“Did you know that guard?” I asked, tightening my grip around Sebastian’s waist to avoid falling off.
“Azain? Yeah. Haven’t seen him in a couple of years, though.”
“How did you meet?”
Sebastian cleared his throat. “I…Um…I was seeing his sister.”
I regretted asking.
When I didn’t say anything, Sebastian continued. “I ended it almost two years ago. You have nothing to worry about.”
“I’m not worried.” But if she looked anything resembling her brother, then she was drop dead gorgeous. “She was one of the soldiers that studied in Caelestis?”
“Yeah. Samara and Azain studied with us. They’re twins. Both are gifted by Emrys.”
Samara. Pretty name—of course.
Honey slowed to a walk as we approached the barn, the dark-wooden stable doors swinging open at our arrival.
“How long did you date her?” I asked Sebastian as he swung his legs off of our horse and jumped to the ground.
He held a hand out for me, assisting my landing. “I didn’t date her,” he said simply.
My eyebrow arched. “Oh?”
Ohhh.
One of the stable hands greeted us and collected our reins, bringing our mare to an empty stall.
Once the others were settled, Azain met us in the field surrounding the barn. He pulled Sawyer into a hug, then Kohen. “Hey, lads. Long time no see.”
“Last time I saw you, you didn’t look like you could kick my ass—but I’m not going to mess with you now,” Sawyercommented, patting the pure muscle that was Azain’s upper arm.
“Been spending a lot of time training after I heard about Caelestis.” Azain turned to Kohen. “Finally got yourself a girl?” He held a hand out for Pia to shake.
She took it gingerly and gave him her formal name. “Piper Hawthorne. Nice to meet you.”
Azain gave Kade—who leaned against the barn looking entirely unapproachable—a nod, then he maneuvered towards me. “I know who you are by the jewels on your face. Nice to meet you, Maeve.” He took my hand, planting a kiss to it and receiving a low growl from Sebastian.
“Don’t even think about it. She’s mine.” Sebastian shot Azain a look of warning.
“Oh shit. Are you guys serious or just,you know?” Azain winked.
Sebastian intertwined his fingers with mine. “We’re serious.”
Azain ran a hand through his silky, black hair. “Don’t worry, I’ll let Samara figure it out for herself—although I doubt she’ll take it well no matter how she finds out. I don’t think she’s moved on yet. I keep telling her that she can do better, but she’s stuck on you, Hawthorne.” Azain chuckled, but his tone confused me.
“Ignore him,” Sebastian instructed as we started down a red-dirt pathway that led back to the castle.
“What does he mean by that?” I asked, subtle anxiety mixed with inferiority threatening to swallow me.
“Samara wanted to get serious with me, but I didn’t feel the same,” he answered plainly.
“So you and her were what? Just fuck buddies?” The words came out harsher and louder than I’d intended, granting me a wide-eyed look from Kohen.
Sebastian ticked his jaw, then leaned down to speak into my ear. “We werefriends-with-benefits, I guess you could say. Then she got feelings, and when I didn’t feel the same, I broke it off.”
I wanted to puke right then and there at the idea of him doing whatwedid with someone else. And suddenly, I understood firsthand why Sawyer and me kissing had bothered him so much.
