Page 25 of The Ballad of a Bard

“No!” She instantly insisted.

West didn’t believe her. “Then what’s the issue?”

Crimson almost made a face at him, one that would have caused him to actually laugh out loud if he was correct about the withering emotion behind it. She came closer as her hand ran up his arm, leaving singular shivers to skitter over his skin.

New stars burst inside of him, exploding and flashing white colourful fires. The ivory moon curved around him, ushering him closer to her.

That was new.

No oneevermade him feel alive likethisbefore.

He tucked that observation away for later.

Especially as her hand found his chest and began to circle over his heart. His pulse quickened, and he knew she immediatelypicked up on it because she stumbled in her romantic wench once more. Crimson looked deep into his eyes, she went to kiss him.

Her lips halted only a centimeter from his as she uttered, “Keep my secret, without the additional clause. You know you want to,handsome.”

West’s throat bobbed.

Why in the Saints name did she have so much of an effect on him? She wasn’t supposed to, since he was a full Saint and she was only a lesser one. And yet there was an undeniable thirst in the back of his mouth, a tingle on his tongue and a spark in his soul as she looked at him likethat.

“Fine.” He mumbled, not sure if the baritone voice that came out was the correct one or not. He couldn’t unfix his sight from her tempting mouth.

Did he want to kiss her after all?

Something akin to mortal excitement bubbled up and he couldn’t ignore it, finding fascinating new feelings rising up.

Crimson let out what seemed to be a breath of relief and turned to exit the chamber before he could say another word. But as she reached for the handle, unlocking it, his hand slammed it back closed.

She jumped.

“Little lesson there,Heartstrings. Lesser Saints can’t affect full Saints. I suggest you do some research before attempting to change the emotions of just anyone.” West rumbled into her ear. “Nice try though.”

She gaped at him. “You’rea Saint?”

“Yes.” He flicked a stray piece of hair out of his sight line. It wasn’t like his hair was long, since it was shorn close to his head in the back. But the front strands like to test his patience in steamy situations. “The Northern Star, before you need tosatiate your curiosity. But as you’ve been one of the only people to ever look at methatdeep, I’m sure you’ve already figured it out in your smart mind.”

“What do you want with me, Westley Saint?” Crimson dropped all pretence and brought her tone down an octave, as if the higher pitch was something she only used to sell the image.

In his opinion, this one suited her far better.

He would have been surprised that she didn’t grovel and scrape like most did when they found out that he was one of the six Saints of Hisaith, had her father not been the most notorious one himself. She likely wasn’t impressed by him, which only plucked his interest even further.

He lifted a finger into the space between them. “First of all, it’s West. No Westleyand drop the last name. Westley is only for those who earn it. Second of all, Red Lyric needs to disappear. For good.”

She waited for him to explain, to go on and tell her the reasons behind his demand.

West sighed and let go of the handle as soon as he was sure she wouldn’t try to escape before he got this part over and done with. “Prince Altivar Talon is searching for you. Well, for who hethinksyou are. He-”

“Does he know?” She interrupted him before he could continue. “Did he send you to come after me? Why does he want me?”

“No.” He lowered a finger to her lips in order to quiet her down before she could ask a mountain’s worth of questions. She stopped talking. “But it’s not for anything good. I’m quite sure that it’s for nefarious purposes and until I can figure outwhatthose purposes are, I’m notgoingto tell him about you either. But until I can do that, Lyric has to vanish.”

“I can’t do that.” Crimson began to untie the ribbon that kept smaller wefts of hair out of her face. “I can’t just abandon the only means of making money that I have. Working for Roland isn’t nearly enough to cover the cost of living.” She brushed her hands through it and thin bangs fell to her eyebrows.

Another clever, pretty thing to hide her true identity.

“What sort of lifestyle are you living that the tips from these vile bloodhounds aren’t supporting you?” There wasn’t any sort of judgement in his resonance, he made sure of that. Not after his earlier mistake that made her abandon him with an angry flash in her eyes.

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