Page 18 of Bound By the Wraith: Northern Realms

“Elodi!” Cillian growled. It was a deep, guttural snarl, which made Cali tremble, even.

Elodi let go of her hold and stepped away. Cali was relieved, but what had the elf meant by she was a pawn in Cillian’s game?

“I didn’t mean any harm,” Elodi stated. “I was coming to check on her.”

“For what reason? I didn’t ask you to.”

“I heard she was healed by Gotzone,” Elodi stated. “I wondered what kind of deal you would’ve made to gain such favor to have Gotzone heal your…human.”

Cali was relieved it wasn’t Elodi who had healed her. It was bad enough Elodi could read her mind for that brief moment, but she was glad that the elf hadn’t gone deeper into her mind. The idea of that just didn’t sit right with her.

Elodi would kill me.

“And since when do I tell any elf, especially Tiene’s daughter, my business?” Cillian asked.

Elodi’s eyes narrowed, but she still had that simpering smile on her face as she approached him. “Oh, come now, you’ve told me lots of things.”

Cali watched as Elodi sidled up to Cillian, wrapping her arms around his neck and then kissing him, pressing her scantily clad body against him. It made Cali slightly jealous, because she remembered what it was like to kiss him. For a brief moment she had a flare of jealousy that saidmine.

And she wanted to rip that blonde bitch out of his arms and maybe try and rip a chunk out of her head. Elodi had tried to do that to her only a moment ago.

Cillian pushed Elodi away with disgust, tossing her, so she stumbled to the ground.

“Keep your claws off of me,” Cillian snarled.

Elodi’s smiled disappeared then, as she picked herself up. “You should be careful how you treat the daughter of King Tiene.”

“And the daughter of King Tiene should be careful who and how she associates with others. He’s already lost hold on one realm, it would be bad for you all if he lost his hold on the elven kingdom,” Cillian snarled.

Elodi’s eyes narrowed, her lips pursing together in a line. “It would, but I would be careful as well, wraith.”

“Get out of my sight,” Cillian snarled.

Elodi tossed her hair over her shoulder, her head held high as she exited the room. Cillian followed and then sealed the door with magic, or what looked like magic, because it glowed gold.

Cali didn’t say much as he turned and headed back toward her. The way his body was so stiff and rigid, she knew he was still holding on to a lot of anger. Cali knew she should be terrified by him, but she wasn’t. There was something about him that drew her in. She approached him cautiously and she did what instinctually came to her—she placed her hand on his back to try to comfort him.

Cillian jumped away from her touch, almost startled, and glared at her in disbelief. For someone who liked to touch her, it seemed funny how he was so shocked by the simple act of sympathy.

“What’re you doing?” he asked.

“You seemed upset.”

“I am. Angry more than upset, but it still doesn’t explain what you were doing.”

“I was comforting you, letting you know you were okay. Has no one ever shown you affection before?”

Cillian’s eyes narrowed. “Do I seem like a person who had a particularly affectionate mother?”

“No. I suppose not. Actually, I’m having a hard time picturing youhavinga mother.”

A smile teased on the corner of his mouth, a twinkle in his dark eyes, like she amused him. “I do have a mother in fact, but in reality, she only gave birth to me. I wouldn’t classify her as maternal or caring.”

“Honestly, I’m having a hard time picturing you young.”

“Wraiths mature quickly. I am a year younger than my half sister Aoife, but I was fully grown by the time I hit a year.”

“That’s harsh.”

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