Page 71 of Sent To A Fantasy World and Now All the Men Want Me 7

To Onyx, our love was like an asteroid vaulting toward a lone, unshielded planet. Collision inevitable.

But to me? Our love was like an ember. The fire was lit but not yet strong enough to burn without carefully tending to the flames. But each kiss drew us closer to that point. Each touch fanned those flames, breathing life into them.

As his body moved inside mine, his lips skating over my jaw, chin, and down my neck, I reveled in the warm tingle of that glowing ember, hopeful that it’d burn brighter someday. A beacon to light the way for the happy ending he thought to be impossible.

Chapter Thirteen

Rainy Nights and Shadowy Delights

I was still convinced the demon lord’s castle was haunted.

As my men and I walked down the corridor that evening, the air was like an icy whisper on the back of my neck. Dust coated surfaces, cobwebs stretched from corner to corner in rooms long since neglected, and door hinges creaked and groaned. Onyx told me once that a dwelling reflected the soul that inhabited it.

So, what did his haunted castle say about him? That he was cold and empty. Devoid of light or warmth.

My heart ached for Onyx. I’d seen signs of warmth beneath his icy exterior earlier in the cave though. Part of him wanted to let me past his walls. To let in some light and chase away the cobwebs.

A door shut down the hall.

My soul nearly left my body.

“Easy, sweetheart,” Maddox said, keeping me close to his right side. Amusement rang in his deep voice. “It was only Fane. He’s retired for the evening.”

“R-Right,” I stammered.

“I wonder why Lord Onyx wished to meet with us.” Briar walked on my left, two of his fingers curled around mine in a loose hand hold.

“Maybe he wants to eat the rabbit,” Rowan suggested.

Callum sneered at him.

Honestly, I had no clue why Onyx had summoned all of us to his study that night. A mystery of mysteries. Much like the age-old question of whether we’d end up as some ghost’s late-night snack.

“Is it darker than normal?” I asked, scrutinizing the long hallway. No moonlight shone through the windows. “It looks darker. Like something is gonna jump out of the shadows and steal us away.”

“Like the snake snatched you away in the past?” Callum kept pace behind me, holding the platter of vanilla sponge cake I’d made for the occasion. It was only polite to bring something when invited to someone’s house, er room. “He’s the worst thing hiding in the shadows.”

Rowan scoffed. “Careful before I use the shadows to silence you, rabbit. Then you’ll be tomorrow’s dinner.”

“Cannibal,” Callum shot back. “Always saying how you want to eat me.”

Oreo padded along beside Callum, his tail swishing in the air behind him. Every so often, he lunged at Callum’s boot. Specifically, the loose bootlace that flung around with each of Callum’s steps.

Lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a clash of thunder.

My knees buckled, and I fell against Maddox’s side.

“It’s all right, sweetheart,” he said, pressing a kiss into my hair and tightening his arm around my waist. “The storm is beyond the castle walls and cannot harm you.”

“How embarrassing,” I muttered, clinging onto his arm. Cold snaked through my veins as another flash of lightning broke through the dark corridor. “Almost twenty-four years old and still afraid of thunder.”

“Nothing to be embarrassed over, love,” Briar said, gently squeezing my fingers. “We all fear something, rational or not.”

I smiled. He always made me feel better.

Gradually, I started to recognize our surroundings. Well, kind of. Many of the corridors and sitting rooms looked the same. But the creepy statue with horns holding a shield seemed familiar.

Luckily, my men knew the right way to go. Unlike me and my directionally challenged ass. The five of us made our way down the corridor, around a corner, and then toward a door that had been left ajar. The flickering light of a burning hearth came from inside, as did the glow of the wall sconces that appeared to be floating in midair.