Page 44 of Kill the Queens

"A little under a year."

Ace's mouth pinched, her brows pulling low. "You haven't even celebrated your re-birthday and you already know more than me?"

Rehan hummed. "Re-birthday? Is that what we are supposed to call it?"

"Re-birthday, Born-Again-Day, I haven't quite figured out a good name for it yet." Ace cut a hand through the air. "That's not the point!"

That's because while you were running around Maipeg eating sugared treats, stealing grimoires to play with magic, and finding out how fast you could run away from the queens' guards he was practicing,Greshta interjected a little more aggressively than Ace thought was necessary.

Rehan's gaze widened a fraction before he continued on as if they hadn't both heard the goddess snapping at them. "I was secluded for quite a long time. My job was to assist you with killing the queen. I'd been instructed to stay put until you were actually ready for the job. Once the gods told me you were ready, I made my move."

"That all sounds very calculated."

"It was." He nodded.

"Where are we going now?" It would be helpful if Ace could read his thoughts. Maybe she wouldn't have to ask so many questions.

"Duck." Then his hand was on the back of her head, his fingers curling into her hair, as he pulled her down against him. He leaned back, smushing her face into his firm chest.

"What are you doing," she said, though her words were garbled against the white linen of his shirt. A light layer of sweat made his shirt damp and it soaked through to her cheek drawing out a grimace.

"A branch." The words rumbled against her face just as another tree limb passed over them.

The moment his hand let go of her face, she sprung back up. "Why do I feel like you purposefully steered us under that branch?"

"I didn't, but I could if you're just really enjoying being so close to me."

Ace flicked her gaze up then down him before it settled back on his face. He was kind, she supposed, and he was attractive, but that didn't make his face any less punchable. She tried to make that thought as loud in her head as possible. If Rehan caught any of it he didn't show it.

"We are going to the Fae camp. We are almost there actually. Look through those trees and you'll see glimpses of their tents." He pointed behind Ace but she didn't turn to look.

"Just look through these evil looking trees." Ace mocked him.

"They're called blood trees."

"Is it actual blood?" Oh gods, another reason she wouldn't want to be anywhere near here. Trees that actually bled…this was like something out of a nightmare.

He shrugged. "The gods have never given me a straight answer and according to the Fae King, the trees took root after King Rome was killed and the Fae were forced out of Pasia. They think that it's the real blood of all those whose lives were lost in the war."

"Even more creepy."

"Creepier than being brought back to life?"

Ace weighed the options for a minute and finally agreed. "Blood trees are scarier but I'm also desensitized to the whole coming back to life thing."

"Want to swap death stories?"

Just as quick as her cheeks had heated the blood was draining from her face. She tipped even farther away from him, thinking about the likelihood of her dying if she ran away.

"Never mind." Rehan bit into his lip. "Immediate reaction. That's a no from you. I'm sorry, I assumed since you said you were desensitized that you'd be okay with it."

"It's the coming back to life that doesn't bother me. The dying…that is different." She didn't want to think about that part. That's the bit that held all the pain, emotion, and damn betrayal. She'd never spoken a word of it aloud and maybe if she never did then it would remain distant and unreal.“I don’t even know you. You’re a stranger.”

"That's okay. We are here anyway." He wasn't looking at her anymore. He was watching behind her, the smile slowly slipping from his face.“And we won’t be strangers for long.”

The horse came to a stop and before Ace could even turn around to look at the camp a hand appeared at her side. When she looked down she was greeted with sharp jagged teeth, bright blue eyes, and pointed ears underneath a glistening silver crown.

FOURTEEN

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