Page 71 of King of Storms and Feathers

He tossed a blanket over me, arranging it quickly so it covered all but my neck and head. It was so nice of him to keep me warm. The prick.

“Sleep well,” he said, walking backward toward the footbridge, leaving me spreadeagled like some virgin tribute.

“I doubt I will.”

He laughed, his body a hulking silhouette in the moonlight. “Don’t attempt to escape again. If you keep pushing me, eventually, I’ll have no choice but to throw you to the fires.”

“I had good reason to want to leave. Esen tried to kill me at the gold foundry.”

A hard breath rushed out of him.

“That’s right,” I said. “Your blue-haired guard dog went against your orders. If Raiden hadn’t arrived when he did, I’d be dead, melted into sheets of gold, and not your problem anymore.”

“And you’re sure Raiden saw this?” he asked, a muscle twitching in his jaw. “He never mentioned it.”

“Yes. Definitely.”

The king raked a hand through his messy hair. “So, the three people I trust the most have betrayed me. Fantastic.”

“Well, at least you know what to expect from me,” I said, the downturned corners of his mouth causing pity to surge in my chest. “I’ll betray you every chance I get.”

“One day, Leaf, that might change,” he grumbled.

“I wouldn’t hold your breath.”

He made a scoffing sound. Then stalked toward the elevator, leaving me alone with my damp thighs, the taste of him on my tongue, and one idea tumbling through my mind on repeat…

Arrowyn Ramiel was far from a god.

He was an asshole, through and through.

Chapter 18

Arrow

Storm energy circled my limbs as I stomped along the passage toward Raiden’s chambers. My rage manifested in fiery showers of blue sparks that swirled around me unbidden, the heat in my blood almost unbearable.

Try as I might, I couldn’t expel the sight of Leaf on her knees from my mind, couldn’t stop remembering how she’d looked and felt with her lips wrapped around me. Those memories, coupled with the fact that one of my oldest friends had almost killed her, were fucking torturing me.

It took all my willpower not to return to the pavilion, bury myself inside her, and fuck her until every last scrap of hate had left our hearts—even if it took a week and nearly destroyed us.

Everything would be simpler if I just threw the little human into the fires. I knew my inner peace would improve tenfold. But I couldn’t do it. I just fucking couldn’t.

“Move,” I barked at the guards flanking Raiden’s doorway. They scuttled sideways, flinching when I slammed past them into his chamber.

“Raiden! Get out of bed.”

He jolted upright, the bedcovers pooling around his bare waist. “What’s happening? You’re lit up like a bonfire. Is the city under attack?”

I inhaled and sucked the storm energy inside me, the air crackling as magic moved through it. “Not Coridon. Only you and Esen.”

“Fuck.” Swinging his legs over the edge, he sat on the bed and rubbed sleep from his eyes. “Let me get dressed.”

“Don’t bother. Why didn’t you tell me Esen tried to kill Leaf at the foundry?”

“Why? Because I didn’t want you to turn her into a pile of fucking ash. I was protecting her.”

I couldn’t fault him for that. He’d always had a soft spot for Esen. I did, too. Someone had dumped her at the city gates when she was a child, and Raiden’s parents, who’d had no luck conceiving more children, jumped at the chance to foster her.

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