I shift my weight. “Why are you all standing out here, anyway?” I need to stop thinking about getting my wings rubbed. This is not the time.
Alistair grins, and his fangs peak over his bottom lip. “We were coming to check on you, angel, then we realized you were... occupied.”
Luca smacks him in the chest. “We ran Lyklan off and guarded the door.”
“And ensured you weren’t disturbed,” Riven says gravely.
I raise one eyebrow. “Were you protecting my privacy, or did you just want to listen?”
Luca steps forward and kisses my cheek. “Can’t it be both?” He licks his lips and frowns. “What the fuck is on your face, baby? You look like you’ve been rolling in cocaine.”
“We took a wall down,” I mutter.
Ciprian grabs Malach’s hand, raises it, and smacks his other palm against it. “I didn’t know you had it in you. Good job, man.”
I open my mouth to correct him. We didn’t knock a wall down while fucking. That’s absurd, and reckless, and neither Malach nor I would be that careless. Then I see the pleased flush on Malach’s face and stop myself. For once, he isn’t carrying the weight of the world. I hide my smile—I can’t lie for shit, but I can keep my mouth shut. If he likes there being a rumor of us demolishing a wall during sex, I won’t take that away from him.
“Malach and I are going to work on some radiant attacks,” I tell them. “If you want to watch.”
Ciprian snorts. “Is that a euphemism?”
I shove him, and he grins.
“If you’re training, I’m happy to stand in as your opponent,” Riven says.
I freeze, one hand braced against Ciprian’s chest, and frown. “It’s too dangerous, Riven. These attacks aren’t the kind you walk away from without a mark.”
“I can take it, darling.”
“But you shouldn’t have to,” I insist. “I don’t want to cause you pain.”
He opens his mouth to argue, but Malach speaks before he can. “We won’t be throwing spells at each other much either.” He glances at me and smiles. “I’ll see if I can scrounge up our old training dummies.”
Ciprian smirks at Riven. “Don’t look so disappointed. Did you really want her to blast a hole in you?”
Riven’s face glitches, and I gasp, because it’s not static overriding the amber, but the other face. The one I’ve almost gotten used to. Angular cheekbones, a strong jaw, and warm brown skin.
Ciprian does a double take. “Dude, is that your real face?” I elbow him in the gut to shut him up, but it’s too late. He’s already asked.
Riven returns to amber, and his eyes widen.
I smile gently at him and nod.
“I-I don’t know.” He glances down, uncomfortable under the scrutiny. “Celine believes it is.”
Luca steps over to him, stopping a few inches away. “Can you do it again? Maybe the binding is unraveling. Try to replicate the emotion you just had.” Luca’s genuinely excited. I can hear it in his voice, but Riven is overwhelmed, and the urge to protect him is riding me hard.
“Ease off a bit,” I whisper. “It’s a lot to process.”
Luca claps Riven on the shoulder, and Rivenstares at his hand in shock. “Sorry about that.” Luca smiles. “If it’s happening more often, I bet it’s only a matter of time. I didn’t mean to freak you out. I know it’s a sensitive subject, but I’m happy for you.”
Riven nods, and this time when his face glitches, it’s the familiar black-and-white static. I don’t allow myself to be disappointed. As Luca said, it’s only a matter of time, and I don’t care what Riven looks like. I want him either way.
Ciprian’s snort draws everyone’s attention. He waggles his eyebrows at me. “Of course you bagged yourself another hottie. If you went into a store blindfolded, I bet you’d be able to find the most expensive thing there, wouldn’t you?”
I examine my nails. They’re unpainted, but at least they’re clean and neat again. “I have excellent taste,” I tell him.
Riven’s next glitch brings his face back again.
