Page 112 of Unbound

His elegant features twist. "It's quite likely. Yes. But how would he know?"

I open my mouth to say something, then worry I've already said too much. The last thing I want is to get Raith in trouble with Bastian or the people he's connected to. I may trust Bastian to an extent, but I have no idea if I can trust him to protect Raith. "Raith has helped me. A lot."

Bastian's eyebrows draw together. "I'm aware."

"So you won't... turn him in, or something, right?"

"I want to keep you alive, Nessa. Raith serves as a formidable guard dog, as far as I'm concerned. I should caution you, though... I suspect you may feel some emotional connection to him. I would strongly advise against it. As long as he thinks there's a chance of you sleeping with him, he may remain trustworthy. But giving him what he wants may cause him to grow bored, and?—"

"I'm not choosing when and where to spread my legs as a negotiation tactic, Bastian." My voice comes out sharp as glass.

He flinches at my tone, then nods. "I'm only suggesting caution. Raith volunteered to be here. We have no records of where he lived going back more than a year before he volunteered. It's highly likely he has ties to Red Kingdom. A spy for the enemy who wants to sleep with you is at least predictable. If you give him what he wants, it's harder to predict what he'll do. That's all I'm saying."

"And it's none of your godsdamned business," I snap.

Bastian smiles slightly. "Understood. I said my piece. The rest is up to you." He stands. "Speaking of guard dogs. It looks like yours wants a word. Stay safe, Nessa. And remember to use discretion during the Crucible. As I said, Empire will have plenty of eyes watching."

He walks off, quickly disappearing into a corridor.

And then I see Raith lingering at the edge of the courtyard. Once Bastian is gone, he approaches.

"Fuck him," he says simply.

I laugh at the unexpected words, the tension in my chest easing slightly. "He has saved me a few times."

Raith shrugs. "It's the only reason I don't kill him."

"You would kill a legacy? For what, exactly?"

There's a flicker of something in Raith's eyes. Something I'm almost tempted to read as jealousy. "I don't trust him with you."

"That's funny, because one of his favorite topics is how I shouldn't trust you with me."

Raith sits beside me, his body giving off that addictive scent of woodsmoke and something deeper—something that always makes my stomach flutter with warmth and my skin prickle with awareness.

"He wants you in his bed," Raith says bluntly.

"No. Definitely not. I'm not even sure Bastian is interested in women."

That earns a sharp look from Raith. "You think he's interested in men?"

"I think he's too busy... scheming to worry about things like that. I know the rumors, but?—"

"So you two haven't ever..."

I tilt my head at Raith, smiling despite all the tension still twisted up inside me from the last half hour. "Are you asking if I've slept with Bastian? Because if you're going to ask me that, I'm going to ask how many dozens of girls you've been with since we arrived here."

"None," he says simply.

The simple admission takes my breath away. I’d assumed…

"You haven't been with anyone here? You really expect me to believe that?"

"You can believe what you want. Have you slept with him?"

"No. And nobody else," I add after a moment.

"Good," Raith says.

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