His jaw jumps when I apply ointment to the wound. “I felt it when you stepped out of the castle. I was curious where you were headed.” He lifts his gaze to mine and studies me with such intensity that it’s too hard to hold his stare. “And you came here. Why?”
“I don’t know. I started walking and when I wound up here, I wanted to see, I guess, if I had any magic in me.” I sigh. “You saw how that went.”
I place the bandage over the cut and drop my hand. Feylin takes my wrist. “Don’t let today discourage you.”
“Okay,” I say half-heartedly.
“I’m serious.”
He’s still holding my wrist, and warmth winds up my arm. I swallow against it, even though it feels like Feylin’s a rope tugging me to him. It’s so easy to get lost in these feelings.
And I was just as lost not long ago, when I was with Edward. Falling so hard for him just to have the entire relationship snatched away still makes my heart ache. I can’t go through that again. And touching Feylin jumbles my feelings, and they can’t be jumbled, not if I’m going to protect myself.
“I felt your magic when we first met,” he says.
My eyes flare in surprise. “What?”
His throat bobs as he swallows. “When you fell and I caught you. I could feel your power. That’s how I know it’s inside of you.”
My mind darts back to that moment, and the connection that I felt to him slams into me. I remember feeling his entire body tense, and I could sense what he was experiencing. It was brief, but it happened.
“You felt it, too, didn’t you?”
I nod slowly. “Yeah. I did.”
He releases my wrist and rises, stretching to his full height, heat from his shirtless body caressing my skin like a kiss. “So don’t doubt yourself.”
Then he dips his head, and suddenly his lips are closing in on mine. My heart slams against my ribs as that soft and pliable mouth gets closer. He’s going to kiss me. Like, really kiss me, and not because we’re angry and horny from the joining.
I tip my face toward his as…he reaches past me and grabs his shirt.
He smirks and takes a step back, sliding one arm into the sleeve. “Ready to head back?”
My heart skips several beats as I attempt to collect myself and not look like I was expecting to receive a kiss. So I twirl a strand of hair around my finger and act like it’s perfectly normal for his lips to have been honing in on mine one minute and the next he’s getting dressed.
“Sure, I’m ready. But we’ve got a mess to clean up first.”
28
It’s late by the time we return to the castle. The halls are quiet, and most of the servants are preparing for bed.
As we make our way to our rooms, Feylin pauses. “You didn’t eat.”
“I’m not hungry,” I say as my stomach growls.
He tilts his head because he clearly couldn’t help but hear my roaring middle. “You need to eat to keep your strength up.”
“So that you can work it out of me?”
“Careful what you wish for,” he says in a voice laced with devilish innuendo.
“I’m strong.” I curl a bicep to prove it. “I can handle it.”
“Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“The kitchen.”
