Page 67 of Soul Forge

Ruby flames lifted to meet her gaze. “What if I react badly?”

“I can handle it.” She dared to put a hand on his knee. “Let me try.” He tensed, eyes darting down to her knuckles. She watched his gloved hand lift, then pause, before finally coming down on top of hers and staying there. “Is that a yes?”

“...For now.”

She smiled. “Maybe one day you can do this without gloves on.” Those dark brows pulled together, the flames in his eyes flickering wildly. “I know, baby steps,” she chuckled.

Hope burned in her chest – its fire stoked by the change in his attitude. She hadn’t imagined he’d trust her with so much so quickly, let alone that he’d willinglytouchher. After everything she’d learned about him, the small gesture felt like a miracle.

His hand on hers set butterflies fluttering in her stomach. In the moonlight, his features were softened even when he frowned, his hair shining silver. He may have been rude and bitter, and he may have treated her like she was an annoyance, but seeing something softer underneath all that sent a thrill through her. She wondered what he would be like when he finally let all his walls come down.

“I think it’s best if I’m the one to initiate it,” he mumbled, still looking down at her hand. “At least until I’m used to it. This is different from kicking you around a training ring.”

“I know. We’ll get there,” she vowed. A wide yawn struck her before she could say anything else.

“You should sleep.”

“I don’t know where my room is.”

“I’ll show you.” He got to his feet, offering her a hand up. She took it, brows rising when he didn’t let go. Her heart squeezed giddily, but she fought hard to ignore it when she remembered Reiner was already close to throttling her after the knife incident.

She let herself be tugged along behind him, following him through the villa until he opened a door and stepped aside to let her in.

“Wow, this place is beautiful,” she gasped. The room was white marble like the rest of the villa, with an open bath set into the floor at one end, and a large bed draped with gossamer curtains at the other. The window looked out onto more lush gardens, the whole place designed with Saeryn’s hot climate in mind.

“Gira has done a lot for the kingdom. King Artan rewards him for his service. The villa was part of his payment,” Sypher explained. “I’ll see you in the morning, anyway.”

“Oh.” She looked around the space for a reason to make him stay longer, spying a bookshelf in the corner and setting her bouquet on the bed. “Well, why don’t you see if there are any books you haven’t read on my shelf before you go then?”

He blinked, studying her. “Thank you,” he said eventually.

She watched him walk to the shelf and scan the spines. There was another shelf at the other side of the bed that she went to inspect, looking through the volumes for any that she thought might interest him. Eventually, a spine bound in royal blue leather caught her eye, the silver script pressed into it shining in the enchanted lamplight. She reached up to pull it down, turning with the intention of showing it to him.

He was right behind her. He’d obviously planned to peruse the shelf beside her, not expecting her to turn. Red eyes stared down at her, and when she didn’t look away, his head tilted again. She realised the gesture was something he did when he was curious.

“I found a book,” she almost whispered, afraid that if she spoke too loudly, it would spook him. He glanced down at the volume clutched in her hands, then back up at her face.

“You did find a book.” She didn’t try to give him it, and he didn’t try to take it from her. Neither of them moved for a moment, and then he folded his arms across his chest, head stillcocked. “I’m used to people faltering when they look me in the eye.”

“You’re not that scary.”

His lips quirked upwards at the corners. “I want to touch you.”

“What?” She blinked, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. His abrupt statement sent heat straight to her cheeks. “You want to touch me?Now?” He nodded. “You don’t have to rush yourself, you know.”

“It’s too easy to back out. If I give in, I might never get past the feeling of my skin crawling.” His candour took her by surprise. She could see it was hard for him to open up, but he promised her he’d try, and he was sticking to his promise.

She blew out a breath and nodded. “Let me help.” She tucked the book under her elbow and held out her hands. Slowly, he uncrossed his arms and let her take hold of his gloves. “Don’t punch me. I know you said it was too soon, but you can trust me.” She took off one glove, the same glove he’d removed to heal her the day they met. He tensed when her fingertips very lightly brushed his palm. “Just like the day we met. I’m not going to harm you.”

“I know.” She kept her eyes on the runes decorating his wrist, wondering again what secrets they held. “This is awkward. I hardly know you.”

“Soawkward,” she chuckled, her fingertips still touching his calloused skin. “But we’re stuck with each other for now.”

“Tell me something about you,” he requested. She blinked, caught off guard. When she looked up, the red in his eyes burned so brightly that her heart fluttered. She swallowed against the sudden dryness in her mouth. “Where did you learn to carve your bow?”

“Iknewyou were impressed!” she gasped, delighted. “I devoured every book I could get my hands on. I managed to sneak one out of my father’s library that happened to be abouthand-crafting weapons. On one of my trips out of the palace, I found the perfect piece of wood and decided to test my theoretical knowledge.”

“It was broken. Why?”

---