He, of course, ignored me.
“What a lovely rose color on your face.” Iver stepped towards her. “Tell me ar-” His voice cut off, and his hands went to his throat. Ariana’s abilities stripped oxygen from his lungs.
A shimmer appeared around him, and Iver vanished, reappearing in another part of the room. Still choking.
“That won’t work,” Ariana said before releasing her conjuring.
Iver coughed violently as his lungs burned for air. “Not–” he gasped between breaths. “Nice–”
“You know what isn’t nice?” Ariana addressed him with a bitter tone. “You putting your dirty little fingers where they don’t belong.”
Iver straightened after gulping down a few more breaths. Though by the gleam in his eyes, he was far from finished. “My fingers are not dirty. Though if you would like for me to place them somewhere more pleasant, all you need to do is ask.” He smirked suggestively.
I snapped.
The distance between us shrank in the blink of an eye. I threw him up against a wall. My hand gripped his throat, and I nearly crushed it while keeping him pressed against the stone at his back.
“Erik.” There was a flicker of alarm in Ariana’s voice.
Iver’s gaze fastened to mine, and for once, he did not speak. His hand wrapped around my wrist reflexively before he froze. The pulse in his neck warmed my palm with every beat of his aggravating little heart. The blood barely squeezed through where I applied enough pressure to finally render my brother silent.
“Your games end now,” I said between clenched teeth. “I do not have patience for this. Is that understood?”
“Yes.” The word was hardly audible.
I released him, and he braced himself against the wall, hand at his throat for the second time in the last few minutes.
His attention found Ariana. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disrespect you.”
Her gaze narrowed. “Then what was your intent?”
“Partially to see how you both react under a little pressure.”
Ariana shook her head as though she couldn’t believe him.
“To test me,” I stated. “Your tests and games end here, or I will see it as a sign that you wish to be King yourself.”
“You know that isn’t what I want,” Iver stated, looking at me.
Ariana pivoted, walking towards the door. For how exhausted I knew she was, she carried herself with her head held high and a powerful stride. “I’m tired. I’m grabbing food and going to bed.” She stated before leaving without waiting for a reply.
“You’re lucky I don’t incinerate you,” I growled at my brother. I didn’t know if I even could, for he had fire-conjuring abilities himself. That realization angered me even more.
His gray eyes settled on me. “You are awfully protective of our new Bavadrin friend.”
“Your point?”
“No point, just an observation.”
“Go to bed, Iver.” My dismissal of him was crystal clear.
He pouted. “I just got here and so was not yet given one.”
I opened the door and angled my head towards the hall. “Not my problem. Now, get out.”
Iver pretended like a full-body shiver ran through him. “Oooh, Icy,” he said before finally taking his leave.
8
