I wake up to thesound of shouting from outside. My eyes snap open, my heart racing as I realise I hadn’t even woken up the moment the sun rose. I never sleep that well.
I glance at the woman beside me to find she’s nestled into the crook of my arm, one arm pressed against her chest, the other resting on my abs, and she’s fast asleep. Her shirt is hanging off her shoulder, revealing her smooth, creamy skin.
I smile faintly. Looks like I’m not the only one who slept well.
I’m about to sit up and check what the shouting is about when Siralaine lets out a small breathless sigh, her hand slipping lower. My morning wood stands proudly, creating a tent in my pants. Any lower and she’ll be touching me, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to resist.
I remove her hand from my stomach and get off the bed, stretching as I walk over to the window and peer out. I hear more commotion, trying to make sense of the shouting, but I can’t. Then I hear the sound of hooves.
What is going on?
Sniffing the air, I smell something burning.
Fuck. My senses are now on high alert.
“We need to go. Now!” I say, turning to see she’s awake. She’s sitting up, with her long hair tumbling in front of her face, her large eyes still heavy with sleep and her pretty lips set in a sexy pout. The perfect view to wake up to, and one I would enjoy if we weren’t under attack.
“What is going on?” she asks as I grab our things swiftly, pulling on my shirt and jacket before tossing her pants to her.
“I’m not sure, but we’d better leave. Put this on.” I throw her the cloak as she grabs her shoes, and I yank my boots on quickly. I grab my sword belt and buckle it on before shouldering my bag and holding my hand out to her.
She looks up at me, surprised, before glancing at it, as if expecting me to retract it.
“There’s chaos out there; I don’t want you getting lost.” Nodding, she slips her hand into mine, and for a moment, confusion flits across her face, but then it’s gone. Can she really not sense the bond?
There’s no time to waste. I open the door, only to be met by screams and chaos down the hall.
“Why are they killing everyone?!” Siralaine whispers frantically as I pull her down the opposite direction in the hall.
“I’m not sure,” I mutter, pausing as I hear chaos from ahead as the smell of smoke and ash grows stronger.
“If you’re harbouring a fugitive, you will pay the price!”
More fire blasts down the hall, and I yank her to the side.
Fire fae… whose side are they on?
Are they here for me? Is it because of the dead bodies at the entrance of the portal?
“I can’t breathe…” Siralaine murmurs.
“You’re a water fae. Summon enough power to keep yourself safe. We need to get out of here.”
There’s nowhere to hide. I scan the hall, trying to find the best escape route. We should go up.
“This way!” I whisper, dragging her along.
“Over there!” someone shouts, and it’s followed by a blast of fire.
Fuck!
“They might be after me!” Siralaine whispers as I head upwards towards the roof.
“The water fae are pretty peaceful people, aren’t they? Why would they call you a fugitive?” I ask, sparing her a glance. Her heart thunders as our eyes meet, and I narrow mine, understanding hitting.
She’s hiding far more than she’s let on, when I’ve already given her a chance to come clean to me. Irritation rushes through me.
“We cannot escape them!” she shouts. “Let’s split up.”
