tried to take me with him using his shadows. But everything he knew about his magic, he’d taught himself, and he hadn’t learned how to shadow travel with other people yet.

“It’s settled then.” Onyx nodded. “We will begin later this evening once you return from seeing your brothers off.”

The look on Rowan’s face brought tears to my eyes. He had admired Onyx ever since he was a kid and had always dreamed of meeting him. Having been outcast everywhere he went, Rowan thought he could find a home in the Shadow Realm.

And now he had.

Onyx stood from the table and regarded Draven and Reign. “Word of advice? Should the opportunity arise for you to slit the new king’s throat, I suggest you take it. Cut the head off the snake before it has chance to strike.”

With that, he bent to kiss the top of my head and left the parlor.

***

The Shadow Realm took on new life at night, revealing things not seen during the day. Plants glowed in various shades of luminescence, a mix of purple, blue, and green. Leaves in the trees faintly jingled with a whispering evening breeze. The grass sang as well, the tops of the blades glimmering in fluorescent hues of green as musical chimes rang out.

I listened to the chimes and turned my face skyward. Stars twinkled above us, shining in constellations I wasn’t yet familiar with. No Big Dipper or Orion’s Belt.

A splash came from the nearby pond. Fish darted from one end to the other, their colorful scales luminescent beneath the water’s surface.

Fish that may or may not have a taste for human flesh. I inched closer to Callum’s side and grabbed hold of his bicep.

“If you’re scared, darlin’, you can always hold on to me too,” Reign said, tossing me a flirty wink.

Maddox shot the spy a lethal glare and moved closer on my other side, winding his arm around my waist.