“You always know how to find the perfect view,” I said, wrapping my hands around the banister.
“Almost. The views were never perfect until recently.”
I turned toward Rhodes, leaning my hip against the railing. His fingers tapped in time with the music drifting up from inside, his gaze sweeping across the endless peaks. A gentle wind tousled his hair, the silver moonlight painting his features in soft, ethereal light.
“What do you mean?”
He lowered his chin, his soulful gray-blue eyes finding mine. The breeze carried his cashmere sandalwood and vanilla scent, wrapping around me like something warm and familiar.
“I spent over a year escaping to Mageia’s rooftops,” he said, his voice deep. “Never coming across anyone of value. Until the day I climbed up there and found a girl sitting on my parapet.” He paused, the corners of his mouth curving as he arched a brow. “Shewas clutching an almost-empty mug of coffee. Way too late in the afternoon, mind you.”
I couldn’t help it—I laughed freely.
“But she was broken,” he went on. “Everything about her—her heart, her mind, her soul. Even her will. I saw it the moment I looked into her hazel eyes.” He paused, the wind catching in his hair, the silver glow of the moon tracing the hard line of his jaw.
“I kept wondering what it was that made her keep going,” he admitted. His eyes flicked to mine, and his thumb drummed once on the railing for a beat. “Because if I could figure that out… maybe I’d know how to find something like that for myself.
“As the days went on, I kept finding her taking space on my rooftop. But each time I saw her, she seemed a little less broken. She started to shine. Just a little more every day. Her smile got bigger. Her laugh got fuller. And no matter what the world threw at her… she kept going.”
The backs of my eyes burned with tears.
Rhodes brushed a loose tendril of hair behind my ear, his touch achingly gentle. “And then those hazel eyes I’d come to adore turned into the most exquisite crimson red. That’s when I knew I’d found the Crimson Wraith. The one who would be my downfall. I’d waited my whole life for the Wraith to appear. Trained in every way I could to survive long enough to face them—to fall to my knees when the Forgotten Realm demanded it.
“But you, my thorn…” His voice dropped, husky with emotion now. “You have given me the courage I never knew I needed. The courage to fight for the life I deserve.”
Chapter 54
“Another.”
Perry nodded and reached behind the counter, filling me another cold stein of ale. I took a few big gulps and let out a long sigh.
“I’ve been coming to the Ryfthouse for a while now, and yet I’ve never seen you here.”
I saw Nash claim the barstool next to me out of the corner of my eye, but I didn’t look at him. I kept my gaze ahead. “I’m only here on special occasions.”
Nash ordered an ale from Perry. “And what kind of special occasion earns your presence?”
I lifted the stein, downed half of it in one go, and set it back on the bar with a hard thunk. “I don’t think our friendship has clearance for that answer.”
“Oh, so we’re friends?”
I cut my eyes at him. His expression of mock shock almost made me laugh. “Hardly.”
“Can we be friends?”
“Acquaintances.”
“War partners?”
“Strangers.”
“Strangers with benefits?”
I couldn’t help the laugh this time. “I’ll think about it.”
“Ah, Fitzroy. Ever the romantic.”
A high-pitched laugh cut through the music, and Nash and I both turned to see where it came from. My heart thudded at the sight of Pehper and Shayde talking in the back corner. Shayde was leaning against the wall, hands stuffed in his pockets, while Pehper shifted from foot to foot, sipping a colorful drink.
