“Yes. He had a note delivered to me the evening of the dinner, right before the second trial started. It told me how to get word back to him when I was ready to meet. I suppose I have to now, since I promised Rissa I’d use this to get closer to him...” My words faded as Leo pulled off the shirt he’d slept in and grabbed a new one, arms flexing when he shrugged it on and began buttoning it. The broad plane of his chest stared back at me, a dusting of dark hair spreading down past my line of sight. I remembered pressing my hand against it during the night, and knew exactly how hard those corded muscles felt beneath my skin. Like steel and?—
“Eyes up here, little wolf.”
My gaze snapped back to his face, which bore an enormous smirk as he finished the last button. Cheeks heating, I cleared my throat. “Anyway, I’ll probably try to meet with him soon.”
“Are you sure you’re comfortable with this?” he asked. “Mysister shouldn’t have pushed that on you. She can be a bit…ambitious.”
I gave him a quizzical look. “I thought you were willing to do anything to bring him down.”
“I was. I…am.” He ran his fingers through his hair, something I noticed he did when anxious. “I saw how upset you were after you met with him. I don’t want you to feel forced into meeting with your—with the emperor. Not if it’s too much for you.”
“I can handle it,” I said.
“Just because youcandoesn’t mean you shouldhaveto.”
I grabbed his hand and squeezed. “I know. But I promise, Iwantto do this. I want to help you.” It wasn’t a lie, but what I didn’t want to admit…what Icouldn’tadmit, was that a small, dark part of me had stirred at what Gayl had promised. To learn magic my father had discovered, magic he might have one day passed along tome.
He nodded. “I won’t ask again. But you’ll tell me if?—”
“Yes,” I said in fake exasperation. “You know, you’re worse than my aunt.”
“Well, what are friends for?” he said with a wolfish smile, stepping closer to me.
A knock sounded on the door. “Emperor’s tits, what are you two doing in there?” Rissa called. “Never mind, don’t answer that. I have breakfast ready if you’re hungry.” She paused, then banged on the door again. “Forfood.”
Leo’s jaw flexed, and I stifled a laugh. “I think I like your sister.”
“Fates save us all,” he muttered. “Do you have time to stay for breakfast?”
I glanced down at the leggings and shirt I’d worn to bedfournights ago now. My stringy hair was unkempt and greasy. I hadn’t bothered to wash it or change after waking up from the second trial. I didn’t dare smell myself—horror gripped me at the realization that I’d slept next to him all night like this. I’dcuddledwith him. My cheeks heated again. Breakfast with Leo and Rissa was the last thing I?—
“Hey,” he said softly, nudging my head up with his finger. “It’s just breakfast.”
He was looking at me like he had last night—walls down, sincerity and compassion and a hint of desire shining through. My resolve crumbled bit by bit.
“Okay. Just breakfast.”
44
Rose
Checking in on Morgana and Beau wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. They were relieved to see I was alright, especially after my dramatic exit the previous evening. I didn’t go into much detail on the second trial. Keeping our reunion short and sweet was the only way to ensure I didn’t start envisioning their bodies lying dead at my feet.
When I finally made it back to my room in the palace, my sole focus was taking a bath. I soaked in the hot water for over an hour, till I couldn’t tell where the water ended and I began. I couldn’t seem to getcleanenough. The feel of dirt, grime, smoke, and blood clung to my skin and hair no matter how many times I washed.
I wondered if I would always feel this way, if I would always carry the trials of this Decemvirate with me. Distantly, I recalled one of my last conversations with Ragnar and how he said death wasn’t the only outcome of this tournament. I was beginning to understand what he meant.
As I dried my hair with a towel and pulled my robe on, I let out a groan. I still needed to report in with Lark and the other architects. I wondered who else had completed the second trial. I’d been so isolated from the palace and tournament over the last night, it was easy to forget what was going on around me. When would thesecond trial debriefing and ranking be? What if someone hadn’t woken up?
A pounding sounded on my door. “Rose? Rose, are you in there?”
Nox. Relief flooded me at the sound of his voice. I was glad he’d made it out. I hadn’t realized how worried I’d been for him, so caught up in my own trauma.
“Yes, I’m here and I’m fine,” I called back. “Give me a second to change.”
“Always here to lend a hand if you need help, darling,” he quipped.
Laughter escaped me as I pulled on a pair of pants and a light sweater, then tugged open the door to find him standing with his arms crossed. “Same old Nox, then,” I said.
