She pursed her lips and stared at me pointedly, as if waiting for something. “Well?”
“Well, what?” I said sharply, blinking at her again, unable to stop my eyes moving over her hair, her face—
She rolled her eyes and uncrossed her arms. “The pixies, my questions! Were you even listening to me?” She grumbled, and she seemed really put off by it.
“Why would I tell my enemy anything about my lands or its people?”
“I told you—I am not your enemy. Kind of. Technically. Look, I’m a rebel, a spy formypeople, which means yeah, I’magainsther,so I guess that puts us on the same team… sort of.” The girl looked at me pointedly, and when I didn't respond she said smugly, “Did you understand that? Or do you need me to make a chart or something?”
My blood boiled. “Don’t you think that’s risky, admitting that so loudly? Anyone could be listening.”
“You really are dense,” she said, rolling her eyes yet again, the brown hue making my stomach flip. “I obviously put up a silencing spell around us.”
Snarling, I took a threatening step toward her. “Stop insulting me, witch.” But she only smirked. Fucking smirked! She is lucky this barrier is between us…
“It’s really too easy.”
“What is?” I hissed through clenched teeth.
“Getting under your skin. You have many tells, did you know that?”
“I do not have tells.”
The girl kept smiling, smugly. “Well, if you aren’t going to answer my questions, I think I’ll be going now. It was—” she paused as if trying to find the right word— “an experience meeting you. Hope to never cross paths again!” She said it almost too cheerfully and spun on her heel and started skipping… she was literallyskippingaway from me. What the—
“Wait!” I called out, and I wasn’t sure why. She stopped and turned halfway, raising an eyebrow at me.
“I’m Theondrus.” My birth name slipped past my lips before I could stop myself, and embarrassment crept under my skin at practically shouting it at her.
She smiled softly, and something in my chest fluttered.Fucking fluttered.
“Cynthia.”
Cynthia… the name felt strangely familiar, but I couldn't place why. The girl turned and skipped away through the trees, and I just stood there, staring after her, unable to look away. Something brushed against my cheek, and I turned to find Konai stepping up beside me. I let out a breath, and reached into my pack for one of the many sandwiches I'd stolen, taking a huge bite. Still staring after her, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was going to be trouble.
Chapter 19
Jaxon
What a fucking shitshow.
Staring up at the stained gray fabric, I rolled over, wincing as something jabbed me in the back. Grumbling, I adjusted, moving so that the piece of wood holding up my cot was no longer trying to embed itself into me.
I needed to get up, needed to start the day, but my limbs felt heavy, and my chest felt as if it were filled with water. Something was wrong. I could feel it. I was restless, and something in the back of my mind, my gut told me I should leave, that I was needed elsewhere.
But where? Why?
Swinging my legs off the side of the cot, I pushed myself up, running a hand through my hair. It was almost longer than Xavier’s now, the blonde strands falling past my vision as I shook them aside.
My mind drifted to the other night, to that fucking scrimmage with Lana. To Zara—fucking Zara—showing up.
She looked different, no longer soft and carefree. There was an edge to her now. Her body was stronger, taller than I remembered. She was powerful, but that shouldn’t have surprised me, she was brother’s fucking mate–of course she was powerful. They were equals in every way, or were meant to be, according to what I knew, which wasn’t much.
My thoughts drifted to what had occurred before they had arrived… to Aria. To what happened between us in her tent. I couldn’t stop replaying it. Every night it was like it was on repeat, showing me her mouth, her lips, her sharp gaze. Her thighs as they straddled my hips… I shook my head again, leaning over and pulling on my boots. Lacing them, I went to the basin of water and dumped it over my head. It was hot, nearly stifling in these tents, and it felt good even if the water was slightly warm.
Water dripped from my hair as I shook it out, speckling the tent walls. Grabbing my shirt hanging on the back of the chair, I strode out of the tent and into the camp.
I had picked the furthest tent from Aria, wanting to keep my distance, but I knew if she really wanted to find me, talk to me about what happened between us, she would have found me.
