But like me, she’s reluctant to let it breathe.
“The ship isn’t going to sail off before we get there, Ves,”Eve pants, appearing beside me.
With creased brows, she levels a less than enthused stare in my direction. Throwing her hands onto her hips, she pitches herself at the waist, gasping for air. Her ebony skin glistens in the last rays of the sun and I can’t help but stare at her beauty—despite her judging glare.
“Should I mention the irony of a thief who hates running?”I tease and her stare turns venomous as she straightens herself.
Oh, if looks could shove me off this roof, I’d be a bloodied mess on the street three stories below.
“I,”she drags out the word, as she points to herself,“don’t have the stamina of a demon.”She lifts a hand, snapping her fingers. Crimson hellfire flashes.
But she has the innate of one.
“You’re as boastful as an imp,”I scoff a laugh, unable to keep the grin from my face.“Should I ever find Celesta and reclaim my shadows—”
“You’ll teach me to ferry,”Eve interjects with a smirk.“So we don’t have to do this shit anymore.”
“You make it sound like I’ve made you run for miles,”I counter, setting off at a leisurely walking pace.
Eve follows suit.
“Ithasbeen miles!”she near shrieks, her tone bewildered as she throws an arm behind her.
I don’t bother looking. I know exactly how far we’ve come. A mile for sure, perhaps two. Nothing to be so dramatic over.
“You’d make a poor General, Eve,”I continue teasing, earning myself a playful bump of her hip. She snatches my bicep to ensure I don’t tumble over the ledge, laughing.
Her laughter’s infectious and I find myself laughing with her.
“Start a House and let me prove you wrong,”she counters, brandishing her jesting challenge with an arched brow.
If it were possible, I would make Eve the First General of my House. She’s more than capable. I trust her, and selfishly, it would mean she’s bound to me until I determine otherwise. Butme?Starting a House?
It’ll never happen.
Matriarch-led Houses don’t exist.
I don’t even understand what’s required tostarta House—aside from proclaiming it exists and presenting it before the god of death. The latter I certainly will not be doing.
“You could add it to the list of shit you’ve done this summer to irritate your Sovereign King,”she gives my arm a small, affectionate squeeze before releasing me. “You have made this last season quite entertaining.”
My laughter grows louder.“Eve, I—”
“The kitchens,”she says, arching a brow.
“Okay, but—”
“The cloak,”she adds, raising a silencing finger.
“Are you really—”
“Your lessons,”she drawls as her ice blue eyes slide in my direction.
I huff a sigh and keep my mouth shut.
Both the kitchens and the cloak wereaccidents.
And I’ll admit, the last few months have been rife with them. I may or may not be the common factor in each instance. But so was Eve, so who’s to say?
