Page 5 of Essence of the Throne

He breaks his perusal to scan the empty library. “Not here,” he breathes, shaking his head. I know we’re alone in this massive space. The closest person to us is three hallways down, in a paralleled staff corridor.

Until another presence enters the barrier of my psionic strand that I've kept engaged, and my lip curls.

“Well, allow me to escort you to your room.” The prince perks up at my offer; those eyes make it difficult to hide my smile, butI manage. “Where you will sleepalone. It's clear you're exhausted and will be nothing of use without rest.”

He grins, clasping his hands behind his head to stretch over the back of the chair. The movement tugs at the hem of his shirt, exposing a sliver of his abdomen. His smile widens as he takes my mere curiosity as encouragement and somehow stretches even further. I have the flitting urge to push him back and leave for another week.

I cringe at the thought.

“Actually, I’m feeling a bit better. Less achy and tired…likely your doing,” he drawls with a confident energy that doesn’t quite meet his eyes. I raise a brow and offer my best disbelieving look, to which he laughs loud enough for the presence—just outside now—to hear. Perhaps he does seem lighter, though it’s near impossible to tell with how dark it is in here. “Don’t believe me, but it’s true.”

I do not bother responding as I pull back on my psionic strand and wait for the library doors to burst open with the force of an unbearable brute.

I look over my shoulder just as Gavriel throws the doors open, looking just as angry as I’d anticipated. “What the fuck did you do, wraith?”

My lips threaten to smirk, and a familiar giddiness swirls through my stomach. I swipe my blade from its sheathe and twirl it through my fingers as I face the dramatic male stalking toward me.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” I purr, stopping him in his advance when I take a step. And another. “If you’ve interrupted your prince’s working just to threaten me, get on with it.”

His jaw clenches, and I can practically see the effort it takes him to not swing one of his white-knuckled fists at me. I haven’t felt this light in days. “I know it was you—none of the other sentries would dare.”

“Dare what, Gav?” Caspian asks, stepping next to me. His arm grazes mine, and my eyes nearly roll—

What the fuck is wrong with me? I need to get a hold of myself. “Yeah, Gav, whatareyou referring to? Has yet another woman found your bed lacking and took her frustrations out on you?” He’s seething essence, warming the space around us with his pyro strand.

Intentional or not, his control over the affinity is impressive. Though I’d offer myself as griffin meat before ever considering uttering such words aloud.

“You’re lucky that fucker,” he spits, shoving a finger into the prince’s chest, “has forbidden me to lay a hand on you. I’ll relish the day he tires of your blackened heart, so that I may cut it out with that blade you seem so fond of.” A wide grin spreads across my face.

Not one heartbeat later am I in front of the brute holding said blade against his cock while the one from my left thigh grazes the sharp line of his jaw. “Oh, don’t tease me, Gav. Perhaps the prince will allow you to spar with me.” I pull my hands back and steparound Gavriel, kicking the backs of his legs and forcing him to his knees. Both of my blades cross against the taut skin of his throat before he has a chance to process what just happened. “Be a good boy and ask him nicely.” Heat prickles the back of my neck, and not the kind I feel when I’m about to take a life.

I swallow around the tightness in my throat before my eyes focus on the figure standing just ahead. Where I expect Caspian to be glaring at the blades threatening his other guard’s life, he instead watches me.

No, not me—my eyes.

There is some heat within the depths of his, but his stare is so focused that it feels as if he’s searching for something inside my head. My skin prickles while my mind begs me to look away from his intensity. It’s far too knowing and intimate.

I don’t, though. I remain so still that only the beat of my heart could give away my discomfort. I want so badly to shift on my feet, or even for Gavriel to speak, just to give me an excuse to break Caspian’s stare. But it’s as if I am stuck in a trance—like I could give every bit of my essence in attempting to move, only to remain unsuccessful until the prince finds what he’s seeking.

Hefinallysevers the hold, allowing air to fill my burning lungs.

“—and go find a fucking room. I do not want to watch this.” Gavriel’s voice startles me, and he hisses as I nick his throat. At least I wasn’t caught unaware. The blood seeping from his skin only serves my purpose.

I want to respond and tell him every detail of what I’ll do to his prince if I go find a room, but I cannot summon the words.

The man himself rubs a hand over his face as he scoffs. “As long as you don’t kill each other, I do not care.” He turns to drop back into his seat and rubs the sides of his head.

Ah, yes.He’s referring to the sparring Gavriel was supposed to ask about.

All previous conversation since arriving at the castle is pushed to the back of my mind. I release the brute and sheathe my blades while I saunter back to the table, reaching to gather the mess of materials. My arms are ungraceful as they shovel the books and paper together, making a less than appealing pile of everything.

“What are you doing?”

I’d think it was obvious, so I don’t respond. I lift the materials and spin to stalk from the library.

It’s dark in here; the lamps fixed to various places along the walls barely illuminate the space. I suspect that is the purpose of the three-story windows that span the back wall, but it is dreary and stormy outside the castle, the clouds dark enough to mask most light from the sun.

I don't mind it, though, creepy as it is. Ornate, gold-filled shelves seem to stretch endlessly through the space, each one overfilled with books that wait for their time to be read. I can barely make out four stories as each side of the library rises further than I thought the castle could accommodate. There are no stairs in sight, located in the back, where the space is conveniently covered by limitless shadows.

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