“No.”
“You haven’t even heard it,” he whined. He dropped his voice lower, ignoring her sidelong glower. His breath stirred her hair and caressed her cheek as he whispered, “Tell me what you see.”
“Thinking of ditching your betrothed and going for the outlaw instead?”
“Humor me for a moment.”
She considered him, flaring torchlight dancing on his cheekbones and jaw. He had turned his attention back to the Wolf, eyesnarrowed in focus. No flirtatious waggle of an eyebrow, no smirk to suggest romance. He wanted to know whatRisasaw.
“Do you see her scar?” she asked.
Javi nodded. “That’s about all I could see when she removed her hood.”
That surprised her. She recalled what the Wolf had said about how, without her hood, it was impossible to remember her. But Javi did.
“She’s very beautiful.” The conversation made her insides feel funny. Like being ill from severe food poisoning. “Regal, even. Black hair. Dark eyes. Pointy chin. Blurry face. Just your type.”
He cocked his head, curious.
“Everyone is my type,” he eventually said. “Though some more than others.”
“Then go talk to her and leave me in peace.”
“I haven’t stated my request.”
“I thought it was to get a rundown of how pretty our new companion is.”
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, et cetera, et cetera,” he breathed, as if looks concerned him very little. Perhaps they only mattered when they werehis. “Here’s my request: Try to remove the Wolf’s curse.”
“So you can get a better look?” she deadpanned.
“You’re vicious when you’re jealous,” he said with a twinkle in his gold eyes. She swore he somehow pressed closer. “But no, you can dispel that silly thought from your head.”
There was no use trying to pretend she hadn’t heard him, or slithering out of the request. He had murmured the words directly in her ear, stirred the frizzy hair that had escaped her braid, and sent a shiver down her back.
“Well, I can’t,” she said, after a moment.
“You can try,” he argued, his breath hot against her neck. “I’m sure she’d be thankful, and then you wouldn’t have to be concerned about me.”
“I’m not worried about you. I’m worried aboutme.”
“Think about it. If you removed the curse, she might tell you all you want to know.”
Risa considered it for a moment, staring at the back of the Wolf’s hooded head. Perhaps the Wolf would be more compelled to be honest. Tell her who placed the curse, and where she might find that person to help her remove her own.
The curse had something to do with the Wolf’s identity, the way it warped her features and made her forgettable. But no matter how hard Risa concentrated, she couldn’t see past the blurry unease surrounding the Wolf. Something else niggled at the back of her mind, something she kept forgetting, the thought slipping through her fingers like grains of sand.
“No,” she said, more determined than before.
He pouted at her. “I’m starting to think that’s your favorite word. And don’t you even think about saying it again.”
She was tempted, and the fact that he’d known she would be brought a smile to her face.
Javi froze, and because he was still holding on to her, she stopped as well. He stared at her, a little dumbfounded, eyes blinking rapidly. Shaking himself from his stupor, he marched forward with determination and called out to the Wolf several feet ahead: “Wolf, I think Risa has something to ask.”
The Wolf paused and turned to face them, waiting. Risa shot the prince a look that could kill, but Javi stubbornly remained breathing.
“Where does this tunnel lead?” Risa asked.
