‘Is that why you’re marrying instead of waiting for yours?’ he accused, cracking his knuckles.
The audacity… ‘Excuse me? How did this discussion steer toward my wedding?’
Michael’s smirk deepened. ‘I’m just curious why you would subject yourself to a life with that… ray of sunshine.’
‘He’s not always like that,’ I grumbled, fed up with having to defend him. If he’d stayed, he could have defended himself. ‘Go on then, aren’t you going to tell me I’m making a mistake?’
‘If you want me to warn you, you probably realised it yourself some time ago. Shall we start the search?’ he asked, getting up.
Nightmares rushed through my veins wanting out and promising terror.
Maybe I’d send one after Luke for abandoning me.
Chapter Fifteen
Avari
The seatbelt tightened around my waist; the mild suffocation provided a welcome distraction from the man sitting beside me. The limited space between us was drowning me in an avalanche of worries. I was falling prey to my mind.
The lack of sleep didn’t do me any favours. I found some solace in the fact that I had time to rest until we reached our destination… Unfortunately for me, it was remote enough to require us to use the portal to the south-east of the Fire Lands and still have to commute. It meant that if it got too awkward between us, I couldn’t escape.
Not even the gratitude I felt for his help eased the way the blade of his betrayal still cleaved through my heart. That it was still beating was a miracle.
I crossed my legs, and when my eyes finally closed, I only opened them when I sensed movement close to me. River’s hand hovered over the centre console before pressing a button that sent heat through my leather seat. He then cast me a quick glance before focusing on the road.
The next time I shifted, my legs cramped, and it was beginning to go dark outside. ‘How long was I out?’
The amber of his eyes lit up when he regarded me. ‘A couple of hours. I can find somewhere for us to sleep if you’re tired.’
How pathetic did he think I was? Back in the Ortensian castle, he guarded me like a knight ready to shield me with his body. But the King of Fogoya was no knight… And I wasn’t his to dote on. ‘No, I’m okay. Unless you need rest, since I can’t exactly drive.’
The corners of his mouth stretched into a small smile. ‘It’s easy; maybe one day I can teach you.’
I watched the way his face lit up when he looked at me and blushed. I needed to get a grip, but it was so difficult. The way his arm hovered close to mine on the armrest—like it belonged there—made me twitch. One second of losing control would make my power surge toward his, and if that happened, I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to reign it back.
It was maddening. An absolute chaos of longing flames, ready to sacrifice my sanity for passion.
‘Maybe. I prefer flying though,’ I said groggily, attempting to keep calm even when the pressure started to get to me.
He cast me a hooded glance before withdrawing his arm. ‘How is Anya finding the Isle?’
The effort was admirable, even if it didn’t alleviate any of my discomfort. It wasn’t just his closeness—it was him. The citrus-and-oak scent that enchanted and pulled me closer, and his body… The curves of his muscled torso and arms demanded my attention and made my mouth dry.
Gods, I wasn’t ovulating again, was I? There were apps to track it. I probably needed one of them. And that special spray… the "repellent", as Emily called it.
Given the situation, I couldn’t afford either of us getting unhinged. At least he would have an excuse. What was mine? Betrayal-induced insanity? Or perhaps absentee daddy issues mixedinto a deadly concoction with a dash of homicidal mother.
Crossing my arms, I hoped closing myself off would ease some of the sting that spread through my chest. ‘She likes it, or at least the shadow dragon makes it appealing.’
‘Shadow dragon?’ River’s head snapped to me. ‘So she has a companion there?’
‘Yeah, it’s not alive though; it’s… it’s complicated.’
‘It’s dead?’ he asked, recoiling.
The confusion was expected, and the fact I held an upper hand in something tickled my pride. ‘No. It’s like a state between life and death; it’s not as strict, and some beings slip through if they have help from dark fae.’
I revealed the snake curled up against my neck, and it made a show of turning itself into a clump of black smoke.
