Page 59 of Their Fierce Little Monster

Corvin snorts a laugh. “I’ll throw myself into a volcano before I invite him.”

“All right, I’ll take that as a no.” Then I cross the room and open the door, where Corvin lingers.

Instantly, his eyes widen at the sight of me, slowly taking in my full length, and something flares behind his eyes, while the corner of his mouth curls, revealing a dimple in his cheek.

“Is this more appropriate?” I ask, pushing past him to exit the room, and find his aide just standing at the glass door to the balcony, staring outside. There’s something unsettling about her.

Corvin’s breath catches, and he whistles, his attention remaining on my bust a bit too long. “I should have brought more than one blade tonight. I fear I may need it to fight all the men off you.”

I laugh at him and cross the room. “Now I know you’re mocking me.”

“I have something for you,” he says, and I turn to see him holding a gold necklace with a diamond-shaped charm that catches the light and twinkles when it twirls.

“Why?” I ask, not expecting anything from him, yet I approach him, captivated by the beautiful pendant. It almost looks as though a rainbow bends through it.

“It once belonged to your family,” he explains softly, staring at me tenderly.

I blink as something pricks behind my eyes. “My family?”

“I wanted to bring you something from Grimvale, hoping it might help trigger your memories, which was before I knew that your father removed them permanently. Now, turn for me.”

I do, and he places the necklace around my neck, clasping it at the back.

“The Ice Fire Court believes that your soul remembers everything your mind has forgotten, and this stone represents that.”

The chain feels cold against my skin, and I reach for the pendant, twisting it between my fingers, throwing off the light it catches across the walls. Something thickens in my chest as I stare at the charm. “It’s beautiful. How did you get it?”

“Many of us tried to salvage as much of the history of your people as possible. We collected what wasn’t destroyed and have it in a museum back home.”

I struggle to breathe at the thought that my family and heritage exist as only memories for others, and I curl my hand around the diamond, pressing it against my chest. Some small part of me wishes so fiercely that I could have met my real family.

“This means a lot,” I finally whisper, then clear my throat. After a moment, I lick my lips and let go of the pendant. “Should we go?”

“I’m ready,” he answers, grinning as I turn to face him.

“Good. Show me the city.”

We leave his aide behind in my room and hurry down the hallway.

“How are you getting us past the guards?” I ask.

He chuckles, clearly proud of himself. “I discovered a secret way. I’ve been exploring over the past two days, as I like to know where I’m staying.”

I nod, even if he can’t see me behind him. We turn through a doorway and go down a set of steps in a narrow passage. Just as I take my next step and Corvin twists to glance at me over his shoulder, the high slit of my dress falls open all the way up my thigh, flashing him.

Blushing instantly, I tug my dress, my foot missing the next step. My heart flies up to my throat as I frantically grab the railing to avoid face-planting right into him. He just raises his eyebrows and turns back around, because that’s what I am—clumsy.

After what feels like an eternity, we end up in a dingy basement with barely any light. The sliver of light coming from the far wall seems to be our destination, and I hurry behind Corvin, balancing on my heels on uneven ground.

Corvin pats the walls as if searching for a switch, and suddenly, a section of the wall swishes sideways. Before us opens up a lush, overgrown garden of ferns and shrubs. The path is made up of soil.

“My shoes aren’t made for this escape plan,” I tease, but Corvin swings around and instantly scoops me up into his arms.

My breath rushes out of my lungs as I grab onto his muscular shoulder to avoid falling over. “Please warn me first.”

“Every obstacle is passable,” he instructs, while I clutch his bare chest, the fire from his body pouring onto me. I’m inches from his face and doing my best not to look up and make it obvious that I’m staring.

“I appreciate it,” I say, taking in a lungful of his crisp but faint woodsmoke scent. It smells better than it should for a monster that I hate.