Page 46 of Of Steel and Scale

I acknowledged her plea with a slight nod, then spun, collected my packs, and walked into the other tunnel.

Once we were far enough away from the others, I stopped and turned. “Show me your wrist.”

He raised an eyebrow, but nevertheless held out his arm and pushed up his bloody sleeve. His skin from wrist to elbow bore a multitude of faint scars, but there was no sign of a fresh wound.

I ran my finger across the many cuts decorating his dark skin. Felt the slight jump in his pulse and its echo in my own. I swallowed and looked up. Caught the flick of desire through his still-bloody gaze before coolness replaced it.

“How is that even possible?”

He shrugged. “It is part of the magic—and not, I’m guessing, dissimilar to your own ability to cauterize a wound.”

“Cauterization seals and disinfects. It doesn’t heal and, let me assure you, it still hurts.”

“Then why didn’t you ask Kele for a pain dampener?”

“Because those three soldiers needed them far more than me.”

He smiled, caught my fingers, and raised them to his lips. His kiss felt like a brand. Felt like home. Which was utterly ridiculous given how little I really knew about the man.

“Even a commander is entitled to pain relief, Bryn. Especially when a clear head is needed.”

“A clear head is theotherreason I didn’t take a potion. They can affect the speed of your reactions in dangerous situations.” I drew my hand from his, but couldn’t help instinctively curling my fingers to retain the heat of his touch. “In case you haven’t noticed, we are in the middle of one such situation.”

He raised that eyebrow again. It was a very expressive eyebrow, I decided, conveying all manner of emotions in one elegant movement. This time, it was amused disbelief. “Would you expect such stoicism from the people under your command?”

“No, but they do expect it of me.” Because I was a princess and it had taken me far longer than most new recruits to win respect. I wasn’t about to risk its loss by taking a potion that could affect my judgment and endanger the lives of others.

I turned and continued on. He followed, a big warm presence I was far too attuned to.

Every five minutes I tried to scribe, but the connection remained nonexistent.

“If this barrier is magic,” I said, after the fifth such attempt, “will you be able to sense it before we hit it?”

“It will depend on its type and construction. I’m not, for instance, able to sense Mareritt magic.”

“Well, that’s damnably inconvenient.” I glanced over my shoulder. “Why not?”

“Their mages pull on their ownlifeenergy—the electricity of the body, if you will—and that of their land, rather than their blood. It’s hard to differentiate between the magic that comes from the energy of the land and that which they call from within.”

“Fascinating.”

“You’d be one of the few who think so,” he said, tone dry. “Most find the subject... tedious, at best.”

“I’m not most people.”

“That has become increasingly evident over the last few days.”

I glanced over my shoulder again. “Is this a good thing or bad?”

“Oh, definitely good. I suspect life will never be boring while you’re in it.”

“While I’m in it?” Amusement twitched my lips. “You planning to get rid of me at some point in the future?”

“Were you not the one who claimed only a few hours ago to be uncertain as to what to do with me?”

“Oh, I know what to do with you,” I said lightly. “I’m just not sure it’s wise. I mean, there’s the previously mentioned reputation to consider, and I, well, I’m a lowly soldier who will probably never live up to certain expectations for very long.”

His laugh was soft and warm and rolled across my skin as sweetly as any summer breeze. “With what already lies between us, I believe said expectations will be well and truly blown out of the water. Whether it will retain enough heat to last is another matter entirely, and something only time and proximity can answer.”

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