Everything we’ve ever been taught about Astreona was deliberate misinformation carefully constructed and maintained by generations of Nocturnan rulers. Rulers who were actually Siphons themselves, all controlled by Alistair.
And all with the aim of rallying Nocturnans against Astreona.
There’s so much we don’t know. How can we possibly stay on even ground in any negotiations between our kingdoms?
While my thoughts churn, we reach the market Davide was speaking of, and each of us dismounts their horse. Elias hands a coin to a young boy waiting at the entrance to the square, and he leads our horses away.
“Feel free to wander, Your Highness,” Elias says smoothly. “Our streets are safe for you, though I recommend you stay close so as not to get lost. We’ll meet you back here in a short while.”
“Should we be worried that they’re going off alone?” I ask Meryn.
“No, fuck them. I want to explore.”
Elias and Davide step into the market, headed for an awning marked in red. As they begin to haggle, their words blending with the sounds of other market-goers, I turn to Meryn—only to see her stalk off down a side lane.
Maddening woman. What now?
With several long strides, I nearly catch up to her. She turns down another alley and is briefly out of my sight.
When I round the corner, I’m not ready for her attack.
Meryn pushes me roughly into the building wall behind me. There’s a quick flash of silver, and then cold steel presses into my throat.
She’s drawn a dagger on me.
I stare down at her, holding myself still. Letting her hold the blade to me. For now.
Heat lashes in my veins. It turns me on way more than it should—the kiss of the steel on my neck, brandished by a woman I’ve tasted.
“What the fuck is your problem?” she hisses.
I raise an eyebrow. “Right now, my problem is that the person I’m supposed to protect is holding a knife to my throat,” I say coolly.
She scowls. “You know that’s not what I mean.” Meryn forcefully shoves her other hand into my chest, holding me tight against the brick wall.
It’s the only point of contact between our bodies, but the heat of her is just inches from me.
Blood rushes to my cock, making my pants tight. I can’t shift to adjust the pressure, not without Meryn’s knife cutting into my skin.
Fuck, I wish I didn’t respond to her this way.
“You’re really going to do this?” she asks scornfully. “Just pretend that what happened between us in the woods never occurred?” Her anger brings a flush to her face.
I try to suppress the memories, but her words bring them right back. Her legs parting for me. The taste of her on my lips, wet and wanting. The way she squirmed when I worked her with my mouth, teased her with tongue and teeth.
The way she begged me to order her around and the way I loved it.
The compliant woman from the forest has been replaced by someone ferocious, and I’m just as hard for it. Still, I say tautly, “It’s for the best. We should both pretend it never happened, my queen.”
Meryn growls in anger. “I’ve had a lot of unkind thoughts about you over the past six months, Stark Therion. But I never took you for a coward!”
The pain in her voice lances through me. She’s right, of course.
I’m being a coward, and that’s not like me. But her presence does something to my fucking head that makes me not think straight.
With a quick hand, I knock her dagger away from my throat. Then I spin her around, reversing our positions as I slam her into the brick wall. My hands go to her wrists, pinning them above her head.
For a long breath, I let myself lean into her. My cock is hard as a rock, the friction and warmth delicious as I press into her lower belly. Her answering moan is small and desperate.
