He grabbed my arm, and I had to resist getting out of it and breaking his arm. “Do you like them more than me?” His question took me by surprise as I looked at him like he sprouted nine heads.
“What? No.”
He eyed me, looking for a lie, and when he didn’t find one, he let go. “Do you like me more than them?”
I just looked at him, not knowing what to say or how to phrase that I could never like one of them more than the other. I could never choose. Not back then and not now. When I didn’t answer, he let out a sigh.
“Don’t answer that. I just… just tell me if you ever decide.” I nodded to him and turned back around, trying to flee this conversation.
“Oh, and Emerald,” I paused and turned back around, “I don’t care if you like one of them more than me. I won’t stop until you start liking me more. I have tasted heaven and I won’t go back to less.”
I was stunned stiff, not knowing what to do or say to that declaration.
He nodded at the inn. “I’m going to go get those extra blankets and pillows. See you in the room.” I watched as he walked past me, opening the doors to the inn and heading inside, leaving me feeling colder than before. Leaving me wanting to call after him, demanding he give me back his warmth, but I didn’t. I just went back inside, crawled up the steps to our room and was left wanting again in a whole different way.
Chapter 12
WherethefuckisZayden? He’s been gone for longer than I thought it would take to track down the innkeeper. Also, as annoying as Zayden was, he was still entertaining. Ajax, on the other hand, was not. All he did the whole time was look over the map Emerald had laid out. I think he’s pissed that Zayden had the idea to stop here to conserve supplies for the harder part of the trip, and he wanted to come up with something that Emerald would equally praise him for.
“So, did staring at that map for the past forty-five minutes help you figure out how we’re going to prove to the librarian that we are worthy?” Voicing what I thought, the actual issue was for this entire journey.
“What? No. I’m more worried about the thugs and bandits we’re going to encounter before we even get to the damn librarian. We still have to make it there alive.” His emphasis on the last word made me laugh out loud.
“What’s so funny? We don’t know what we are walking into!” His pissed off tone made me roll my eyes as I lifted my legs up and crossed them on the bed, resting my back against the wall.
“I’m not worried about that part because we have Emerald. I mean, between the three of us, we should be perfectly fine taking out the few ‘thugs and bandits’ that we might encounter. Remember that these are the people that were banished into these lands a long time ago. King Valkon has banished no one. If they are able to escape, then they go there but he almost always kills them on sight.” I said, reminding him of the real threat that we were trying to get rid of.
The few times I saw King Valkon were when he was having someone beheaded. I always thought it was odd because he never really watched the thing. He stood in his regal outfit, donned his golden crown and waved at the crowd like he was the attraction for the day. No, Valkon seemed like a man that was all about himself and his looks. Sure, he was handsome, but there was always something off about him, something that just didn’t sit right with me.
No, the person to watch out for was Vera, the king’s sister and confidant. She was the one who couldn’t take her eyes off the gruesome and grotesque scene that played before her. Her eyes would light up as soon as the person cried and begged, or when their tears would spill over, licking her lips like she was hungry for more of their pain and despair. The woman looked like pure evil with a pretty face.
My thoughts broke as soon as I heard the doorknob turn and in walked Emerald. Fully dressed, to my disappointment, but freshly bathed, visibly relaxed, hair in a loose braid to one side, wet and still drying off. She looked so normal like that it made it hard to keep my hands to myself, reminding myself that she might break them with the flick of her wrists.
Ajax just nodded in her direction, but when she had her back turned as she walked to her bag, I could see him watching her, desire and betrayal battling in his eyes. This wasn’t the first time I’ve caught him looking at her like that, and just like I knew it would, desire won out nine times out of ten. I was very curious about what happened between the two of them.
Then Zayden came waltzing in like he was the king of the pillows and blankets, throwing them into the air as soon as he came in. “And now I will bestow upon you blankets and pillows galore. You're welcome! From your god, Zayden the great!”
Ajax glared at him before he looked back down at the map. I just scowled at the mess he made and knew I was going to be the one to have to pick it up. Emerald’s lip wiggled, almost like she wanted to laugh but was fighting it. Did they bump into each other downstairs? She usually looked at him like he was an ant among anteaters. Now she was holding back laughter from idiotic jokes? This was all getting curiouser and curiouser.
“Ready to go down for dinner?” She asked the room, being the efficient and quick woman, I have grown to know and enjoy her to be.
“Oh, no need.” Zayden waved off, going forward to clutch her hand like a princess. “I have made sure that we will get our food brought to us here.” He kissed her hand lightly, smirking up at her, “We want you well rested,” almost like he just realized what he was doing, he let go of her hand and turned around to face the whole room, “we should all get well rested for our long journey.”
My eyes flicked between Zayden and Emerald. What the fuck was going on? There was a knock at the door and Zayden swiftly turned and sang out, “I’ll get it.”
I glanced at Ajax, who was the most territorial over Emerald, and he was glaring daggers at the back of Zayden’s head. I chanced a glance at Emerald and I noticed her cheeks where a faint hue of red. Was that what Ajax was pissed at? If a few kisses got him all up in knots, he would not do well on this trip. If we were all gunning for her there was bound to be kissing. Even more than kissing if I was lucky.
I saw Zayden trying to handle two trays at once, bouncing up and down on his toes, and I knew that was a bad idea. I got up quickly, already seeing one side tipping as he was talking to whoever brought up the food. I quickly caught it. He looked back and winked at me before he continued, and I took the tray to the table. I turned around, ready to go get the second tray, since he was still lollygagging, and saw Emerald watching me, a faint smile on her lips. The gold specks in her brown eyes sparkled for a second before she put her assassin mask back on.
That look, those eyes, something in the back of my mind tingled, recognizing something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Something seemed familiar about that look, but every time I thought I could pull it up, it disappeared again. Maybe if I don’t focus on it, it would come back to me?
Zayden swung the door shut, settling our second try on the table with big sweeping arms. “All right, boys and girl. Let’s eat!”
Each plate had a leg of lamb, a couple of small full potatoes and some green beans that had been soaked in something. It looked amazing.
Emerald waltzed up and nodded at the plates. “Did you want me to taste your plates before you eat them?”
All of us must’ve given her a weird look because her eyes shifted around to all of us before she asked, “What?”
