Now, just as then, I found it impossible to look away.
Unaware of our presence up above, the Prince lunged and parried and kicked, his movements as graceful as they were powerful.
Pharis had once told me that following his mother’s tragic death, he’d avoided battle, fearful that others would realize he’d permanently Gleaned her glamour of fighting prowess when she’d died.
Watching him now, I had no doubt that if he was ever forced to fight, no man or creature of any sort could stand against him.
But it wasn’t just awe at his skill that had me staring.
Pharis’ impressive muscles gleamed under the midday sun as he moved. His long, dark hair whipped in the wind like shiny black ribbons.
Even the sounds he made as he exerted himself were appealing in a way that had my toes curling and sweat popping out along my hairline.
Stop it Raewyn. This is not the Pharis you thought you loved. That man never existed.
Across the duration of our long road trip, I’d found myself growing more and more attracted to Pharis. Not just his admittedly alluring appearance but what I had thought was the man inside.
On the last day we’d spent together, that attraction had culminated in mind-altering kisses and touching unlike any I’d shared with his brother—or anyone else.
Even now just thinking about it, those old feelings reawakened in me, causing my skin to warm and sparks to dance through my midsection. I squirmed in my floating chair, unable to sit still.
Suddenly, Pharis stopped sparring and looked up, directly at me. And grinned.
Shaded stars.
I hoped that among the many gleaned glamours he’d bragged about, Pharis had not acquired the skill of mind-reading.
Chapter 8
Natural Habitat
Pharis
Her thoughts wereloudtoday.
Though Raewyn wasn’t adept at purposely sending mind-to-mind communication, she did leak thoughts here and there.
Untrained as she was, she didn’t know how to control it. At times when she was experiencing heightened emotion, I’d been able to pick up a few words.
And today, I was especially enjoying what I was hearing.
My muscles were already engorged from the vigorous exercise, but now my body vibrated with adifferentkind of energy.
Raewyn’s rapt attention—and admiration—tended to do that to me.
My determination to stay away from her, apart from when she was soundly asleep, had already been strained to the verge of cracking.
At the moment there was no way I could resist the pull she exerted on me.
Grabbing my shirt from the marble wall (but not hurrying to put it on) I told Aidric, my sparring partner, to take a break and jogged up the steps to the scenic overlook.
I strolled toward Elanor and Raewyn, taking my time so she could get a good long look at me as I lifted my arm and used the shirt to mop my face and neck.
When I reached them, I bent forward in a shallow bow.
“Ladies… to what do I owe the pleasure?”
The healer, who sounded a bit defensive, answered.
