Page 49 of The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King

RAIHN

Ido hate you.

I knew Oraya hated me. Who could possibly blame her for that? I didn’t know why it bothered me so much to hear it. Bothered me enough that it overshadowed my victory.

“Victory.”

I’d gotten her to agree to something she essentially had no choice but to do. And I wasn’t stupid—I knew that there was a good chance that the entire time, she’d be waiting for her moment to kill me. I knew that perhaps that’s exactly what she told herself as she took my hand and agreed to our deal.

It was a gamble for both of us.

But she’d had her blade right there in that armory, right at my heart, and she hadn’t taken the shot.

That was something.

And the truth was, my… complicated personal feelings for Oraya aside, I needed her. Without her, I had no chance of getting out from under Septimus’s grasp. Maybe a small, pathetic part of me had also been grateful for that—grateful to have any excuse to have her as an ally again, even a reluctant one.

Oraya didn’t say anything as we flew back to my chambers. It was embarrassing how much carrying her reminded me of what our relationship used to be before I razed it. I could feel how terrified she was the entire time. That heart rate, her breathing, the heat at her skin.

All the comfort we’d built, destroyed.

As soon as I let her down at my window, she backed away from me. I wondered if she knew she had a pattern to the way she did that—three long, quick steps back, like she couldn’t wait to put as much distance between us as possible.

I remained on the ledge, relishing the breeze against the backs of my wings for a little longer. I let Oraya back all the way across the room before I stepped inside. She didn’t want me any closer, and I’d respect that.

“We’ll need to get started right away,” I said. “Tomorrow, probably. As soon as I let them all know that you’ve agreed.”

“Them?” she said.

“Vale, Cairis, Ketura. Septimus and his goons.”

It was hard to miss the way she stiffened at the mention of all those names.

“They won’t bother you,” I said. “I’ll handle your training.”

Her brows lowered. “Training?”

“What, did you think you were going to wield legendary god power and overthrow the most vicious vampire house without getting back into shape?”

Her brows lowered again. “I’m in great shape. Don’t know about you, though. That fight was a little too easy.”

Ix’s tits, it was hard not to laugh at that face.

I raised my palms.

“Fine. I admit it. You keep me on my toes, too. I’ve never been better than I was when I was with you.”

That sentence tasted disgustingly earnest rolling off my tongue.

Oraya heard it, too, shifting uncomfortably.

“One more thing,” she said.

“What’s that?”

“You’re going to stop locking me in my room.”

My brows rose. “Oh, I am?”

---