I don’t like that. Playing a part means I have no choice; the role has already been written. “Don’t you mean figure it out?” I retort warily.
“No, Everett did figure it out. You and I just need to resume our roles.” She reaches back and twists her hair into a low bun. She looks more like a warrior preparing for battle than a queen in royal silk.
“I’m not a toy to be picked up and played with, Selene. I had a life. I want it back.”
“You also mention you have a new duty to these runes and Everett’s magic.” Her brow arches into the curve of a mountain that’s withstood lightning strikes and torrential hail. “Like you said, adjustments take time. Adjust, Titus. You are a toy, one I will pick up and play with, one I will tuck away in a toy box to keep safe if I have to. Everett saw the future. He needed you and me to come together. The actions we take are not our choices; they’re reactions Everett calculated, and took the burden of bearing.”
Our breaths mingle in the silent air, two opposing forces that eventually succumb to one another. I slightly dip my chin. “You’re right. But I have things to lose, Selene. Things I need to keep safe.”
“Maybe the runes provide this safety net. But until we cast the line, we must read the waters. You need to train, and I need to dig into the past. Keep drinking a small ration of blood; we will work slowly; you’ll learn the signs of the time-weaving.Youare the master, not it. Once you get adjusted, we will increase your blood intake. This is good; we can control it.” She speaks the latter more to herself.
I like the idea. It’s smart and cautious, which means Selene does want to keep me safe.
“What’s the second issue?” I ask, but the bubble around us ripples.
Her eyes peer up, giving me a perfect view of her long, smooth neck. My eyes hone in on her pulse point. My mouth waters, and my head starts to dip closer with an uncontrollable need to bite her.
“Your guard,” she replies, but her voice grows distant.
Thump! Beat! Thump!
What does she taste like?
“Titus! Are you listening? We need to plan this before your time-waving stops and your guard can hear.”
Stop looking at her neck! Stop!But it’s so lovely and long…
Hold your breath, stop smelling her.
I blink. It takes Selene stepping back in order for me to peel my eyes off her neck.
I rub my eyes.What the fuck was that?I never have the urge to get drunk on blood. The side effects of bloodlust are a perilous path. As a teen, Sergeant Vivienne swiftly corrected us, ensuring we’d be soldiers who drank blood only to power magic, not to get drunk.
“My guard?” I repeat as I roll my tongue. I fail to swallow. I’m so thirsty now.
“Yes, we need to get rid of him.”
“You want to kill him?” I’m not okay with that.
“No. I mean, that would be lovely, but I was suggesting we replace him. Of course, this will have to come from you, so Galen is not suspicious. When your shift is over, seek an audience with Galen; tell him you wish to have a man with whom you can communicate through a mere glance. This way, I am left in the dark. Galen will like that.”
“Who is this man?”
Pop!
The time weaving vanishes. Internally, I pull for my fire magic, but nothing comes. Losing a sense is disorienting. I’m tapped out until I get more blood.
Selene can see my thoughts, so she steps closer and pushes up on her toes. I almost groan when her chest pushes into mine, but all my desires stop when she speaks. “Your brother.”
Chapter
Eighteen
Titus
“Idon’t like this,” I grunt and slam the door. My fingers curl around the knob, not wanting to let go.
Turning, I look at my brother, at his black hair that mirrors mine. It used to be longer before they made us child soldiers. I used to ruffle it when we played tackle. After our parents died, we were sent to the castle as wards of the kingdom. They shaved our hair, replaced our carved wooden action figures with dull blades to train with.
