Page 13

“Later. Right now, I’m admiring your diplomacy. Here I am in the shadows, watching, and you’re really bad at this shit.”

I open my eyes, teeth grinding, twisting my head in his direction.

Lian moves forward in his rolling stride, arms loose at his sides, one corner of his mouth lifted in a cocky grin. He’s putting on a show in his stupid oxblood-red leather jerkin, pulled open low at his throat to show a triangle of bare chest. Ridiculously tight leather pants. Dark hair hangs past his shoulders, fluttering in the breeze, and his smile is all teeth.

I groan because I told Father not to send him with me, and I won’t be responsible if I end up killing him on this mission.

His father rules the Obsidian Sun Court, and is my family’s blade in the back. My family commands over the Gold Ember Court. Back in Grimvale, both leaders have been hungrily trying to find the lost girl because power like hers doesn’t remain unclaimed for long. So, here we both are, enemies forced to work together and pretend we don’t want to murder each other. At least long enough for us to retrieve the girl for our fathers.

Lian approaches Dawn, leaning forward, studying her, then twists his head in my direction. “So this is her? Doesn’t seem that extraordinary.”

“Who the hell are you?” she demands, recoiling from him. Smart girl.

“You may call us Lords. I’m Lian,” he answers, standing straight and tugging down on his jerkin. “That bastard over there is Corvin. Seems you’ve had quite the morning.” He grins slowly.

“Leave her alone,” I say. “I’ve claimed her in front of the Barons, so we have what we came for. We can leave before you destroy the place.”

Lian laughs, and I hate it when he pulls that fake shit. “Oh, is that so? How dramatic of you. Except, we came here together and that claim isn’t only yours.” His gaze flicks back to Dawn, who’s staring at him with caution. “She is mine too.”

I exhale a long breath, refusing to argue on this point. It’s also when I notice that one of the guards is rushing back toward the main village, too terrified to remain.

“In your dreams,” she states. Dawn pinches her lips, glaring at both of us now, clearly wondering what the hell we’re talking about. The breeze flutters through her hair, dusting some of the dirt from her face, and really, the girl is absolutely beautiful. Her mother had once been declared the most breathtaking woman in Grimvale, which I easily see in Dawn’s features.

“She’s fiery and might survive us both.” Lian tilts his head, staring at her. “Nice work on cutting up Corvin. A shame you missed his face.”

The hungry look on his face drags up an old memory of a pretty blonde who lied to us both, leading us on long enough for us to believe our relationships were serious. She played us against one another, stealing from us, before stabbing us in the backs and embarrassing both families publicly. It still burns, even if she’s dead now. I loathe that I fell for her, but more so that she cheated on me with Lian.

Dawn glances between us, the wheels behind her eyes spinning. Is she wondering which one of us is worse? If she’s clever, she’ll realize it’s both.

Then she suddenly smiles, relaxes her shoulders, and bats her eyes. “You two shouldn’t fight over me. How about I make it easy for you? I reject both of you.”

Lian chortles, enjoying himself way too much. “If I cared at all, you would have shattered me by now.”

“I’m serious,” she insists, arms tight at her sides.

“Yes, I can see that,” he continues, studying her from head to toe.

But this fiery girl isn’t backing away, unlike the Barons and the guards. What a brave little liar. She just doesn’t know yet that she’ll want to come with us over remaining here.

“I’m thrilled you’re enjoying yourself at my expense,” she says.

“Immensely,” Lian says. “Shall we continue?”

Rolling my eyes, I huff. “All right, let’s wrap this up.”

“I’m not on offer. Why are you both not listening? My name wasn’t even in the Chalice, so you’d better be on your way.”

“And what’s your plan, then?” I ask, her words pushing me.

“Home,” she shoots back, fire in her eyes. There’s the spark her family line is known for. Fighters. Warriors. Fast to strike. Rare to yield.

“You’ll remain with the people who just tied you to a pyre?” I ask.

Lian’s nodding in her direction, and she’s blinking quickly now because she knows I’m right.

She wrings her hands. “Not all of them,” she whispers.

“For how long?” I ask. I can drag her out of here without explanation, or not be the bastard I normally am and give her the chance to come with us of her own accord. “Do you think they’ll welcome you back now? Ask politely why the fire didn’t burn you?”