Page 130 of Cry of the Firebird

"You mean like Vasilli sneaking up and jumping me?" Anya scoffed and drank some more.

"You wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight in your current state. But I was not thinking of Vasilli. I had someone else a little closer in mind."

"Who then?" Anya questioned. "Aramis? You think he's going to hurt me?"

"I've seen the way he looks at you. Trajan has noticed too. He might be in the first relationship of his life, but that doesn't mean he's completely clueless."

Anya reached forward and took the bottle from her. "You're imagining things. Aramis isn't interested in me that way." At least, she didn't think he was. He had never overstepped with her, never hit on her, or gave any indication that he might want to. Magic was the thing that drew them to each other, but as far as Anya could tell, that was it.

Katya tapped her fingers on the table. "Maybe not, but I still want you to be cautious around him. We don't really know him, and I think he's interested in more than just protecting you."

"He's been a perfect gentleman, and he understands what I'm going through and wants to help. He's going to help with the gates and go back to the Illumination. If anything, he is interested in the way my magic reacts to him."

Katya chewed on her lip. "I hope so, Anya. Just know that I'll be there if he tries anything. I don't care who he is. I'll gladly kick that perfect ass of his."

The tavern door opened, and the rest of Anya's companions filed in. The people in the bar all gave them suspicious glares. It was probably the most strangers they had seen all year. Trajan looked cold and tired, but he still managed one of his gut-wrenching smiles when he saw Anya.

Trajan sat down next to her and kissed her cheek. "Hitting the hard stuff again?"

"Does it help muffle the noise of the gates?" Aramis asked as he joined them.

Katya's eyes narrowed.

Anya nodded. "Yeah, it does but not much. The drums and the voices are growing louder. I don't know how else to stop it because none of my other exercises are working. Did you find anything?"

Aramis shook his head. "No one is in the immediate area, but I believe they are camping close to the outskirts of the farm. I suggest that you and I go for a closer look tomorrow and see if we can find Ilya's knife."

Trajan's hand found hers under the table. "No. Anya isn't going anywhere near the farm. The Darkness will try and grab her or worse."

"Won't that make the gates connect with me?" Anya asked, patting Trajan's hand to calm him.

"I have something that will dull your magic down so it can't. It's only got a short time of efficacy. A small amount of exposure to it may help you prepare yourself for the potency of the gate magic," Aramis replied. "Either way, we need that knife and you're the only one who will be able to find it."

Anya put down her glass. "Okay, I'll go with you. I know these forests better than any of the Darkness, and we can get around them."

"I can use my magic to cloak us, Anya. I won't risk us being detected. Not yet," Aramis replied.

"Can I talk to you upstairs, please," Trajan whispered to her.

Anya was about to argue with him, but the concern in his eyes made her pause. "Sure. I'll see you tomorrow, Aramis," Anya said as Trajan helped her out of her chair. She wasn't drunk enough to need help walking, but he still held onto her until they were back in her rooms with the door closed.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sitting down on the bed and kicking off her boots.

"I don't want you alone with Aramis." Trajan took off his coat and sat down beside her. "I know you trust him because of how your magic interacts with his, but I don't. Not with you."

"Is this jealousy or your thanatos side talking because it doesn't like Álfr light?"

"It's neither, Anya! It's the fact he's just turned up when you were vulnerable and is trying to swoop in like some glowing fairytale knight to try and rescue you," Trajan snapped. He made a sound of frustration at the back of his throat. "I don't know. Maybe I am jealous of that too because I don't want to share you with another person. Yvan's bad enough."

"Youarejealous." Anya took his face in her hands. "Don't be, Trajan. I don't see Aramis as a knight to save me. I see him as a means to an end. Yes, my magic reacts to his, and I want to know why. That doesn't mean he has any reaction to any other part of me."

"I'm sorry. I'm not used to feeling this way, and I don't…" he began, but Anya kissed him. She had never had someone jealous over her before, and it made her feel strangely cherished. Trajan's warm arms came around her, pulling her back onto thebed and pinning her beneath him. He stroked the lines of her face as he stared down at her, eyes still full of conflict.

"I don't want to come across as an overprotective asshole, so be patient with me," he said softly. "I love you too much to lose you now."

Anya's hand stilled in his hair as her heart tripped. "You love me?"

"If love is this sick, scared sensation under your ribs, and when your heart feels like it's going to give out, then yes, I love you," Trajan replied.

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