“I don’t have much here, but I could get something for you.”
“I’m okay.” My voice is too high, too airy. I’m embarrassing myself, but what if he’s expecting something from me, like sex? Would I be okay with that? Would I even have a choice not to be?
I glance over my shoulder just in time to see Ziv lean over the seating area and move the pillows around. At first, all I can see are muscles etched to perfection, but then my eyes begin to take in the details, and I notice scars crisscrossing his back. Some are long, thick lines, while others resemble scratches a few shades lighter than his warm skin tone. I wonder what could have left its mark on a god. There’s no revulsion when I look upon him, no nagging desire for me to get out of the room as fast as I can. In fact, I feel drawn to him. I want to feel all those scars under my fingertips and learn what each one of them tastes like, and most importantly, I want him to tell me how he got them and if he killed the person responsible for hurting him.
Without a peek in my direction, he drops onto the low seating area, immersing himself in the pillows scattered like a big nest. It’s the first time his movements haven’t seemed almost otherworldly, smooth, and flawless.
“Come here, little flower. I promise not to bite.”
My stomach drops at his low, husky tone, and then his words register, and something deep inside me clenches. I wouldn’t mind if Ziv bit me at all, especially if he let me return the favor. I can still recall what he tasted like, and I swear his blood sated me way more than any food could have.
I make it to the far edge of the lounge and kneel on the pad, pretending not to notice the way his eyes haven’t strayed from me other than to blink since he lay down. I settle with my back propped against a pillow with a good amount of space between us. Ziv’s hand snakes over and grabs just above my knee. I make a startled sound when he hauls me closer to him, dislodging all the cushions that were between us.
My heart thunders in my chest, but it isn’t from fear. I would be lying if I said nerves didn’t play a role though. Ziv doesn’t release my thigh, his fingers curling even farther around my leg, but he lowers his head back to the pillow just on the other side of my hip and exhales. “I put a protection rune on the door, so no one will be able to enter.” His voice is still husky, but there’s a note of drowsiness now too. I think he’s going to sleep. I’m not sure if I’m surprised or disappointed, but when he nuzzles his face deeper into the pillow and I feel his warm breath on my leg as he cuddles closer, calmness settles over me.
Having him this close feels right.
It only takes minutes for his breathing to become slow and deep. The weight of his arm on my leg increases, effectively pinning me to the lounge while he slumbers. Eventually, my fingers find their way into his hair at the back of his head. Without warning, he makes a grunting sound and moves even closer, so his head is practically in my lap. I stop breathing for all of three seconds, until I realize he’s still sound asleep.
A loud noisestartles me awake. I’m so disoriented, it takes way too long for me to realize I’m flat on my back with Ziv leaning over me. His eyes are wide open, and all traces of sleep are gone, but something tells me he’s just as confused as I am. My back is hot, telling me I’ve been in this position for a while. The fact that I can feel the skin on his chest slipping across my somehow exposed belly is even more proof. Damn, he’s hot, and not because he’s gorgeous. His temperature must run higher than mine, or maybe he’s sick.
“Are you well?” I brush the back of my palm over his forehead, and his eyelids slowly lower. “Should I call for a healer?”
Ziv lowers his head until his face hovers right over my breasts. “Ignore them,” he mutters, and I feel his nose trail up under my chin before he nuzzles into my neck.
“Who?” I chirp. This position should feel dangerous, since there’s a fallen god at my throat, but the only thing that feels worrisome is him backing away.
“Whoever is at the door.” As if on cue, the pounding sound that must have woken me starts again, but Ziv ignores the sound and inhales deeply. “You smell like home.” I feel his lips against my skin with each word, and it sends a thrill of excitement through me, but the way he says I smell like home is so sweet, as if he’s never experienced anything better, and makes my chest feel all gooey, like I want to sigh.
The wall actually rattles with the next round of pounds, and Ziv regrettably removes his face from my neck to look over his shoulder as a rumble leaves his chest.
“I’ll get rid of them.” He scowls before hopping up in one fluid movement that reminds me what he is. A flash of light forces me to shield my eyes with my arm, and then the door flies open.
There’s a man poised to slam his fist on the door again, but Syrinx swats him away with a wave of her long, thin arm. I watch her eyes roam over Ziv’s bare chest, and a sharp pang of annoyance has me balling my hands into fists.
“What?” Ziv barks.
“We have a problem.” The headmistress still hasn’t taken her eyes off Ziv.
“Wedon’t have anything. If you have a problem, deal with it.” Ziv lowers his head a little, but if anything, it makes his stance even more intimidating, and I can only see his back.
“If that’s how you feel, then I’ll find the girl and question her myself.” Syrinx tries to sound breezy, but it’s ruined by the fact that she’s speaking through clenched teeth.
“What girl?” Ziv doesn’t even sound mildly interested, but the fact that he asked the question at all proves he is. Clearly, he’s much better at concealing his approach than Syrinx.
“Briar. She’s not in her room, and she has some explaining to do.”
“About what exactly?”
Ziv shifts to the side. At no point did I feel like he was hiding my presence, since Syrinx was just too focused on him to notice me, but I get the impression he doesn’t want her to see me now. The man who knocked on the door had a clear view of me, and it almost looks like he’s going to interrupt Syrinx before she has a chance to answer Ziv’s question when he opens his mouth, but the headmistress silences him with a lifted palm in his direction.
I make eye contact with the man, and I swear I see the gears of his mind working as he tries to decide what to do. If he speaks against her wishes, it could get him in trouble, but if he doesn’t, it might be worse. I see the moment he chooses to keep his mouth shut. He shifts his body in a way so I’m no longer in his direct line of sight and averts his gaze. I bet he’s going to playdumb, like he didn’t see me at all. I probably would have done the same thing to save my own ass.
“A dead student was found this morning.”
“What does that have to do with Briar?” Ziv crosses his arms over his chest.
“Everything when she was the one to kill him. Deaths while training are an acceptable consequence, but this was malicious and without reason.”
