Page 53 of Broken Lands

Her hazel eyes fluttered open, her smile wide as she looked up at me, a post orgasm glow making her look almost ethereal.

“I needed that,” she said, barking a laugh. “I’m sorry I was being a brat. It might not be your intention, Colin, but you’ve been… hot and cold with me.” She doesn’t break eye contact with me, needing to get this off her chest.

I pushed up, sitting back on my heels, my cock still hard and longing for more of her. This wasn’t about me, though. It was about her.Down, boy.

“I know. I’m sorry. I don’t have a good excuse. Except that the draw I feel toward you scares me and—”

Before I could finish my thought and explain myself, no matter how feeble my excuses were, a knock sounded at the unlocked door.

Chapter twenty-seven

Riley

Iwasonmyfeet in an instant.

Throwing my hand toward the door, I willed an air shield into keeping it closed, praying I could buy us some time and stop whoever was about to enter the training room from catching me buck naked with General Brand.

Colin’s eyes locked with mine as he pushed himself to his feet, the panic in them mirroring my own. My gaze flicked back to the door, mentally reinforcing the air shield as I felt a press against it.

Fuck. This was the worst kind of compromising position to be caught in!

I needed to get myself dressed, but if I moved, I might very well break the shield. A shiver ran down my spine, intuition telling me things wouldn’t go well if those on the other side of that door knew the General and I had been intimate. He was my tutor and the head of the Fae army. I knew there was some unrest about my presence here. Would they consider him a traitor for this relationship—if you could even call it that—with me?

I flushed at the memory of what we’d done, at what I’d let him do to me. Bee had said the fae were naturally promiscuous, and it certainly seemed that the awakening of my magic had woken a sexual hunger in me I’d never experienced before. I was ravenous for these men. All three of them. Fuck.

Now was not the time to ponder my newfound promiscuity. Our visitors would grow suspicious if we didn’t open the door soon.

I’d had my first foundational magic lessons yesterday, where we were told about some of the non-elemental magic that most Fae could wield. Including the trick Stefan had done in the candidate tent back in Sommers, where he changed my outfit. We’d only learnt the theory; it was all about your intention. The ability to vanish and re-conjure objects was innate. You just had to want it enough. Unfortunately, we hadn’t had the time to put the theory into practice.

Just as I was trying to recall the steps, the silky, stretchy feel of my clothing wrapped around my body, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Colin had done it for me. His own shirt was back on too, and he was already moving toward the other side of the room.

“Thank you,” I whispered, offering him a small smile of gratitude. “Who is it? Do I let them in?”

“It’s Colonel Stubbe.” He whispered back, a dark look flashing across his face. He didn’t seem fond of Colonel Stubbe. Not that I could blame him. Something about that man gave me a bad feeling. It explained the prickling sensation on the back of my neck and the warning bells ringing in my mind. “The King is with him. Step back, brace your feet, try to look as though we’ve been sparring. Your hair is wild enough to seem like I’ve knocked you on your ass a few times.”

I scowled as he threw me a wink, but did as he said.

“Just so we’re clear, Riley. I am not ashamed of the way I’ve begun to feel about you, about what just happened, or about what might come next. I will shout it from the rooftops if you’d like me to. But you will probably make a better impression on King Ronan if he doesn’t know.”

I nod, surprised by his words. I’d half expected him to turn back into the cold General, the one with the stony face and constant frown. I liked this version better. This version made butterflies flutter in my stomach and the apex of my thighs throb.

We could continue to explore each other and those feelings later.

Now, it was time to meet the Fae Water King.

Another knock sounded at the door just as I pivoted my body so that I was facing away from it, moving my air shield in place in front of me. Colin, seeing what I’d done and acting without missing a beat, threw a few small balls of fire in my direction. I felt the burning heat of them as they slammed against my shield, one after the other.

I gritted my teeth, actually having to focus to maintain my shield and protect myself from his fire. The back of my neck prickled again, and I knew our guests had entered the room, but I couldn’t turn and greet them.

The last of the fire balls hit home, bouncing off of my shield and disappearing into thin air. Momentarily forgetting our audience, I whooped, a sense of pride coursing through me. I’d done it. I had knocked the Fae Army General on his ass with my attackandwithstood one of his. This whole powerful non-fae being thing was growing on me.

“May I announce King Ronan.” Stubbe’s nasally voice had not changed, still causing my hackles to rise.

Colin shot me a grin as he strode past, his hand held out in front of him.

I spun on my heel to watch as he clasped hands with King Ronan and dipped his chin to Colonel Stubbe in greeting.

The King was so much like his son, there was no denying the resemblance. They had the same dark almond colored skin and long honey blonde hair. It was only their eyes that differed King Ronan’s were a dull gray—nothing like the deep mesmerizing blue of his sons. That must come from the Queen. King Ronan was also missing the warmth, the friendliness, that Lincoln radiated. It was hard to get a read on him beyond that.

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