Samael glanced at Syclla again and laughed. “Her newest toy. Apparently she played with it last night.”
Nuri was tired of being ignored and she butted my hand with her head, not unlike the way Lia did when she wanted to be petted.
I glanced at Syclla. “Can I touch her?”
She lay down, yawning massively, in a way that communicated how much I bored her, while also displaying her rows of sharp teeth.
I shrugged and raised my hand, slowly brushing it over Nuri’s head. The dragon’s eyes went to half mast, and I almost had to pinch myself as my gaze met Samael’s.
His eyes gleamed. “You’re happy.”
“Are you kidding me? This is incredible.”
His smile was crooked, a combination of what looked like surprised vulnerability and smug satisfaction. My heart melted for the second time in five minutes.
Nuri toddled back toward her mother, who stretched out a wing and tucked her daughter beneath it. I glanced at Samael.
“According to our deal, I owe you dinner.”
“It will be ready when we get back to my tower.” He turned and lay his hand on Syclla’s snout, murmuring something to her that I couldn’t catch. And then we were walking out of the cave and his arms were around me once more as he shot into the sky.
He banked right and both my lanyard and my rowan arrow slipped out from beneath my shirt.
The rowan must have touched Samael’s skin because he hissed and repositioned his arm further down my body. I tucked it away.
“Sorry. I didn’t know it could hurt a demon just from touching it.”
It certainly didn’t hurt me, and it lay against my skin all day.
“The more powerful the demon, the older they are, the greater their susceptibility. But even you would die if you were to fall badly and end up with it lodged in your heart. I’m tempted to take it from you.”
I gritted my teeth and refrained from saying the vicious words dancing on the tip of my tongue. After a deep breath, I managed to regain control, pausing long enough to steel myself as we flew back through the portal.
Just a few months ago, the demon likely would have yanked the rowan from around my neck and burned it to ash, all in the name of ‘protecting me.’
He was trying.
Still, I’d never reacted well to threats.
I opened my mouth but Samael was already murmuring in my ear. “Don’t ever let Ag know you have rowan,” he warned.
“Why?”
“As my second, it’s his job to protect me. He considers it his duty to keep me safe— not just as his king, but as the future of our people. If he learned of it, he would remove that rowan from around your neck. If necessary, he could likely even convince himself that it made sense to murder you if he needed to remove you as a threat. I’d kill him for it, but you would still be dead.”
I swallowed. “So why aren’t you taking it from me then?”
“I’ve been surprised to learn that I enjoy a dangerous woman,” he purred. “Besides, you wouldn’t use that on me. You like me too much.”
Unfortunately, the demon had a bloody good point.
15
Danica
Samael landed on the balcony and placed me on my feet. I felt a hint of something like nerves from his end of the bond as he reached out and opened the balcony door.
“After you.”
