Page 104 of Ravenrose

I scoff. Innocent.

He’s not innocent.

Not even close.

Pushing away the thought, I reach for my knife. I’ve done enough, more than enough—more than most.

Time to go.

I fully intend to put as much distance between us as I can before he wakes up.

But the moment my fingers close around the hilt, I feel it. An awareness—a prickle running down my spine. My eyes drift reluctantly up, only to find steel-gray staring back. The shadows gathering in them make my heart rate stutter.

His gaze drops to the knife in my hand.

Oh, hells.

I open my mouth, an explanation ready on the tip of my tongue, but it’s too late; I’m already on my back. The impact knocks the breath from my lungs, giving him the advantage in his efforts to pin me under him.

I curse, twisting and thrashing beneath him, trying to buck him off. Water splashes everywhere. Adrenaline surges. My knife is gone—he’s already taken it, or perhaps it’s lost in the water.

His hand closes around my throat, and I still.

Ayer glares down at me. His grip is firm, but not tight enough to choke. My head hovers just over the surface of the water, my neck straining to keep it there. I’m aware of every single breath I take in as Ayer holds them in the palm of his hand.

“I saved your life...” He searches my face, as if he’s trying to understand me. “And you try to cut me in my sleep?”

The breeze picks up; the icy chill of the water steals the last of my warmth away, and I shiver violently, teeth chattering as I try to speak.

“No—I—” I fumble, struggling to get the words out between the cold and his hand threatening my larynx.

“You what?” he snaps impatiently.

“I was making sure you were breathing!” The words rush out, a jumbled mess, but the way his body stills over me… I know he heard them. He shifts, his body tensing while his eyes narrow; there is nothing but suspicion in his eyes when he looks down at me.

“It’s true!” I spit out between my teeth. “It’s not like I can hurt you, anyway. Not with this,” I mutter, lifting my arm out of the water, showing off his dark rune still on my wrist.

Long seconds of silence pass between us.

His grip on my throat loosens.

“Sure,” he says before releasing his hold, shifting off of me and leaving me heaving in the freezing water.

I push myself back up on shaking arms, scrambling back up the bank while he watches.

“What exactly was the plan?” he asks, and I peer up at him, still trying to catch my breath. His dark eyes dripping with disdain and irritation. “Drown?”

“Maybe,” I mutter, dragging myself to my feet.

“No, seriously, Princess, I want to know.” He crosses his arms across his chest, staring me down. There’s a slightly mocking edge to his voice before he comes at me so fast I almost fall back into the river as I scramble away. “What in the twelve hells were you thinking, jumping into that water in the first place?”

“Oh, now you want to know what I was thinking?” I shoot back, refusing to cower to him, not caring if he drowns me after all.

“Yes!” he growls back, a dark storm brewing in his eyes. “I want to know why you would do something so—so reckless and idiotic, like jumping into white water.”

I bristle at his words. Anger flares, emboldening me, and I lift my chin to look him in the eye.

“Alright, Rusic.” I laugh, but there’s no trace of humor in it. “I’ll tell you what I was thinking.” I tap my finger against my chin as if pondering the thought myself. “Let’s see… Well, to start, I was taken captive,” I say, shooting an accusatory look his way. “And then, I got jumped by a faction of fae raiders. So when given the choice between death by drowning or eventual certain death by the perpetually miserable captain of the Kovarian army, who wishes to—hmm, what was it?” I tilt my head to the side as if to consider it. “Oh, right! Yes, who wishes to see me on my knees because of my brother’s mysterious alleged sins…”