Page 43 of An Empress of Air & Chaos

Their gazes met and something like sympathy spilled into his eyes before she looked away. The energy between them was so natural, so organic, yet she barely knew him at all. But she felt like she had known him for a long time. She felt safe with him.

“Are you sure you are okay?” Gideon asked softly. “After what happened today?”

She looked over at him and the wall that she had built around herself collapsed. “No.” She shook her head. “I don’t know if I will ever be.”

He offered a melancholy look before it turned to something else entirely. “I could have killed him,” he admitted.

His voice was so sharp, Emara lifted her gaze to his furious face. “And then his blood would have been on your hands—and like you said, he is not worth it.”

“I am not so sure anymore.”

“He’s just an entitled brat,” she gritted out.

“That doesn’t make what he did okay.”

“I know. I am just trying to rationalise everything.” She placed a hand on her stomach, trying not to think of it too much.

Gideon stepped closer. “Look at me.”

She did.

“There is nothing to rationalise. You did nothing wrong. What he did was disgraceful, and I should have shot my arrow through his heart.”

A charge of vibrant energy surged through her as he placed a hand on her shoulder. It was reassuring.

“Thank you,” she said, reaching up to touch his hand. “Thank you for being there. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been—” her voice cracked.

“Come here,” he gently moved closer, pulling her into him. “I promise you I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She let him embrace her, feeling comforted enough to rest her head on his chest.

“We can train together. I will train you so you do not need to fear men like him.”

“You have no idea how much I needed to hear that,” she muttered, leaning into his embrace further.

“Sorry to break up this little love fest,” a deep, husky voice entered the room.

They broke apart and she looked to the side of Gideon’s shoulder as he went utterly still.

Torin Blacksteel stood in the doorway, palming a dagger. She hadn’t even heard the door open. Gideon moved directly in front of her as if to protect her from prying eyes.

Her shield.

“Torin,” was all he responded. Emara studied his back muscles. He was tensing, hard.

“Are you two lovebirds going to be joining our crusade to the markets?” His brother’s voice drifted over to her, gilded in trouble.

She peeked around Gideon’s shoulder again to see Torin’s ocean eyes vivaciously awaiting a response.

“We will be there,” the words rolled from Emara’s tongue quicker than she expected.

Torin smiled and kicked his foot off the doorframe, propelling himself into an upright position. The dagger gleamed, catching the light—but not as brightly as his smile. “That’s what I like to hear.” He looked his brother in the eye. “It can get wild down there, especially this close to a full moon. It should be a good time.”

“How long were you standing there?” Gideon demanded to know.

“Long enough to put me in the mood for a good night.” Torin winked. “You should wear that dress to the markets.” He tossed his head towards Emara. “It’s daring. I like it,” he purred coolly.

She looked down at herself.

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