“What did she say about that?” I could almost feel her fire scorching my skin.
“About what you’d expect. You antagonized her right from the start, though I’m not sure why.”
“As you pointed out, it’s my way. I’m not gentle, like you. Sweet with my kisses, like you.”
“I imagine she finds my kisses more than sweet now.”
“Don’t tell me.”
He shrugged and spoke simply. “She’s my bride. My wife.”
And there it was. I kicked back my urge to shout thatI’dstood beside her on the ship, thatI’dsaid I do, thatI’dsigned my name on the paper.
No,hisname.
I was merely borrowed.
Nothing good would come from me snarling that her mouth and everything that made up his queen was mine, because she wasn’t.
“I’ll begin her lessons tonight. She has a lot of power,” I said.
“Untapped from what I can tell. We’ll need it.”
“Which is why she must learn how to wield it.”
“Keep me informed about your progress in that regard.” His scowl would’ve matched my own.
I dipped forward in a deep bow. “Of course, my king.”
The air bristledwith tension as I sat on the stone roof below the pinnacle of the tallest castle tower, the flag signaling that the king himself was in residence smacking against the pole in the wind. If I leaned out over the side of the stone roof by my feet, I'd see the narrow window I'd climbed through below me.
My black leather tunic clung to my torso, matching the black leather pants I'd dragged over my hips not long ago and the sturdy, worn boots I'd stuffed my feet into.
I kept my focus on the sprawling view of the mountains standing tall against the night sky, their tops dusted with crowns of snow. If I turned, the briny sparkle of the sea would gleam beyond the city below.
“I’ll teach her magic,” I hissed to the wind. “But I will not allow myself to crave her.”
I'd taken too many steadying breaths already, hoping to solidify the latter in my heart and in my mind. This wasn’tabout me. I couldn't allow my desire for Reyla to cloud my judgment. My duty required whatever kindness I could host and professionalism, though the thought of being close to her, scenting her, kindled an ache in my gut.
Silence wrapped around me as I waited, focusing on the wards I’d etched into the floor and walls of the circular room below. They would stand as invisible barriers to shield us from unwanted eyes and ears or potential magical misfires. It wasn’t just about her safety or mine. I wouldn't allow anyone else to see whatever we might do there.
Her labored breathing reached me, echoing against the stone stairs as she climbed. That light sound made my heart barrage my rib cage, and I could practically feel the pulse of her energy luring me, urging me to drop all pretense and seize what would soon be laid right before me.
“Lore?” The word came out tentatively, barely more than a whisper, but it grumbled with the weight of her uncertainty.
I clamped down on my urge to respond immediately, and I took a moment to savor the sound of her voice threaded through with a touch of vulnerability.
“Where are you?” she snarled, the echo of her footsteps heavy against the stone floor of the room, followed by the pad of her nyxin. She should’ve left him behind, but no matter.
The walls of the tower seemed to amplify her frustration, and an unwilling smile cracked my face. Reyla faced everything with a steely spine and a lifted chin, and now she bristled like a fluffy pet chall upset to find her bowl empty of cream.
She stomped around, grumbling about how cold the room was, how stark and isolated the location. “And why in all thefates do we have to do this in a room that can only be reached after climbing a billion stairs? No,” she mocked. “Why would we use a room on one of the regular castle levels when, instead, we can work together in a cold, dusty, dingy room inside the peak of the castle’s tallest tower? I had to ask five people how to get here. Five!”
Her footsteps continued, her pacing growing louder. Faster.
“Well, fuck you,” she hissed. “You're not here, and I do not care. You hear that?” She lifted her voice. “I'm leaving. I don't give a fuck about this, because you're the last person I want to work with. I'll find another way to—”
She wouldnotleave.
