The tiniest of smirks creases Cardence’s lips, and I lash out. My free hand clutches his throat, and fear snaps into place across his features as my nails sink deeply into his flesh. He never releases our hands.
“Zaviar,” Aries whispers.
Heat burns in my soul. It singes my veins. It scalds my flesh. Every part of me is on fucking fire.
Then the pin is pulled away.
The heat dulls. The pain retreats, and I finally release the man until he’s doubled over and gasping for air that I hope burns the fuck out of his lungs.
I’m still glaring down on him and wishing him ill will when her small hands push across my pecs. The wound against her palm is already healed. That’s the first thing I notice. The second is how fucking intense her eyes look. How pure her skin seems. How completely flawless she is.
She’s... always been pretty.
But now, it’s like everything about her has intensified.
My heart pulls, and all I want is to hold her again.
Her delicate hand lifts in the air. For a moment, I think she might cradle my head in her palm.
Then she whacks her hand against my dark hair.
“What are you thinking?” She hisses at me like an angry cat, and I feel so fucking dumbfounded. She just cursed my ass out, and I’m still puppy-dog eyeing her. What the fuck is wrong with me?
Maybe it’ll wear off. Maybe I’ve lost too much blood, I’m too sick, I actually passed out, and this is all just a weird fucking dream my subconscious is feeding me because I’ve checked out her rack one too many times...
“Are you listening to me?” she shrieks. “Never, never touch a high fae!” She stops wagging her long finger at me long enough to turn to Cardence Fuckington. “I am so sorry, Cardence. Please accept my apology on behalf of my creature.” She helps him stand to his full height, and though he glares hate messages at me, he wipes that look right off his face when he looks to her.
“Of course, Princess. It was nothing. These things,” one more scathing glance my way, “happen.”
He’s stumbling away from us without another word and good fucking riddance for that.
Warm hands push over my chest once more. “Are you okay? You’re pale.” Then she does brush her hand over my cheek. “I’m sorry,” she whispers, and it sounds like tragic romance lacing her words. “I brought you medicine from the infirmary.” She pulls two small glass vials from within the fabric of her gown.
We each swallow down the bland-tasting liquid.
“Are youokay? You haven’t said shit since the binding. Did it even work?” Damien asks, his brows pulled low over his gentle eyes.
It takes me a minute to nod to the two of them. I nod harder, and I force myself to say something. Anything.
“Yeah. I’m fine. And I don’t know if it worked.”
My brother cocks a brow at me skeptically when I continue to avoid Aries’s searching gaze. She’s right in front of me. Touching me. Soothing me.
And I’m doing my best to ignore how intoxicating her touch feels.
“You don’t know? Because my heart feels full. It feels bound, and I honestly hope it never goes back to how it felt before,” Damien says with his eyes locked on her, and in return, she smiles softly to him.
An odd pain slices through my heart. I’m going to be sick.
I’m going to vomit all this fae magic up, and then I’ll be fine.
I fucking have to.
Because the gods will never let me stay here.
Even if my mind, body, and soul belong to her now.
8
