Page 31 of First Ritual

A sigh from Wild.

My breath whooshed from me in an oomph as he swept me into his arms. I whacked his shoulder. Ooo, firm. “I can walk. Put me down!”

A growl filled my ears.

I tilted my head. “Is that you making that noise?”

The growling cut off, and I was set on my feet outside the eating chamber.

“I’ve got it from here. Catch ya later.” I lowered my voice. “Much later.” I started to walk, bouncing off the tunnel walls when they got too close. The people who’d built this didn’t do a great job.

He groaned. “I’m not watching you weave through halls, Tempest.”

“Then go. Quick. Caves needs you urgently.”

“The moves have been made. We get Friday through Sunday off. Relatively. Seriously. You’re zig-zagging.”

“Getting my step count up,” I replied.

“What?”

“Human joke.” I pushed off a tunnel wall again, then stopped to look around. “Where in Odin’s lost eye and two ravens am I?”

I yelped as a cursing Wild flung me over his shoulder.

Striding forward, he sent his magic ahead to open a door.

Huh.

This was my room. “I was close. Admit it.”

He tossed me on the bed.

I bounced a few times, then pushed hair off my face to scowl up at him. Wild stood there staring at me for a time, then spun away to walk across the room.

The guy was 100 percent in chaos, and I shouldn’t be this close to him. I could blame the gunpowder gimlets for the lack of great decision-making.

“What’s this?” Wild asked, holding my quipu.

I battled the urge to lunge his way and snatch it back. “Artwork.”

“There’s magic in it,” he murmured.

“Like most art created by magus.”

“Does it mean anything?”

His tone was far too curious. Hopefully the guy wasn’t a grimoire. “Yeah,” I answered. “It means I like tying knots and braiding cord.”

Wild set the work down and faced me. I could sense his focus was still with the quipu.

“Grimoire?” I hedged. Please say no.

“Yes. Primary affinity.”

Dang. Fingers crossed that his curiosity didn’t strengthen. The last thing I needed was a grimoire on my ass. “Battle too?” Those kinds of muscles didn’t come naturally.

Wild moved forward to the bed. My back hit the mattress as he towered over me. My breath hitched as I stared up into dark eyes. Drowning. Precipice.

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