The air thickened between us. Tension coiled. Energy flowed back and forth.
If I tipped my head a fraction at the right angle, he could kiss me.
He raked his teeth across his lower lip, a war raging in his expression as he stared with want at my mouth.
“It’s just chemicals, that’s all. It doesn’tmeananything.” My voice was barely a whisper.
He blinked rapidly as if coming to his senses.
I tugged my wrists free and eased myself awkwardly off his lap and onto the path, the pebbles digging into my knees. He rose, offering a hand. When I stared at it as if I’d rather set it on fire,he withdrew, retreating a step and waiting patiently until I got to my feet.
Flicking my fingers across my skirt to dust it off, I then readjusted my sleeves to sit properly on my shoulders and tossed my braid to my back. Pouting, I glanced about. “Where are we?”
“My mother’s gardens.”
Ihmmmed, careful not to let my tone or expression reveal my impression. The garden was magical. Thick plantings of ferns and wildflowers surrounded us, with jasmine draping from majestic trees and white climbing roses twining around everything. Motes danced in the shafts of sunlight while a soft drone of insects came from within the shadows. I sucked in a breath, indulging in the moist, pungent, earthy smells permeating the air. It reminded me of running through the woodland, amongst the wild, rambling trees, every morning and every evening.
I’d practically lived in the woods back home.
Home.
A sharp pang of homesickness cut through me, so hard and swift and sudden it was a sucker punch to the heart.
Graysen’s hand went to his chest and he kneaded it with the heel of his palm. His gaze sliced to mine, full of understanding.
“Don’t,” I said, my voice breaking. Needles pricked the back of my throat and tears threatened, tickling my nose. “Just don’t…okay.” I hung my head until I got hold of myself once more. Sage rose quickly, nudging himself into my thigh as he gave a concerned whine.
“What are you doing? Why are you pretending to break me?” My fingers sifted through Sage’s soft fur as I studied Graysen.
“Because we don’t need to break you to sell you at the Witches Ball. It’s a simple transaction,” he said quietly, shoving his hands into his pockets.
My body went cold.
“One I won’t be able to fight, right? Because by then you’ll own me with the Alverac, and all you have to do is to command me to go with them willingly and I’ll not say a single word.”
He didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.
None of that was going to happen if I had my way.
I intended to get myself the hells out of here well before my twentieth birthday.
Standing here wallowing in self-pity wasn’t about to help me either. I needed to move on and be smarter.
My bare feet sank into the pebbles as I spun around and strode off, following the path with Sage ahead and Graysen right behind me.
I had many questions I’d been hoarding and, while we walked along the garden path, I thought now was the time to ask.
Whirling around, I walked slowly backward. “Master Sirro told me your family saved the life of a Horned God, and that’s how you gained the Alverac.”
Surprise flashed across his features. His pace faltered, and sparkly boots scuffed slowly through stones until he came to a complete standstill. “He told you that?”
I nodded, stopping as well. I reached over to pinch a waxy leaf and stroked my thumb and fingers down the long blade. “He said,‘They saved the life of a Horned God.’”I carefully monitored his reaction beneath my lashes.
“Theyis rather a broad term. Sirro meant my mother.”
“Your mother?” My eyebrows almost shot up to my hairline. “Yourmothersaved the life of a Horned God?”
His gaze swept over the white roses that rambled unchecked everywhere within the garden. “Apparently so. Sirro gifted us the Boon five years ago.” I almost flinched. That’s exactly when the Crowthers had claimed me. “He explained that what my mother had asked for as compensation that night never satright with him. It wasn’t enough for what she’d done. And he bestowed the Alverac to balance the scales.”
