Aster cocks his head. “I beg to differ. I think you’re beautiful.”
Vilder makes a choking sound behind me, and if not for the fact that all I can do is gawk at Aster, the whole situation might have been funny.
Not pretty.Beautiful.
“You’ve clearly lost it,” I grumble. “And just stop it. I don’t know what you want to achieve with the flattery, but I’ve picked up enough to know that any form of romantic relationship between Reans and humans is more than just frowned upon, and I do not have a death wish.”
He arches an eyebrow. “I give you a compliment, and you think I want to be in a romantic relationship with you?”
“I didnotsay that.” I glare at him. “All I said is that it’s clear that you wantsomething, and I”—I point to myself—“am telling you to stay the fuck away.” I’m so angry at him, I don’t even care if I’m being rude. Having someone trespass the boundaries of my mind was the final straw. He can burn for all I care. Together with Llyr. Void! I’ll make their pyre myself.
“So, do you want to spar or not?” I meet his gaze. “If I win, you stay away.Forever. Deal?”
“Sure,” he says with a smirk. “Although you’ll come to find forever is a very long time.”
He pulls off his shirt, revealing his drop-dead-gorgeous body.He is so not playing fair.His loose pants hang low on his hips, and I can’t help but stare at the display of muscles as he walks across the sparring grounds to grab a couple daggers from the weapon rack. Golden glyphs cover his body.
I meet Vilder’s eyes where he’s now standing at the other side of the square, leaning back against the wall, and we’re clearly thinking the same thing: That’s alotof glyphs.
“Like what you see?”The voice is inside my head, and my jaw snaps shut.
Aster turns to face me, cocky smirk in place. “You don’t have to answer. I know you do.”
That’s it. I leap toward him, daggers in hand, with all my anger and frustration pouring out. In that moment, I forget the first rule of combat: Never allow your emotions to overpower you. And sure enough, before I’ve had time to blink, I’m disarmed and on my back with Aster pinning me down. He supports himself on one elbow as he holds my arms above my head with the other.
He tilts his head, staring down at me. “If you wanted me between your legs so badly, you could have just asked, you know.”
The audacity. “You...”Don’t let him get to you, Laïna.I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Even before his musky scent reaches me, I know I’ve made a mistake. He smells incredible. Pine and musk andhim.Just like he does in the dreams. He smells...mine.
When I open my eyes again, his gaze has softened, and just as it did when I first met him in Bowen, the pain and longing it holds catches me by surprise. He lets go of my wrists and pushes a strand of hair out of my face, tucking it gently behind my ear, and when his golden eyes meet mine, there’s something so vulnerable in them. But just for a moment. A heartbeat later, his normal amused smirk is back in place.
“You don’t smell too bad yourself,”his voice teases inside my head.
“Stop reading my mind!” I growl, pushing at him, but he’s at least twice my size. He goes nowhere.
“Then keep your thoughts to yourself.”
My eyes flare. I want to strangle him.
He laughs, a deep, warm sound that vibrates through his chest and into my body. His smile broadens, showing off his fangs.
My eyes widen. No. This is not happening. Absolutely not.No, no, no!But before I can do anything about it, heat ignites in my lower abdomen, spreading between my legs. My breath hitches as I stare up at him.
His mouth twists into a wry, knowing smirk.“And now your scent tells me you’d rather do... other things.”He tilts his head.“But if strangling me is your thing...”
“Fuck. Off!” I growl. I’ve had enough of this. With my hands free, I seize the opportunity to grab the dagger he tossed to the side. It’s conveniently within arm’s reach.He should have thought of that.Before he has time to read my intentions, I use all my force to plunge the dagger into his shoulder while I use my other hand to push him off of me and roll out from underneath him. I scramble to my feet and look down at where he lies on the ground, giving him a vicious grin. “I won.” Leaning in closer so only he can hear me, I add, “And stay the fuck out of my head.”
I stride over to my skirt, secure it in place, and discreetly slide my shadowshard back into the sheath. Vilder’s eyes dart between me and Aster as if he doesn’t know what to think, and he probably doesn’t. Aster, on the other hand, simply pushes himself up and pulls the dagger out, and I notice the way his skin justcloses, as if the wound were never even there.
“Vilder!” I set off, not knowing if he’ll follow or not. All I can think about is that I need to get away fromhim.
FILLED WITH A MIX OF Reans and humans, the small tavern hums with a low, pleasant energy. A warm fire crackles merrily in the corner hearth, chasing away the evening chill, while a lute player in a shadowed alcove strums a lively tune. His melodies weave through the chatter, creating a harmonious backdrop.
I shift in my chair.
“Are you out of your goddamn mind?” Seniia squeaks just as one of the barmaids—a human, I notice—drops three mugs of beer at our table, followed by a basket of warm rolls. The barmaid gives Vilder a lingering stare, then hurries over to the next table at their impatient calls.
Vilder, oblivious to the attention, leans back in his chair with a smirk and a gaze that says,I told you so.
