CHAPTER TWENTY - FIVE: BEHIND THE SHADOWS

The Hollow Court withdrew, but the air remained thick with their presence. The mist no longer seemed like fog—it felt like a living thing, pressing in on all sides. Emberlynn could feel her heart hammering in her chest, the weight of her own power and the constant threat of the King's awakening swirling together like a storm she couldn't escape.

She looked at Malphas, who stood at the edge of the circle, his dark eyes unwavering. He hadn't spoken since the Court had retreated, but his presence beside her was like a shield, solid and unyielding. It was an unspoken promise—a promise she didn't fully understand but felt with every beat of her pulse.

For a moment, Emberlynn let herself focus on him. The way his broad shoulders tensed, the quiet fury in his gaze that spoke of centuries of struggle. There was an intensity to him, a fire that burned just beneath the surface—unseen, but always there.

"You've been running from the truth," she said softly, though the words felt strange on her tongue. "But you can't keep hiding forever."

His eyes flickered to hers, a slight tightening of his jaw the only indication he'd heard her.

"I'm not hiding," he replied. His voice was low, rough, like a growl barely contained. "I'm waiting."

"For what?"

"For you to decide what to do with the power inside you." His voice softened, though there was a trace of something hard in his words. "You think you can control it, but when the King wakes, everything will change."

"You've said that before," she said, frustration creeping into her tone. "You're always talking about the King—about what's going to happen. But what about us? What happens when it's just us?"

The words hung in the air between them. Malphas stiffened, but he didn't answer right away.

Emberlynn took a step forward, her hand lifting slightly as if to reach for him—but stopped herself. Something in the way he was standing, his shoulders set in a rigid line, stopped her. It wasn't fear. It was something else, something buried deeper.

"What are you afraid of?" she asked, her voice softer now. The words felt intimate, vulnerable. Like an invitation.

Malphas finally turned to her, his gaze locking with hers. The intensity in his eyes was like nothing she'd ever seen before. A darkness, tempered by something else. Something... longing.

"I'm not afraid," he said quietly, his voice almost a whisper. "But you are."

Emberlynn swallowed, the words from earlier echoing in her mind. He was afraid of what she might become. He was afraid of her memories, her power, and the dark truth she would uncover.

"You don't know what I'm capable of," she said, her voice steady, but with a hint of something dangerous. "I'm not the girl I used to be."

"I know," Malphas said, stepping closer. "But I'm not the man I used to be either."

Their gazes locked, and for a heartbeat, the world around them seemed to fade. The wind. The mist. The Hollow Court, lurking just beyond the barrier. None of it mattered.

It was just them. Standing on the edge of the storm.

Emberlynn took another step forward, this time closing the distance between them. The air between them hummed, electric, and her heart beat faster in her chest. She wasn't sure why she did it. She didn't know if it was the power growing inside her, or the intense pull she felt toward him—something that made every part of her ache.

Malphas didn't move. He didn't pull away.

Instead, he reached out, his fingers brushing her cheek with the lightest of touches. It was soft, almost tentative, like a question he didn't know how to ask.

"Emberlynn..." he began, but his voice faltered, as if the words caught in his throat.

She raised a hand to his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart. "What are you waiting for?" she asked, the question low, husky.

He didn't answer immediately. His breath caught, and for a fleeting moment, there was something vulnerable in his eyes—something raw. But then it was gone, masked by the familiar coldness, the distance he always put between them.

"I'm not the one you think I am," he said, his voice low and rough again. "And when the truth comes to light, you might hate me for it."

"I already hate you," she replied without thinking, her lips curling in a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. It was a half-joke, but there was truth in it. There was hatred. But there was also something else. Something dangerous.

Malphas didn't flinch, though his expression softened. "Good," he murmured. "Because it would be easier if you did."

And just like that, the moment fractured. The barrier between them solidified once more, and the distance they'd bridged with a touch seemed impossible to cross again.

Emberlynn stepped back, her breath shallow. She wasn't sure what had just happened, but she was certain of one thing.

They weren't done yet.