He laughed from his chest, and it bounced through the trees. “Reminds me of when you were a little feral thing in your stupid Crown dresses and kicked and screamed because I wouldn’t let you practice with a real sword.”
He stepped back, leaving her heaving against the tree. He shook his head with a grin she knew well. “They all thought you were so perfect in your curls and little sashes and never even noticed what has always been right in front of their eyes. Do you remember what it took for me to allow that little feral kitten to finally have a real sword?”
She threw her head back against the tree, not caring that it hurt or she would have bark in her hair, and bit out her answer.“Years, that’s what it took, years before you’d let me touch a real blade.”
Gage sighed, and the sound reminded her that even though she was now grown, he was still older than her and was no stranger to her behavior.
“Elysia, you were this small, quiet child who crept through tunnels and stole secrets without even trying. You heard and saw things that no child ever should have, and by the time I found you in that cart surrounded by blood and death, any sense of trusting others had been shredded. I didn’t give you a blade until you trusted me. Until you knew I would not hurt you, and I knew you wouldn’t stab me in the eyeball in a moment of panic.”
He stalked in closer to her again, leaving just enough space while staring her right in the eyes. “Let me help you. Just like I always have.”
Her forehead dipped, resting against his shoulder, and she allowed herself to feel that comfort, to wonder for a whole breath what it would be like to not hold all her weight herself. His chin came down atop her head.
“I thought you would stop being such a pain in my ass when you got older.”
She snorted and slapped a hand against him half-heartedly, pushing away to look up at his sharp eyes.
“I’m cursed, Gage, always have been.” The treasonous words slid too easily off her tongue.
“Elysia, I’ve known that. It’s why I’m—” He cut himself off, running a hand through his dark, cropped hair.
She laughed hollowly. He knew. Of course, he knew. “There’s nothing to talk about, then.”
“Something has changed, and you need totell meso I can help you. That is how this works.”
“There’s nothing anyone can do about it. You can huff and puff at me all you want, but it won’t change anything. If you wantto be helpful, then I could use some backup later,” she smiled. “I’m going after a diplomat.”
Gage’s nostrils flared, and he pinned her back against the tree with one hand.
She sighed. “Really? How mature.”
“Is that how you think this works? That you can just brush me off, and I’ll go so easily? Have I taught you nothing about family?” he growled.
But he wasn’t done, his chest working up and down as he finally unleashed his worry-coated anger. “You think you can just demand my services as if I am some common servant? I am well aware you’re one of the few who managed to cling to a drop of magic in this horrible kingdom, but something else has changed and you need to tell me what it is. Is it your magic? Because pretending nothing is happening won’t fix your problem. You’re smarter than this, godsdammit.”
Elysia’s temper ratcheted up a notch from where it had momentarily slumbered. She pressed off the tree and shoved right back into his space.
“You want trust, Gage? Then trust that I am doing everything I can to solve this, and solving this is going to require a few of mylittle schemes,as you like to call them. I needinformation, not a lecture.”
His tone went flat, his hand lifting in exasperation. “You ask for trust and lie to me in the same breath? Gods, you don’t make this easy.” With that, he turned, stalking away from her and out of the woods.
He called back over his shoulder as he went. “You can handle Beatriz’s dirty work on your own. Bother me when you have a real job. And Iwillsee you at my house tonight.”
Elysia bit back a scream. He was such a dick sometimes. She planted a hand on her hip, patting her sheath as he disappeared from sight.
“Motherf—” she cursed.He took my fucking blade.
Her blood pressure shot up, her irritation immediate and consuming. Oh, he thought he wasrealfunny. Having the last word wasn’t good enough, he had to nick her blade as well. A little guarantee that she would show up tonight if only to ream him out properly.
“You arrogant, thieving ASSHOLE!” Her rage sounded all the way to the forest’s edge.
The woods were kind enough to carry his low chuckle back to her.
Chapter 9
Once she had looked forwardto nights with Topp. She’d thrown dresses and skirts and tops in a ridiculous pile, trying to decide what she wished to wear. Her worries had been limited to him asking too many questions about what it wasexactlythat she did for her father. That he might wonder where her clever instincts and tips really came from after all.
Now she worried that falling asleep in his arms would be signing her own death warrant.
