Page 77 of Empire of Dark

“I never got pregnant with Lyle,” she choked out. “Never. And I was born to breed. Been marked that way since I was born. My duty to the race.”

I shrugged, attempting to minimize her worry. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“But you…how has it not happened yet?”

I lifted my hand, slipping it in along her jawline to try and center her to the here and now instead of where her mind was taking her. If the sea of doubt got its hooks into her and drowned her, it would never give up its dead. “Honestly? I don’t know why you’re not pregnant yet, but I have a theory.”

“Which is?”

“I haven’t used my power on you when we have sex. Save that first time when I was breaking the pain on you. That was the only time. You haven’t wanted me to do it during sex, so I haven’t.”

“Because I want you. I don’t want tricks.”

My shoulders lifted. “And I’m not sure it can happen without the tricks.”

Her eyes went wide. “You’ve never impregnated someone without using your power?”

“Not to my knowledge.”

She exhaled a puff of a sigh and looked out to the opposite mountain. It took several silent minutes for her to process all of it.

When her lips parted, her voice was small. “Why haven’t you even tried with me—tried again to use your powers? While I thought I possessed a will of steel, it turns out you can easilyconvince me to do things I’d rather not do. So you could have swayed me to use your powers.”

My mouth clamped shut.

Because I don’t want this to end. Because if you are pregnant, then there is no reason for you to be here. Because you’ll want to leave me, and above everything, I cannot bear the thought of you walking away from the castle. From me.

Because you’re mine.

Thoughts that would never breach my lips.

I shrugged. “You didn’t want me to do so and I have been respecting your wishes.”

She nodded, seeming to take my words at face value, the worry starting to ease on her face.

But it did worry me.

With or without my powers, she should be carrying my child right now. Not using my powers was a possibility as to the reason why, but not a very good one.

Not that I would ever tell her that.

Chapter Twenty

{ ADA }

I could feel Damen’s eyes on me from across the courtyard.

He was probably just passing by, but I wasn’t going to let him escape so easily. If he truly wanted to observe and not engage, he would be watching from his perch in his study.

But he wasn’t. He was down here, outside, waiting. Waiting to be cajoled to join in.

Hell, he wasn’t even wearing one of his dark coats, and the sleeves of his shirt were already rolled to his elbows, his tanned forearms a contrast to the crisp white.

My heartbeat stuttered.

He wanted so badly to connect somehow with Venetia, but he didn’t know how. Didn’t know what to do with her.

On my right, I blocked Venetia’s blow of her sword on mine, and then turned to him, calling out. “Make yourself useful rather than creep-watching us from a distance.”