Every inch of her skin rippled with gooseflesh, that heat swimming low in her belly once again. “I’m sorry, I…”
She had no excuse.
Aziel gave a low laugh, the sound of it making the hair on her neck prickle. “I don’t mind having an audience. Just as long as it'syou.”
“You’re a bastard.” She hissed, eyes narrowed to points.
“Only by title.”
“A demon.”
His head kicked to the side, white teeth flashing as he grinned. “Debateable.”
She folded her arms in response. The flush that formed on her cheeks was humiliating, but she refused to let on that it was due to anything other than anger. Itcertainlywas not because of his smile. “You enjoy tormenting me, don’t you?”
The fire crackled in the background, Aziel’s smug grin turning absolutely sinister in the shadows of the room. “No,” he drawled. “But I do enjoy how red your skin gets, how breathless you become when looking at my co—”
Her fist flew, connecting right with the spot she’d been aching to hit the moment he revealed that she was in the room. Aziel laughed, clutching at his chest. She watched him for a moment, her face pinched before she turned and waltzed into his sleeping chambers. “If that will be all, I think that I will be heading to bed.” Aziel gave a low hum behind her, plopping himself onto his settee just as she slid into his sheets.
Chapter 9
Nymiria panted, legs aching as she widened her stride to keep up with him.
She’d spent months travelling on foot and should have been used to the strain, but given that she hadn’t slept very well for the last few nights, along with the fact that he had her carrying books, her body felt slow and heavy.
Aziel was a powerful force of a man. He seemed to never tire. Even though there were dark circles under his eyes and his skin was a few shades paler than it’d been the day before, she was starting to think that his lack of sleep had adverse effects on him.
“Where are we going?” She heaved, flicking her head to remove a stray strand of hair from her face.
The man in front of her glanced over his shoulder, smirking. “It’s not much further. We’re just visiting a friend of mine.”
Nymiria scoffed, hoisting the books further up her chest. “You have a lot offriends, don’t you?”
“As a prominent figure in society, it would be nearly criminal if I knew no one.”
That made sense, she supposed.
Earlier that morning, after she’d returned to her own rooms, dressed herself and eaten her breakfast, Aziel strode in and informed her that he was taking her somewhere for their lesson that day. He never specified where, but she was starting to think that he’d been rather vague on purpose.
They had been walking for over an hour by this point and her arms felt as if they were going to fall off. She grunted, hands slipping on her books as she hopped over a fallen log that Aziel had merelyglidedover moments before. He was carrying books, as well. More than her, in fact. But it didn’t wear him down or affect how quickly he was able to handle the terrain.
Just when she was prepared to throw those damned books to the forest floor and turn back, Aziel paused.
When she looked up from her feet, Nymiria gasped.
In front of them, all of the trees in the forest were angled and arched in such a way that it gave the impression of being in a room. The leaves were lush and green, seemingly unaffected by the winter that’d just passed. The overhang shielded the blinding sun from the forest floor, with only small specks of light streaming in, giving light to what waited for them.
She continued forward with slow steps, her mouth wide. In the center of the domed room, there was a labyrinth. It was nearly identical to the one in Yaar, save for the fact that the runes that covered it were far more intelligible. Behind the labyrinth was an altar of sorts, decorated with candles, shimmering stones, antlers, and various bouquets of flowers. Some of the flowers were fresh, made from clippings of early spring gardens. Others were dried and brown, with just remnants of their previous color remaining.
This part of the forest seemed to have been well-manicured. Whether it was by some unforeseen force or by hand, she couldn’t tell.
“What is this?” She asked, her voice just over a whisper.
“It’s an Anam altar.” Aziel joined her, slowly lowering his books to the ground. “I figured that having a visual for you would help with today’s lesson.”
She turned to him. “And what lesson is that?”
He extended a leather-clad finger to the podium at the center of the labyrinth. “Runes. I believe that it is important that you know what they mean and how they look. When and if you offer your blood to the stones, I don’t want you doing it without the knowledge of those runes. They’re sacred and theymeansomething. It’s not just a prayer, it’s a promise.”
