Page 74 of Of Night and Blood: Special Edition

Fortunately for him, I was not.

“Well Noe, perhaps you have only had terrible sex then. I for one find that a good orgasm can do wonders for inflammation, among other things,” I cut in, flicking a speck of lint from my shoulder. Henry burst into laughter, Lian snorting. Noe’s cheeks flamed, taking her turn to flush in mortification, though that smile still graced her face.

From the corner of my eye, I noted Bellamy coming closer, Lucifer and Frost touching slightly. Lust poured off of him, a hunger that throbbed and a thirst that ached.

Ranbir gave me a thankful smile, Winona blowing him a kiss from her horse. They were a beautiful couple, the fae and the demon. Unique in more ways than one, the most interesting being that they were natural born enemies.

Apparently, no good deed goes unpunished.

Cyprus pushed his horse into a trot, slowing when he was directly behind me. Over my shoulder he looked as if he were about to say something incredibly foolish, but before I could give him the benefit of the doubt, he proved my suspicion right.

“You know, I have been told I am rather skilled at loosening joints and stretching backs. Perhaps you could let me see if I am any good at lowering inflammation,” Cyprus hinted, his voice dripping seduction. Bellamy, who was still visible in my peripheral, stiffened.

I did not fully know why I did it, shut down the male once and for all. My initial instinct was to deny that I cared about Bellamy’s feelings or saw any future for us, but I could not pretend that deep down a part of me did. Which might have been the main reason behind my next words.

“Intriguing offer, but alas, I must decline. Sadly, as adventurous and curious as I am, I draw the line at sleeping with shadows, little whisp.” My voice was light, but I knew that Cyprus had taken it for what it truly was, a rejection. To my left, satisfaction bled from Bellamy, his thoughts forcing their way into my head, each intentionally dirtier than the last.

I did not dare look at him, though everyone else instantly did. I would not fuel their suspicions.

I did of course push into his mind and offer a few derogatory remarks.

When the group had once again become silent, I thought back to what Bellamy said all those nights ago.

“Be mine, Asher.”

I was no one’s but my own.

Chapter Forty-One

The next day, Bellamy found me awake before the sun, as I had been all night. I thought perhaps he had discovered my tendencies to fight sleep, despite not being told, but this was the first time he had approached me. We were camped in a low valley, the snow not yet sticking here but the air still frigid. I sat perched on a large rock, where I had laid out a thick quilt and bundled myself in my cloak as well as a large fur.

The demon came towards me on silent feet, his black hair messy, but still mostly swept to one side. The tip of his nose and apples of his cheeks were a vibrant red, nearly hiding the patches of freckles there. His full lips were slightly purple in color, as if he had been outside longer than the time it took to walk from his tent to my rock, but had not wanted to alert me of his presence by using his powers.

“May I?” he asked, gesturing to the space beside me, his head tilted in that infuriating way it so often did.

I eyed him for a moment, wondering what he was plotting. Begrudgingly, I nodded, scooting further to give him more space. He propped himself up on the flat surface, shivering at the cold that must have seeped into his body at the contact even through the quilt.

Sighing, I loosened the fur from around my shoulders and promptly wrapped some of it around him. Stunned, he looked at me with wide eyes and parted lips. I rolled my own eyes. I was not so horrid I would let the male freeze.

Suddenly, heat enveloped the space between us, radiating from him like a fire. Without much thought, I scooted closer to him, eagerly drinking in the warmth. Evidently, the demon did not need a fur to stay warm.

“Is this when you admit to me that we only traveled by horseback so you had time to convince me to join your cause?” I asked, eyebrows raised.

It was glaringly obvious that he had done this on purpose, though I was surprised that he found the wasted time was worth the effort. He could have made the same valiant attempt within the confines of The Royal City.

With a dashing smirk, the prince snapped his fingers. Appearing on my lap in a cloud of black smoke was a brown sack, lumpy and unimpressive. Inside I found my clothes for the day.

A deep red tunic, the fabric a soft cotton and appearing to be a tighter fit. Black, thick tights also lay within the sack. To top off the look of the day was a gorgeous chain mail vest. Instead of the bulky and tight stiches that normally made up the metal top, this one was thinner and looser, decorative almost with its twists and designs.

Pino was a genius.

I smiled, nodding a thanks. Looking him over, I realized he had already donned his matching outfit. Black trousers and the same loosely woven metal on top, though his traveled down the length of his arms and was red rather than silver. Below he wore a black tunic.

Bellamy had told me before that we each had a pack, which was filled with clothes daily. Pino had been in charge of mine, as well as Bellamy’s. Paid servants had received the others’, as they resided in the palace when not doing whatever work was required of them as a part of the prince’s Trusted.

“So what did you need, oh glorious heir to the demon throne?” I inquired. The sooner he left the better. This time alone was the only chance I had to think and feel without caution. Despite how painful the long hours were, they were also a treasure.

“Am I not allowed to simply enjoy your presence?” he asked, the tone mocking and light.

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