My cheeks burned hot enough to rival Tony’s flames. “Never mind.”
“Sex.” Amari’s deep voice in my ear startled me.
I stumbled on the next step, mortification washing over me. “That’s not… I wasn’t…”
We reached the hallway and, to my complete surprise, Amari’s mouth twitched upward at the corners, a smile almost breaking through his stony façade. The sight was so unexpected that I forgot my embarrassment for a moment and simply stared.
“What?” His features went neutral again, though amusement still flickered in his eyes.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile before.”
Val chuckled beside me. “It’s a rare phenomenon, like spotting a luminous monkey. Blink and you’ll miss it.”
I hesitated outside my door, suddenly unsure where to go. My room felt like the obvious choice, but the memory of what had transpired made me question if being alone was what I wanted.
I glanced between Amari and Val, my bottom lip caught between my teeth as memories from the previous night flashed through my mind. Their bodies moving together. The way Amari had felt inside me. Val’s tongue against me.
My body hummed at the thought of doing it again, but my heart twisted painfully as Nico entered the hall, his eyes fixed firmly on our door.
He glared at Val and Amari, his jaw so tight he could crack a nutshell. I stepped to the side as he opened the door without sparing me a glance.
With a tight smile and a nod to Val and Amari, I followed him inside, shutting the door behind me. He’d already dropped his bag haphazardly on the floor and yanked his shirt over his head as he walked into the bathroom and shut the door firmly behind him.
I let out a shaky sigh and went to my desk, which I’d left a mess, but now everything sat neatly. My bars of soap were placed in a new basket, and my carving instruments were sitting in a hand-painted cup.
Tomorrow, I’d find out which servant had kept my room and belongings preserved for so long. It was really a feat of powerful magic that my gowns didn’t show any deterioration.
I selected a bar of soap and rubbed my thumb across the surface. It was the perfect texture, and I smiled as I grabbed a carving knife.
I worked quickly at the carving, and it was done by the time Nico exited the bathroom, a towel wrapped around hiswaist. He picked up his bag and put it on the bed, opening it.
I stood and offered him the soap. He stared at it and then picked it up, examining it. Then he handed it back to me.
“It’s for you.” I’d carved the shape of an acorn into it, hoping it would lighten the mood. Apparently not.
“I already took my shower. I don’t need soap.” He pulled out a shirt and slipped it on.
“Nico…”
I put my hand on his when he started digging in his bag again.
His body tensed, and he didn’t move for a few breaths. Then he pulled his hand away. “I’m going back home. To the camp.”
My heart stopped, and my stomach churned. “What? Why?”
He pulled out a pair of pants. I was surprised they didn’t rip with the force he jammed his legs into them. “You don’t need me anymore.”
I released a pained laugh that morphed into a choked sound as I held in a sob. “I do need you. I can’t do this alone.”
“You aren’t alone.” He looked toward the door and didn’t need to say Val and Amari for me to know that’s who he was thinking about. “I need to get away from here. This life isn’t for me.”
“It’s not for me either, not anymore. What happened to wanting a spot on the council so we finally have representation for the nomads?”
He scoffed. “Do you really think they’ll allow that?”
I pulled his bag away from him as he tried to close it, the soap carving tumbling to the floor and landing with a soft thud. “I’m allowed to have sex, Nico.”
He narrowed his eyes and reached for his bag as I moved it farther away from him. His fingers flexed beforehe tried again, the corded muscles in his forearm tightening.
