Dom’s hand slowly returned to his side. “I promised you I would find you. I never gave up. I can’t believe you were right under my nose in Maripol, twice, and I didn’t even realize…” He clenched his fist as his voice trailed off.
His apologies fell at my feet, years too late. And yet, their weight settled undiminished by the lost time, as if the words themselves held a magic all their own. They sunk into my cracks despite my misgivings. My fight seeped out of me.
A chill breeze brought a shiver to both of our bodies still dripping with water. I pulled the dampness off of our skin, drying us instantly. Resigned, I held out my hand—a tendertruce. Trust was too terrifying to approach, my walls not ready to lower, but perhaps we could start from a more honest place.
He took my hand, sandwiching it between both of his, warm in light of my frosted fingers. Grief and regret bracketed his amber eyes, and the weight of our past hovered between us thicker than the water’s mist.
I squeezed Dom’s hand. “I need to move or I might explode.”
His gaze snaked down my body, to my swimming attire. Or the lack thereof. His pupils widened. “What are you wearing?” His voice cracked.
I glanced down, shrugging. As if he’d never seen a woman in swimming attire before.
A deep growl sounded as he turned away. The rings on his fingers flared and he tossed a cloak in my direction.
“Put this on and let’s spar. I won’t rescue you from drowning a third time.”
I threw on my clothes with a roll of my eyes, and followed him to an open space beside the lagoon. Purple flower petals carpeted the grass, having blown over by the mountain’s chilled breeze.
“Remove your blades,” he commanded.
I flatly stared at him, no interest in following his directive. He sighed, “We’re practicing with elemental magic, not swords or shadows, Ruin of the Scourge.”
“Is that how you will address me with Queen Avery this evening?”
He scowled. “It might leave a bad taste in her mouth if I do. I suppose, if I cannot use your true name, I’ll be forced to introduce you as Rue.” He nearly spat the name. I raised my hands in surrender.
“I assume they knowyourtrue name?”
“They do.” The black rings adorning his fingers began to glow, then melt. They floated around him—an army of metallocusts. Ice prickled at my fingertips as he stalked toward me. His hovering rings morphed into arrowheads, all aimed at me.
My ice sword appeared, elongating in an extension of myself. It crackled and gleamed, solidifying into a double-edged blade of defiance. He projected his arrows toward my chest. I threw up an ice shield right before they made contact. One embedded itself into the thick sheet, the others bounced off, summoned back to their master.
The buckles of my armor began to heat, burning my skin. I winced, dousing them with water to cool them down. They’d melted, but no longer burned. The now-liquid metal skated up my arm, twisting around my throat in a lazy threat. I swallowed, not breaking eye contact with Dom.
I jolted as the metal tightened. Icy needles flew through the air, spearing toward his stupid smirk. His rings flattened around him, effectively repelling them. Ice exploded as they attempted to pierce his defenses. My breaths came in shorter gasps as the collar tightened, when suddenly it released. The liquefied metal enclosed my wrists, locking them in place. Magicked metal manacles.
Trapped. Again. A guttural scream left my lips as instant terror gripped me. I focused my affinity into the locks, freezing the metal until it cracked. Black spots dotted my vision. I ripped my hands free, lunging toward Dom. The desire to crack his pretty face overwhelmed my rational thought.
Dom could win this fight out of sheer body mass differential, but footing was just as crucial. I slammed my boot into the ground. Ice splintered outward, coating the earth beneath his feet. He broke his concentration by glancing downward. I rotated my hips, thrusting through my shoulder. My fist grazed his ear with the turn of his face, enough to impair his balance further.
I barreled into him, still seething from my body’s automatic response. We hit the ground. Hard. My wheezing lungs couldn’t inhale. I barely sipped the air around me.
“Wow. Impressive,” Dom grunted. I didn’t respond. He reached out, gripping my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
I blinked down at him, disoriented. Distantly, I registered that I had him straddled. “Don’t ever bind my hands again.”
My body took its time to regulate and recognize it was not in true peril. Dom sat up, bringing me with him, keeping me close.
We sat cross-legged, facing each other. He exhaled loudly. Deeply. Purposefully. My own inhales slowed, seeking to match his calming rhythm. He kept his firm grip on my upper arm, his thumb gently tracing circles. I closed my eyes, finally drawing in a complete breath. He leaned back, releasing me. Tension eased out of his shoulders.
I studied the Auren Mountains. Their peaks stood stark against the glowing blue of the morning sky. “I don’t respond well to confinement, or feeling caged.”
The heat of his gaze warmed my cheek. His eyes fell to my wrists, head tilting as he observed the scars across them, remnants of childhood cuffs and silent screams.
My eyes wandered down to my lap. I lacked the courage to meet his scrutiny, unwilling to discover the truth I might find.
“If I had known, I never would have used that on you.” His gentle tone prickled with an icy edge. I folded my arms across my chest, nestling my exposed wrists into the crook of my elbows.
