Watching as he used his magic to rip a man in half shouldn’t be so arousing, but I couldn’t help but bite my lip and press my thighs together before turning to the next guard who got brave. He clearly realized that I was the easier target and tried to grab me.
Azurill was there before he could, and I watched in awe as the man’s hands disappeared before they could touch me. As the last guard fell into a pool of his own guts and blood, Azurill stood mere steps away from me. His blood-streaked chest was heaving, and his tattoos were glowing, with power seeping out and running in lines to form gauntlets around his forearms.
I’d never been so turned on in mylife.
“Linnea,” he breathed, the sound like a whisper but deeper, the thrum of power in his voice giving it a rumble that had me snapping out of my fog of arousal so I could throw myself at him.
“Azurill,” I cried as I threw my arms around him, uncaring of the mess that was surely ruining my dress. I only cared that he was alive and before me now. His arms came around and held me tightly to him, his lips finding myneck and pressing urgent kisses to it, as if he was trying to assure himself that I was real.
“I’m so sorry, Nea,” he murmured, the soft words and the new nickname making my heart trip in my chest. It was even better than Jac, because it wastrue. I hadn’t minded going by my middle name, but I’d missed being my true self more than I knew. I hadn’t heard anyone call me Nea or Lin or Linny, let alone Linnea, in so many years that every time I heard it now I felt breathless.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Az.” I buried my nose in the crook of his shoulder, inhaling his scent and letting it calm my racing heart.
“Still, I brought you a gift to make up for letting this happen,” he said, an undertone ofsomethingto his voice that had me pulling back to look at him.
“A gift?” I raised an eyebrow at him, unable to help my smile.
“Oh yes, only the best for you, my love.” He pressed a kiss to my cheek before stepping away, leaving me blinking away tears.My love. I definitely never expected to hear those words directed at me in my lifetime, and my heart did this weird melty thing in my chest that made it feel as if it grew in size in the process. All to encompass the love I held for this man. This Elven king who didn’t care that I’d spent years out of court and living on the streets, who didn’t care that his brother was suspicious of me, who didn’t care that he’d beenrightto be—he loved me despite every reason he shouldn’t.
And I was determined to spend the rest of my life proving myself worthy of that love, and ensuring he felt how encompassing my own love for him was. A scale I’d never known was even possible before meeting him.
Because no one else had ever seen all my lies and faults laid bare—and loved me anyway.
Azurill reached back through the hole in the wall and pulled a weeping man through it roughly, throwing him at my feet. A smirk graced my lips the moment I saw the short red hair.Casaan.
“Oh, love, you give the best gifts.” I smiled widely at him, reaching to give him a lingering kiss above the beaten heir. When I pulled back, I couldn’t help asking, “Please tell me you have a knife?”
Azurill smirked and pulled one out of his waistband, handing it over with a flourish. Taking it from him, I twirled it through my fingers as I admired the blade. Perfectly sharp and deadly, and encrusted with the diamonds of the court I’d spent years blaming forhiscrimes.
I leaned down to Casaan, balancing on the balls of my toes, and brought the knife to his cheek.
“You know,” I began conversationally, “I was merely going to stab you, the way you stabbed my father. The way your men stabbed my mother. A knife sliding deep in your chest to take vengeance for what you did that night.”
Casaan looked up at me with wide ruby eyes, trembling already as he shook his head desperately.
“But then you threatened to kill me in the vilest way I could imagine.” My face, my voice, everything hardened in an instant, and I could feel Azurill snap to attention as the growl escaped his chest. But I kept my eyes locked on Casaan’s.
“Please, I’m sorry!” he begged, tears beginning to fall from his eyes.
I scoffed at him, shaking my head, “Pathetic. Just a pathetic little man, riding daddy’s coattails and taking advantage of those weaker than you. I could think of all sorts of creative ways to use this knife you know?—”
“That’s enough.” The hard voice of the lord I most wanted to see sounded through the room, and I immediately jumped to my feet, Azurill and I both instinctively stepping together in front of Cassan and blocking his father from getting to him.
I heard the rustle of others stepping around us, and spared a quick glance to confirm Balthazar, Ruri, Emrys, Alwyn, and to my surprise, Arianell had joined us. All in battle armor with bloody swords and knives in hand. I was particularly curious about the double-bladed dagger Arianell was wielding, but kept my attention focused on the asshole in front of us for now.
“Enough?” I laughed wryly, “I haven’t even gotten started yet.”
“Nor will you.” The bastard glared, his ruby eyes flaring with rage as he looked at us.
“Sorry,LordCarnelian.” Watching his eye twitch in annoyance was more satisfying than it should be. “But you made the mistake of leaving this Marit alive, and I’m going to ensure you’re much too dead to ever take the throne that rightfully belongs to Azurill. I’m going to take the vengeance you’ve owed me forfartoo long.”
Carnelian laughed, and I twitched forward, Azurill laying a hand on my lower back and calming me for the moment. When Carnelian pulled out a familiar-looking potion, however, my eyes widened, and I barely got to scream, “No!” before it was flying through the air.
Years of being a thief had given me instincts I trusted beyond anything else, and years of dance before that gave me the grace to move and twistthrough the air with reckless abandon. Both served me well through the years, but never as well as now.
I threw myself into a flip, sending me flying through the room in a dizzying spin. Before the potion got halfway, my hand snatched it midair, and I landed with panting breath. I turned my glare on Carnelian, backing up and placing the potion hurriedly into Ruri’s hands as Azurill engaged the lord with blades. Azurill laughed in his face as he easily batted each blow away with the power running through him.
But he owed me blood, and blood I would take.
