I don’t even want to know that I did that.
“Fine, we act oblivious,” I grumble and cross my arms.
“You’re already acting oblivious. I can’t tell if you’re just hiding it really well or you’re not affected because you didn’t think it was that traumatic.”
I scowl at Riven. “Not flipping the fuck out and acting oblivious are two totally different things. I’ve been internally freaking out since I woke up in a dark cell, confused and in shackles. I’m trying to breathe so this power doesn’t decide to burst out of me again. And for your information, I was just in here, throwing my guts up, then destroyed my toilet seat, so I’ve already had one meltdown.”
“Gross.” He scrunches his nose, then peers between Creed and me. “So am I supposed to act oblivious to the fact Creed surprised you with a kiss and you didn’t slap the shit out of him?”
“You kissed her?” Kyzen and Amick ask at the same time.
Lovely.
Thayla
20
I’m not sure who to focus on.
My deadly glare slides off Riven’s coy smile, then moves first to Amick and then Kyzen.
A long, drawn-out breath falls from my lips as I mentally prepare what I want to say.
Neither appears mad. Concerned, almost anxious, yes. Their voices weren’t raised in an angry shout, just elevated with shock. There’s also a touch of knowing and acceptance behind their eyes like they’ve been expecting and waiting for this to happen.
I wince when I finally glance at Creed.
“You should probably go clean your mouth out.”
He tilts his head at me, and his signature frown deepens when he cuts his eyes over at Kyzen’s chuckling.
“Oh, you freaky little thing. Did you suck Kyzen’s soul out of him today, then let Creed kiss you?”
My hand slaps through the water, splashing Riven in his face. Embarrassment spreads through my body like ice and I squeeze my eyes shut. No part of me wants to tell Creed the truth.
As unexpected as his kiss was, it was perfect.
For the brief, blissful seconds it lasted, he shattered all my fear, gave me the feeling of safety and the strength I needed not to crumble under the realization I was very close to death.
The urgency behind every stroke of his tongue confirmed to me that my feelings aren’t one-sided at all.
He kissed me like a man afraid of losing me.
Kissing the God of Death sure felt like coming alive.
Until I found out that ash was a dead man.
Honestly, Riven’s sexual assumption would be easier for me to admit out loud. I don’t want to ruin that moment for Creed and me, but I can’t not tell him the truth.
That would be disgusting.
“No. That’s not it at all. I…”
The hard frown lines around Creed’s lips soften as his gaze sears into mine. “It was the ash.”
My mouth parts, and I nod once.
“So you had a little ash in your mouth? Jeez, the way you were acting, I was ready for it to be something off the wall.”
