The Summer King Bundle 3 Stories - Jennifer L. Armentrout Page 0,43

into the pavement as my forehead cracked off his.

He cursed as he jerked.

Rocking backward, I ignored the bitter taste of fear and swung my legs up, wrapping them around his narrow waist. Using my weight, I flipped Elliot off me as I rolled. On top of him, I reared back as I pulled the stake out, tearing the pocket in the process. I lifted it high, preparing to jam it straight through his chest.

Elliot’s fist connected with my stomach. The burst of pain stole my breath, but I powered through it, swinging the dagger downward.

The fae was fast, slamming his hands into my chest. I flew backward, landing on my butt. Before I could recover, Elliot shot off the ground and was on me once more. I’d held onto the dagger, gritting my teeth as his hand came down on my throat, his fingers digging into my windpipe. I swung the stake around, thinking a head shot would do the trick.

His hand suddenly left my throat and then Elliot was flipping through the air as if invisible hands had snatched him up.

Gasping for breath, I rolled onto my side, my free hand splaying across the pavement. Several strands of blonde hair had slipped free from my ponytail, blocking one eye.

Elliot was rising to his feet. He spun and then his body jerked back a step. He was frozen for a moment and then his body just caved into itself, sucking itself back into the Otherworld with a faint pop and sizzle.

“Holy smokes….” Breathing heavy, I started to sit up. Gratefulness warred with dread. Obviously an Order member had intervened, which was great, but also meant I was busted, so freaking busted.

A tall, broad shadow strolled forward. The light of the lamp sliced over an iron dagger and black gloves. Gloves? It was cold, but not that cold.

Wait.

I started to rise as I lifted my gaze. Every muscle in my body locked up. I saw who’d come to my quite unnecessary rescue and anxiety exploded like a buckshot along with a hefty amount of WTF.

Now I understood the gloves.

It wasn’t an Order member who’d intervened.

He now stood under the lamp, and I would swear the light intensified as it shone down on him, as if powered by his presence.

The Prince stood before me. “We meet yet again.”

Chapter 15

My hand tightened on the iron stake as the buzz of anticipation swept through me. No way should I be excited to see him—and the mere thought of that was so utterly confusing—but I was.

So I ignored the feeling. “You totally just stabbed Elliot.”

His brows lowered as he hooked the stake to what I assumed was some hidden sheath. “I did.”

“You do realize he was one of the missing younglings, right?”

“You do realize you were trying to stab him in the head, which would have roughly the same result as what I did?”

Okay. He had a good point.

“And you do realize he was about to choke the life out of you?”

“I completely had that handled,” I said. “Completely.”

“Is that so?” He folded his arms across his chest as he stared down his nose at me. “You looked like you had everything under control with his hands around your throat. Just like you looked like you had everything under control Monday night, when—”

“I had that fae under control and I was about to stab him in the head,” I reminded him. “Before I was rudely interrupted.”

The Prince cocked his head to the side. “Saving your life is rudely interrupting you?”

“I didn’t need my life saved, thank you very much.” Pushing to my feet, I met his stare with a glare I was rather proud of.

“That’s not the thank you I was expecting, but I’ll take it.” His lips curled into a smirk as my mouth clamped shut. “What were you doing out here, Brighton? I thought we had an understanding.”

“We did? Because I’m pretty sure that I never gave you any indication that we had an understanding.” I turned away from him and then gasped, stumbling a step back. He was in front of me. “Jesus.”

“Not quite.” His arms were at his sides.

“Ha. Ha.” I rolled my eyes as I fought a grin.

“Why are you out here, Brighton?” He was not nearly as amused as I was. “You’re not an Order member.”

“I am an Order member.” And whatever amusement I was feeling evaporated. My hand around the stake twitched and I resisted the urge to lob it at his smirking face—his very attractive, smirking face.