His head snaps in my direction, his hood falling back, revealing how his skin turns ghostly white as our eyes meet.
What in damnation?I know in my core the wise thing would be to get moving, but I can’t tear my gaze away from his. The world ceases to exist. There are no movements, no sounds, only my heart beating so hard it’s surely on its way out of my chest. Whether it lasts a bell or a mere fraction of a heartbeat, I can’t say. All I can focus on is the sheer depth of the sorrow and longing layering those golden eyes. It’s almost too much to bear. What horrors has he witnessed to carry such despair? Then, almost as quickly as the expression appeared, it vanishes.
With a face carved in stone, he strides toward me, the crowd giving him a wide berth as he crosses the square.
Oh no, this isnothappening. I search the crowd for Seniia and Vilder. Surely they should be back by now.
When I look back toward Aster, he’s so close I have to crane my neck. If Llyr and Ero are on the shorter side of the spectrum, Aster is clearly on the taller end.
“What...” he begins, then shakes his head. “How...?” He reaches toward me with a strange sort of familiarity, then seems to think better of it and folds his arms across his wide chest.
I frown up at him. “Excuse me, sir, but do I know you?”
He looks oddly amused at that.
“Yes? No?” He runs his hand through his messy waves, huffing out a sigh. “It’s complicated?” he suggests.
I narrow my eyes. Is he drunk? He doesn’t smell of alcohol. He smells of musk and pine and something familiar I can’t put my finger on. He smells just like he did in the dream.The dream. Before I can avoid it, my cheeks are burning so intensely I’m surprised I don’t go up in flames.
“I don’t think we’ve ever met before. I’m Laïna. What’s your name?” The words tumble out so fast that I’m left breathless, and I gulp down a desperately needed breath of air.
He gives me a suggestive look, his head tilted in thought.
A prickling sensation runs across my forehead as his intense stare seems to bore into me.
“Aster,” he finally says. “But you already knew that.”
I blush even deeper. Burn him. This should not be possible. Is he aware I watched him being intimate with that woman—female—whatever? Shuffling my feet, I glance everywhere but at him. Still, the subtle weight of his stare is heavy on my skin, even as I look away.
“Llyr was always good with those sorts of things—though not good enough. I’ve yet to meet someone who is.”
My attention snaps back toward him. What does he know of Llyr? I open my mouth to ask exactly what he means by that when his gaze locks with mine, causing my insides to twist and turn with a delicious yet agonizing craving. Have I completely lost my mind?
This close, his eyes are captivating, a million different shades of gold, from a dark molten honey to white-hot fire, their allure heightened by the dark brown ring that frames his golden irises.
The corners of his mouth rise, and I finally regain my senses.
“How do you know Llyr?” I step back, only to hit the wall behind me.
His brows pull together as his eyes narrow. “Did he hurt you?” His voice has dropped to an icy chill, and the same prickling sensation as before runs across my forehead as he studies me intently.
I bite my lip, staring back at him. Did Llyr hurt me? Only indirectly, but that was more than enough. How could he not know that properties are treated no better than a stray dog at the best of times? Could he be that ignorant? No, I decide. He could not. So, what was his reasoning? Considering that he put himself at risk to free me, I might be inclined to forgive him if his reasoning is solid enough—hedidmention something about keeping me safe, after all. What’s so hard to swallow is the fact that he wanted to put a brace on me again. After everything I’ve been through, all the shit I’ve done to be free of it—shit that he knows about—he wanted to enslave me yet again. That is unforgivable.
“It’s... complicated?” I say, copying his earlier answer. I’m not about to confess anything to this stranger, regardless of how intimatewe’ve been in my imagination. “But you haven’t answered my question. Do you know him?”
“I do. I know him very well.” His jaw ticks, and he looks less than pleased. “Though clearly not well enough.”
I cast a sidelong glance at him, where he now leans against the wall next to me. He’s without doubt the most stunning male I’ve ever laid eyes upon, and Rea holds a pretty high standard from what I’ve seen so far. Yet one thing is for certain: If he’s working with Llyr, he can be as pretty as the moons for all I care. I want him gone.
Relief floods my body when I spot Seniia and Vilder weaving their way through the dancing crowd, and I lift my hand to wave at them. Aster follows my gaze.
“Good choice.” He gives a nod of approval. “The singer holds an immense amount of knowledge. Listen to him. And the little pink one is gifted in the healing arts. She will be one of the most powerful healers Rea has seen once she’s a fully trained C’elen.”
Did I hear him correctly?Singer?I study Vilder’s exasperated expression as he trails behind Seniia, who’s skipping along in front of him, a tray loaded with drinks and food in his hands. I’ve barely heard Vilder string together more than two sentences so far. It’s hard to imagine him telling an entire story, let alone singing.
“How can you know such things?” I say, turning toward Aster. Except he’s not there. All I’m left with is a chilling emptiness, the space next to me devoid of his presence.
I let out a frustrated sigh. For the second time today, someone has vanished into thin air right in the middle of a conversation. Could it be that they’re simply a product of my mind? Perhaps I hit my head during the fall from the cliff, or the lack of air underwater damaged my brain. The mere possibility leaves a sickening feeling in my gut.
