My hands travel up his shoulders and neck of their own accord. His dark hair is soft as silk between my fingers.
“There’s always more.” I can’t read his tone of voice. But it doesn’t matter. I’m too busy, anyway. “From the moment the trial starts tomorrow, you’ll be in deadly danger. All of us will be. The dragons won’t wait for us to attack—they’ll strike first because we’re in their territory.” His hand at the base of my neck grips my hair and he angles my head so that we’re looking at each other now. “Don’t hesitate. No matter what happens around you, don’t hesitate even for a second. Can you promise me that?”
I nod. “Yeah. I won’t hesitate. I know.”
“Good girl.”
He lets go of my hair and brings his mouth to mine, so close we share a breath.
Daegel is in no rush to kiss me. He enjoys the tease, the building tension, and keeping me on the edge. I’ve had enough of it.
I fist his hair at the back of his head and pull him closer. When our lips finally meet, it’s like a catharsis.
His kiss is sweet as honey, and I want to drown in him. Daegel’s hands are confident as they hold me close to his body, and his mouth is just as eager as my own. The moment we pull away from each other, panting, the spell breaks, though, and reality sets in.
I take a step back, startled at what just happened. No matter how complicated our relationship is, or how angry I am at him, we just can’t stay away from each other.
He rubs the corner of his mouth and then says, “Stay alive, Phoenix.”
By the time I make my way back to my room at the monastery, the full moon is high in the sky, lighting up my path. I stand in the side garden, outside the sliding glass door, for a long time before I finally peel it open and slip inside the dark room.
I pause, afraid to even breathe while I assess the situation. Jax’s gentle snore reaches my ears. Vera doesn’t make a sound, but she’s in her bed nestled under a huge pile of blankets. I stand, waiting.
Nothing. Both of them are fast asleep.
I exhale with a little bit more ease. I fucked up. Tonight, I may have avoided Vera’s wrath, but tomorrow she’s definitely going to want to know where I’ve been and what I did…
Quietly, I strip out of my leathers and dive under the covers on my bed. I expect to toss and turn restlessly, but the moment I lay my head on the fluffy pillow and close my eyes, sleep conquers.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
PHOENIX
“Where on earth did you disappear yesterday?”
It’s Vera’s voice, somewhere far away. I sigh and roll over, pulling my duvet over my head. A moment later, the weight of it is suddenly gone. I shiver when the cool air wraps around my body.
Groaning, I pull my knees to my chest and roll into a ball. There’s too much light, I can’t open my eyes. I hate the cold.
“Rise and shine, soldier girl.” Vera’s voice again. “Where were you yesterday afternoon and evening?”
Finally, I manage to peel one of my eyes open. Vera stands next to my bed with her arms crossed over her chest. The look on her face tells me she’s annoyed.Well, that makes the two of us.
I roll over and turn my back on her. She can go fuck herself. I’m so tired and sleepy. I need at least an extra twenty minutes.
“Phoenix, we were supposed to go over the plan on how you can win the first trial.” When I open my eyes again, Vera stands on the other side of the bed. Damn this woman. Who speaks so loud so early in the morning?! “This is not a damn game! You’re about to enter into a deadly challenge, you refuse tokill a dragon, and don’t even bother showing up to brainstorm alternatives.”
Anger rising within me chases the last dregs of sleep away. My eyes are wide open when I roll away from Vera and jump to my feet. Jax lounges on his bed by the wall with his arms crossed behind his back.
The look he gives me is disapproving.
“As I said, there’s nothing either of you can do here. It’s on me to survive once I face the dragon.” I glare at Vera. “And waking me up earlier than necessary is definitely not going to help me win.”
Her nostrils flare, and she presses her lips into a tight line. “If you’d been here last night and had gone to bed at a decent time?—”
I cut her off. “You’re my patron, not my mother to set a curfew?—”
She cuts me off. “I wouldn’t have to act as your mother if you wouldn’t run off to gods know where without telling anyone where you are. You damn well know that Caligos are dangerous, they already sent an assassin before the trials even began. And yet, you have no sense of personal safety. If they managed to assassinate the Ezkai General, what do you think they can do to you?!”
