The Darkest Temptation ✔️

THIRTY SEVEN

Word Count: 1991

~Tove

I wander down the stairs in the morning, a plan already formulated in my head.

As much as I tried to avoid it, Relm's words have dug into my mind and stayed there. If Keo knows about the potential mass death of many people, then my trust of him has largely diminished.

How could I be mated to someone like that?

"Alright, so I think we can do a little more training today and we should be ready to start moving between realms," he tells me before I've even made it within close proximity of him.

I yawn, rubbing my eyes. I spent most of last night panicking about what Relm has told me, and then coming up with my plan.

Keo is good at reading me, so I have to be careful.

"Ah, I'm not feeling all that great today, Keo," I tell him, resting my hand over my forehead. I can't be sick enough that he wants to be home taking care of me, but it needs to be enough to get out of training with him today.

He frowns, concern fluttering in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I have a terrible migraine, and I don't think I like it here," I admit, motioning around me.

We are in Territory Six, which I am actually quite fond of, but if I'm going to find the information I need, then this place will not suffice. This place is nothing more than a stop for Keo as he travels around.

"Why don't you go lie down and I'll bring you some water?" he offers softly.

Any other time I would be flattered by his sudden kindness, but now is not the time for him to be doting.

"Honestly, I think all the moving around is screwing with my head," I sigh. At least that much is true. "I don't feel comfortable anywhere."

He brushes some hair back from my face, examining it, looking for actual sickness, and not the theoretical kind that I'm mentioning. He won't find anything off about me other than this anxiousness I'm struggling to hide.

What if this isn't the real Keo? What if I'm mated to a monster?

"I can't take you back to Territory One, not with Nobles around," he reminds me.

"What about the place in Territory Two? I liked it there..." I ask innocently.

If he thinks about it too much, he may realise I'm trying to investigate his life. After everything that has been shared between us now, he has no reason to be suspicious of me, though.

"I suppose I can take you back there if it will make you feel better," he concedes, smiling tightly, clearly weighing up whether it's actually safe to be back there.

"It would."

He nods. "Alright. Take my hand."

I can't take his hand fast enough. Admittedly, I do like the place in Territory Two, but what excites me the most as the world crumbles away around us, if the possibility of finally getting answers.

Soon enough my feet are touching the wood floor of the first place Keo ever took me to.

"Ah, I missed this place," I breathe, turning around in a circle.

Only a couple feet away is the balcony Keo once threw me off in an attempt to get me out of my own head. It worked, even if I do sometimes have nightmares about it.

Keo waves his hand, the glass doors opening, letting in a warm, sea scented breeze.

"I enjoy this place too. It's far from others and no one has yet to come across it. It's the closest place I've ever considered to be home," he admits, shoving his hands into his pockets.