Izzy snorted quietly. But, for the first time, she didn’t immediately disagree. Luka’s comments earlier still hovered in her mind. That was twice now he’d insisted he wanted her to be safe. For so many years, she’d assumed that he pushed her away because she wasn’t Rayan. Because she reminded him of the best friend he’d lost and who she could never replace.
Maybe the idiot genuinely believes he’s protecting us.
Luka watched her for a long moment, his expression carefully controlled, although his frown deepened slightly.
Here it comes,her beast whispered, mentally rolling its eyes.
“Thanks for your help,” Luka rumbled. “You need to be quick to get out before the guard comes back.” His gaze locked on hers. “Cori has your physik bag. You can ask her to walk you home while the rosters are being organized.”
Izzy didn’t even pretend to think about it. “No.”
Luka growled at her—again—but she just smiled serenely. It was guaranteed to inflame Luka’s ire even more, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t leaving.
“You need to go, Iz, right now. I’ll handle this myself.”
She tilted her head to watch him. “How will you handle it?”
“I’ll figure it out.”
“You’ll figure out how to open a locked door with claws while flying, holding a dead body, and making sure you aren’t seen and summarily shot out of the sky by your own guards?”
“Yes.” Luka turned and stalked a few steps down a dark side path. “Goodbye, Izzy.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “No, thanks.”
“Fine. Stay here,” he whisper-yelled over his shoulder. “Hide until I come and get you.”
Izzy ignored that blatantly laughable statement as he strode away without looking at her. As usual. She lifted her chin and followed, acting like it didn’t hurt.
Luka jogged along a darkened side path where no torches flickered. The plants and the darkness hid them completely. Even the guards on the walls wouldn’t see them, but she noticed that Luka timed his movements to when the guards were furthest away, nonetheless.
When we rise through the garden, that will be the dangerous time,her beast noted, eyeing the sheer walls.
Izzy swallowed, but Luka didn’t notice. He kept his back to her as he gently lowered Narya to the ground. He unlaced his vambraces and dropped them to the earth one by one before turning his attention to the buckles that strapped his leather armor to his chest. He was acting as if she wasn’t there, but the constant swirl of gleaming scales on the back of his neck as he stripped off his armor and tunic and dumped them beside his vambraces suggested he knew exactly where she was. Or his beast did, anyway.
She certainly knew exactly where he was. She was closer to him than she’d been in years. Close enough to reach out and touch him. To put her hand on that hard flesh. To wrap her arms around him and press herself to his back. To run her fingers through the rough sprinkling of his chest hair.
Chaos and damnation. She held herself still.
Luka dropped his head to his chest and sighed. “Please, Izzy, just go back.”
All her rising lust fled, replaced by a surge of hurt and then rage. He would rather die than spend any time with her. She was going to tell that stubborn, irritating?—
Tell him that’s fine. We’ll distract the guards.
Izabel choked, holding in the bitter laugh that wanted to escape. Her beast was the best. “Okay.” She stepped backward, ready to leave. “Fine.”
“It’ll be completely—” Luka turned and looked at her, eyes narrowed. She ignored the gleam of scales on his hard abdomen. “Wait a moment,” he barked. “What just happened?”
Izabel took another big step backward and gave a nonchalant wave. “I agreed. You go do your part. I’ll see you later.”
“And what will you do?” Luka demanded, crowding closer once more. Gods, she could smell his skin. The heat of his beast rose between them.
Izzy ignored it as she lifted her chin and looked him in the eye. “I’ll distract the guards.”
Horror, outrage, and denial flickered through his expression before he shuttered it once more. “Why can’t you just—” He let out an angry breath. “I amtryingto protect you!”
He’s so close. We could just put out a hand. Just reach across….
