When Auraelia couldn’t take it anymore, she asked, “You doing okay over there?”
Aiden glanced her way, the look in his eyes questioning as he scanned her from head to toe. “How in the goddess are you dry?”
A laugh erupted from deep in her belly, causing it to ache. “I ask about your mental well-being, and you’re worried about how I’mdry?”
Auraelia’s laugh lightened to simple amusement as she pushed the bubble of air that surrounded her out until Aiden was also under its protective dome. When she swirled a warm breeze around him, drying out his soaked clothes, his eyes widened. “Better?” she asked, a knowing smirk on her lips.
“You’re an ass, you know that? I could have beendrythis whole time?!”
She shrugged. “All you had to do was ask.”
“Goddess, I don’t know how Daemon puts up with you.” Laughter filled his tone, and a sense of relief washed over her.
“Can I ask you something?” Auraelia hedged after a few beats of silence.
“Didn’t you just?” A cocky smile stretched across his face, and she couldn’t help but smile in return.
“Asshole.”
“So I’ve been told.” His shoulders slumped slightly, and he let out a long, suffering sigh. “Just ask whatever question has been bugging you since we started this journey.”
“I haven’t—” He gave her a sardonic look that stopped her rebuttal in its tracks, and she huffed out a breath. “Fine. Why were you such an ass to Piper?”
“Yep. I was waiting for that.”
“Well? Can you really blame me? From what she said, you two got all hot and heavy in the library—which I can’t unsee, by the way, and my favorite place is now tainted, thank you very much. Then you left, and she never heard from you.”
“I thought we were both under the impression it was a one-night thing.”
Auraelia cut him a disbelieving glance. “A one-night thing? Is that why you did itagainafter the coronation party?” Aiden’s eyes flicked to hers, then back toward the path ahead. “And if so, then why did you rope her back in when we went to Kalmeera?”
“Daemon wasn’t kidding; you two really do share everything,” Aiden grumbled.
“She’s my best friend, Aiden. I may have to drag it out of her at times, but no, we don’t keep secrets.” Auraelia tugged on Jasira’s reins, pulling her to a stop. Once Aiden did the same, she continued. “I’ve heard her side. Now I want yours.”
“Auraelia—”
“If you don’t want to tell me, then fine. We can go back to tolerating each other’s presence. But I’d really rather not.”
Aiden released a heavy sigh. “She deserves more than what I can give.”
“You don’t get to decide for her, Aiden.”
He took a steadying breath. “Did Daemon ever tell you what power I wield?” She shook her head, and he nodded. “I’m anempath, Auraelia. I can read people's emotions better than Daemon can read the stars. For instance, right now, you’re shocked but also slightly wary—which isn’t surprising in the slightest.” He huffed out a choked laugh. “There’s a reason the Sapphire Isles named an empath as their emissary. I’m able to read the room and help…guidenegotiations in the preferred direction.”
“Can you manipulate people’s emotions, too?”
Aiden gave her a wry smile, and a sense of ease washed over her. A lightweight feeling filled her heart, lifting away the heavy cloak of loneliness, longing, and dread for what was to come.
“What in the—are you?”
Aiden nodded sheepishly.
“Stop!” Within a fraction of a second, the heaviness settled back into her heart, pulling her under like being caught beneath a wave. Her breath came in quick, shallow pants as she tried to breathe through the ache that had settled into her chest once more. “What the fuck, Aiden?!”
“You asked,” he deadpanned.
“A simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ would have sufficed.” A full-body chill ran through her as Aiden chuckled.
