Riyan took advantage of my raised arms and quickly ran the tip of his finger up the side of my ribs. The sensation forced an explosive laugh out of my throat before I turned and smacked hishand away.
Riyan laughed. “I can’t decide who I like more, my sweetheart or my little ballof fire.”
“Tickle me one more time and I will make that decision for you,” I said as I fastened the pin shut, “because you will never see thesweetheart again.”
I ran my thumb over the bear of the pin. The metal chilled my skin. “Why thewhite bear?”
“The House of Bloodstone chose the white bear to represent strength and stability,” Riyan replied with an eye-roll. “What a joke. I’m probably the most unstable manin Lycaster.”
Ismirked. “Probably?”
He leaned forward and matched my smirk, his eyes gleaming with more mischief. “Don’t make me step onyou, Ravenwood.”
I stuck my tongue out at him and Riyan questioned how a naughty girl like me made it out of Ashmore. He picked me up and rose to his towering height, stooping his head so he did not hit the tree branchesabove us.
He stepped out from underneath the trees and back onto the mountain path. A flash of red rustled in the corner of my eye as Riyan tugged at his cape with hisfree hand.
“The crimson color of the House of Bloodstone has a sensible meaning, at least,” Riyan said with a smile. “We wear bright crimson capes so others can find us if we get lost on the mountain. Not that I am particularly hardto find.”
I laughed. “The House of Ravenwood wears dark green for the opposite reason. We want to blend in with the woods, unseen. Disappearing into our surroundings isour goal.”
Riyan’s big blue eyes glanced over to me. “Sounds sneaky.”
I crossed my arms and leaned into his collarbone. His honey-colored hair brushed up against my shoulder as my fingers traced the House of Ravenwood pin securing my own cape. “It does, which is why we have afalsereputation of ambitionand deception.”
“So what’s with the raven, then?” The snark building in his throat gave his voice an iron edge. “You like pokingaround corpses?”
“No!” I shrieked. “The raven symbolizes intelligence and resourcefulness! We do whatever we canto survive.”
“And you wonder why Ravenwoods get the reputation of being sneaky and ambitious? You might as well put a scowling weasel holding a knife onyour crest.”
“Asshole,” I hissed. I looked away from Riyan into the endless evergreen trees and brush around the mountain path. The birds warbled in a lower pitch. The air was too still. I half-expected a troll to hobble across our path when Riyan’s chest rumbled ashe murmured.
“You have something else to add?”I snapped.
“All I was saying was that youcan’t disappear.”
“Explain.”
“If the Ravenwood goal is to disappear into your surroundings, you failed miserably.” His thumb stroked the side of my knee as he held me. “You’re the most beautiful woman in every room. Youpractically glow.”
I bit my tongue and my cheeksburned. “Really?”
“Of course,” he said, like it was obvious. “Your mother is a close second, though.Damn.If that’s what you’re going to look like in twenty-five years, I’m the luckiestbastard ali—”
“Pleasestop talking.”
He and Duke Hyton had similar tastes. A chill crept up the base of my spine. If Fraleigh could not help us and my marriage annulled, I might as well get shipped off to Hyton Palace wrapped up likea present.
I looked out to the faded dirt path to keep myself from vomiting. I could only see forty paces ahead from my position at Riyan’s chest. I tilted my head to the blue sky to see a flock of black birds flying past us. My eyes flicked down to the top of Riyan’s blonde head. I wanted to see whathe saw.
I patted Riyan’s chest. “I want tobe taller.”
“Well, short stuff, we can ask Fraleigh for your own little growth spurt when we get toher palace.”
“No, I want to see more.” I gently tugged on a strand of blonde hair that brushed his collarbone. “Sitting on your shouldershould work.”
“You screamed the first time I picked you up and now you want up on my shoulder?” He let out a short sigh. “All right.”
