And that was the most confusing thing of all.
Wordlessly, he handed me the crutches. I hobbled toward the top of the stairs while he gathered our belongings and stuffed them into the packs. Then, he hefted them onto his back.
“Are you going to protest as I carry you again?”
“Absolutely. So get it over with, Issaraeth,” I snapped, snaking white magic around my leg to keep it straight. He lifted me like I weighed nothing, and carried me down.
Yet as I pressed against his chest, I couldn’t help but return to the scars over his heart.
When we reached the tavern, he set me down like he couldn’t wait for me to be out of his hold. I shoved the crutches under my arms and hobbled to a table in the center where two plates waited. The female emerged from behind a counter and asked what I wanted to drink. She fetched juice and settled it beside my plate.
My mate had already broken his fast, inhaling his food like it was the first time he’d eaten in months. I joined him, finishing minutes after he did.
Neither of us spoke. What really did we have to say to one another anyway? Despite the fact that he’d slept beside me last night, that I’d awoken with his hand on me…
I suppressed a shudder at the memory.
The reality didn’t change. I was his captive. He was duty-bound to deliver me to his sister. Our bond meant nothing.
The Issaraeth bid goodbye to the innkeeper as I donned my cloak and swung myself toward the door and into the early morning chill. A shiver wracked my frame as I approached thewagon. My mate jogged to catch up with me, meeting me at the lowered lip.
I tossed the crutches in, then shuffled around, preparing to fling myself into the wagon. Vaeron stepped forward, capturing my gaze and avoiding my injured leg. Without a word, his large hands wrapped around my waist and lifted me up. We lingered in that moment, the world around us melting away.
My tongue darted out and wet my lips. His attention flicked to the motion, watching with more hunger than he’d had with our meal.
“Herr Räviel, you forgot this,” the innkeeper said, emerging from the tavern carrying a bag of supplies.
The Issaraeth jerked away, and I wriggled backward until the wood supported my leg. “Thank you.” He snatched the bag and tossed it beside me. The female dipped into a curtsey and returned to her establishment.
But whatever moment we’d had was shattered.
“If we hurry along, we can reach the next town shortly after dark and sleep in a real bed again,” the Issaraeth noted, lifting the lip and securing the bolts on either side. Then he unslung his pack and settled it against the side, pinning my crutches in place.
My mate took one long look at me, like he was searing something into his memory. With a sigh, he was gone. The wagon shifted as he settled in at the front to steer the horses.
Despite the quiet, despite the lulling rocking of the cart, blissful slumber eluded me, the storm brewing inside me consuming every thought.
Why had I allowed him to rest beside me? I admonished myself for even permitting him that close. I was Elessarum. I’d be betraying my people by surrendering to the thrall of this magic.
And yet the Issaraeth’s desire for me was unmistakable.
Could I…
I shook my head, trying to banish the thought into the ether. But it returned, like an insistent knocking, refusing to move on until it was acknowledged.
Could I twist his desire into a weapon of my own? Could I somehow protect myself—and my remaining people—by allowing him to think I was letting him in?
I raked my teeth over my lower lip as I considered. But I hated him so much. I’d never been a great actress—just enough to convey the emotion of my dance.
Plus with our mental connection, it was possible he could see right through my act.
But was it a risk worth taking?
The question lingered even as we stopped at high sun.
By the time we reached the next inn, I’d made my decision. If he wanted to believe my defiance was disappearing, I could let him. Just enough to lower his guard. To get him to trust me. To make him vulnerable.
The thrill of having power over him was undeniable. It would get me one step closer to what I’d sworn during my flight toward the temple—that someday, I would be the storm they feared.
