The Summer King Bundle 3 Stories - Jennifer L. Armentrout Page 0,36

kicking him in the face.

That fantasy was probably why I didn’t realize the stairwell wasn’t empty until it was too late.

A shadow peeled off the wall and came at me fast and hard. I didn’t even get the chance to engage the cuff and release the stake. My right arm was twisted behind my back as an icy hand curled around my neck.

A burst of panic punched through my chest as I was flipped around and my front pushed against the wall. The side of my face slammed into the cool brick. Stinging pain exploded from my nose and I tasted blood in the back of my throat.

“I recognized you,” the voice said, and I couldn’t place it. “You were in the club Saturday night. You went into the room with Tobias. Your hair was red then. Different eye color, too.”

Hell.

Shock that my disguise had been seen through gave way to finely honed instinct. Going limp, my sudden weight caught the fae off guard. He stumbled back a step, giving me the room I needed. Bringing my legs up, I planted them in the wall and used it as a springboard. The fae slammed into the wall behind him, the impact jarring his hold loose enough for me to break it.

I fell forward, my knees cracking off the cement. Knowing I only had seconds, I shifted my weight to my palms as I looked over my shoulder, kicking my leg out. My booted heel connected with the fae’s midsection, sending him back again to the wall with a grunt.

Popping to my feet, I engaged the cuff bracelet as I whirled around.

The door to the hallway suddenly swung open, blocking my view of the fae and then the door wasn’t blocking my view.

It was the Prince.

He seemed to know what was happening, because he went straight for the fae. He was so fast that literally only seconds had passed between him stepping into the cramped stairwell and placing his hands on either side of the fae’s neck, snapping it.

The fae slumped to the floor, twitching, and then tumbled down the narrow flight of steps, coming to stop in a twitchy heap on the landing.

My mouth was hanging open as the Prince casually pulled his phone out of his pocket, hit a few buttons and then said, “Everest, I have some trash that needs to be taken out. Back staircase.”

Then, slowly, he turned toward me. “You’re bleeding.”

I touched my nose. It was sore, but nothing major. “I’m fine.”

“You’ve had worse.”

I had and I didn’t need to confirm that. “How did you know what was happening?”

A moment passed. “Luck.”

My eyes narrowed, and for some reason, I didn’t believe him. He knew something was happening in this stairwell; how was left to be determined.

His head cocked to the side. “Why did he attack you?”

Glancing down at the spasming fae, I winced. “He recognized me from Flux. I don’t know how, but I think he might’ve been with Tobias.”

“I killed all those fae.”

“He may have left before you got there.” I lifted a shoulder. “You know I can take care of him.”

“Everest will handle it.”

I thought that was unnecessary, but whatever. I disengaged the iron cuff as I dragged my gaze from the fae, more annoyed than anything else. I hated to admit it to myself, but if that fae had seen through my disguises, there was a good chance that another fae could.

Wiping the blood off my nose with the back of my hand, I then bent and picked up my dropped clutch.

“A soul of a warrior,” he murmured, repeating what he’d said earlier.

I didn’t know how to respond to that as I looked at him, discovering that he was staring at me intently once more.

“But like I said before, it’s not enough.”

That I knew how to respond to. “I was doing just fine before you showed up, just so you know.”

A tight smile formed, one I imagined a parent gave a child when they came in dead last during a race. “You hungry?”

I blinked. “What?”

“Are you hungry?” he repeated, angling his large body toward mine. “For food.” Amusement was clear in his tone.

“I didn’t need the second part clarified. Thanks,” I muttered.

“I know this place down the street that has the most amazing crab cakes. Would you like to join me?” he asked, and in the dim light of the stairwell, those pale eyes were piercing.

I should say no.

I definitely should say no for a multitude reasons.

“Okay,” I said instead, because I was