“Youare!” The force of his words startled Brunie, who sat up and glowered. “Is it my rugged good looks? My honeyed voice? My irresistible charm?”
“Those are my three least favorite traits of yours. And before you ask, I don’t have any favorites.”
“I bet if we shared that bed I could change your mind.”
She held up a hand. “Good thing you’re staying in that chair, then. Or Iwillsic Brunie on you.”
The cat trotted to the window and slipped through the bars.
Traitor.
Javi was undeterred by her threats. “You admit I could change your mind.”
“I have never changed my mind about anything.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “Should we test your theory?”
Never one to back down from a challenge, Risa met his eyes with her own. She didn’t know what testing the theory would entail. What he might do in the confines of a narrow cot and the illusion of privacy. Risa knew little of romance and cared for it even less; her mother’s secret collection of books was of no interest to her. Entertaining sweet longing when her bad luck would certainly kill whatever poor idiot looked at her without repulsion was a stupidthing to do. She’d pushed her parents away for their safety. She wasn’t going to free-fall into love just for her curse to wreak absolute havoc.
“No,” she decided after a moment.
“That’s probably for the best,” Javi agreed, turning away.
The truth was, she didn’t think she could win against someone who’d learned to play the part of love so well that no one could guess how alone he really was.
Risa woke to the hair of her arms standing on end, magic on her tongue, and the sun long set.
The room was dark save for a single flickering candle beside the closed window. It cast a long shadow over the armchair tucked in the corner.
Where Prince Javi sat. With a dagger to his throat and the Wolf perched on the arm of the chair, the girl’s piercing gray eyes focused on Risa.
“I thought you were keeping first watch,” Risa accused.
“In my defense, I fell asleep,” Javi said, the blade at his throat bobbing. It drew a thin line of blood that made him suck in a breath.
“Brunie?”
“Not back yet.”
In search of new humans to annoy, probably. Good for the cat.
The Wolf sighed and retreated, hand dropping to her side, blade catching the light of the flame. “Would you like me to step outside? I am only the one holding the dagger,” the Wolf interrupted, giving her blade a little wave.
Javi stood with a flourish, hand waving toward the armchair. “Would you care for a seat?”
The Wolf remained standing.
Risa swung her legs over the side of the cot, glad she’d kept her boots on before falling asleep. She grabbed her rucksack and strapped it onto her back. Just in case they had to run.
“To what do we owe the pleasure?” Javi was ever the magnanimous host.
“I worried you two would forget about me, or sleep through the night. And I was right.”
“How?” Risa asked. The window had bars. The door was locked and made a horrible noise. Unless the Wolf had appeared from the cracks of the wooden floor—
“I have a request,” the Wolf said, ignoring Risa completely. She slipped the dagger back in its sheath at her hip. Her hood obscured her face, though Risa caught glimpses of some features: an eye, a sliver of a wide nose, the pointed end of a chin.
“Not quite a request when you’re brandishing a weapon,” Risa muttered.
