Page 28 of Chess

“Go on,” Chess urged with a vicious smirk. “Tell us how to get into the castle, pretty boy.”

March sneered and his fangs dropped. “I can’t do this, Ever. How can you trust him? I’m about to tell you the greatest weakness to the castle’s defensesin front of the enemy.”

Ever released an exasperated sigh. “What do you think he’ll do, March? Run and tattle to Rav? Do you think my brother will let him live long enough to tell him our secrets?”

“Technically, he’s only ordered my arrest,” Chess said with a shrug. Unless Rav had upgraded the order from throwing him in the dungeon to lopping off his head. “I’d haveplentyof time to wag my tongue. And I’m good with my tongue, aren’t I?” He licked his lips suggestively, eyeing Ever, knowing full well that March would misunderstand. Then, from their earlier conversation, he added, “Some would even saymorethan good, despite my being from Scarlet.”

Ever turned toward him, meeting his gaze straight on with an icy stare that seemed to saydon’t lie just to rile him up.But he couldn’t help himself. March made it too easy. If the male had only hugged Ever, clung to her hand and whispered in her ear, he would’ve behaved. Mostly. But Chess wasn’t one to lie down and take personal insults from anyone, let alone someone as inferior as—

Ever opened her mouth, but before a word could pass through her lips, March lunged forward. Chess leapt from the bench and met him midair, fangs dropping. Together, they landed, slamming into the brazier, the metal clanging as it flew out from beneath their bodies. Everything that happened next was a blur of fists and fangs.

Chess took a particularly solid punch to the jaw that knocked his head into the edge of the bench. Stars burst behind his eyes. He shook his head to clear his vision, but before he could, March’s fangs were lodged in the side of his neck.Fuck.He leaned into the bite so March couldn’t rip the flesh from him and rolled, dragging March closer to the fallen brazier.

Grabbing a metal leg of the brazier, Chess swung the entire firepit at the back of March’s head. It slammed against his skull, jostling him enough for Chess to free his throat. Hot blood flowed down from the wound. With a hiss, he lunged for March, mouth open, ready to tear out his throat.

A forearm suddenly appeared between them. It was too close for Chess to stop himself before chomping down on the flesh. Blood burst in his mouth, rich and … familiar. He unclenched his jaw, removing his fangs from Ever, and fell backward onto his arse, chest heaving.

“Enough,” she growled, her gaze darting all around. “Not only are you two completely out of line, you’re putting us in danger. Do youwantus to get caught?”

“Sorry,” both Chess and March mumbled, and shot scathing looks at each other.

Chess stood gracefully and wiped Ever’s blood from his lips. “I—”

“I don’t want to hear it. Play nice—end of story,” she snapped at him before rounding on March. “Now, I’ll ask again. How do we get into the castle?”

March got to his feet and straightened his uniform as best he could. “There’s a loose grate hidden behind some bushes that leads into the cellar baths.”

“Perfect. And when is the next shift change?”

March balled his hands into fists and flexed them again. “Two hours from now.”

“We’ll meet you in the baths in two hours then,” she said with a note of finality. “Go before someone notices you’re missing.”

March gave a stiff bow. “Be careful around him,” he warned before stomping out of the gazebo and racing away from the lake.

“That was eventful,” Chess said once they were alone. Ever folded her arms over her chest, drawing his attention to her breasts instead of her pursed lips. The fabric of her T-shirt was taut, showing the swells perfectly behind the graphic of a skull that readdead inside. He couldn’t help wondering what the tempting globes would feel like in his hands, against his tongue, the sound she would make when he sucked her nipple into his mouth. A rush of heat soared through him, straight to his cock. “You know, the only thing better than feeding and fucking is fighting and—”

Ever placed a finger to his lips, her skin soft, her lily scent caressing his nostrils. “Don’t finish that sentence. If you screw this up for me when I’m finally close to regaining my castle, I won’t forgive you. I already shouldn’t after that ridiculous scene.”

A grin grew on Chess’s face. “I can think of a few ways to make it up to you.”

“I’m in no mood to talk about your cock right now, you arse,” she snarled and stepped out of the gazebo.

Chess licked the last traces of her blood from his lips and watched her hips sway as she stormed away from him.Damn.She had no business looking so fuckable when she was pissed. “Wait for me, Queenie,” he called, chuckling to himself.

Chapter Fourteen

Ever

“Are you going to talk to me yet, my prickly white rose?” Chess purred from a tree limb directly above Ever.

She peered up at him in his crouched position and cocked her head. “Why are you hovering in the branch like a cat?”

“I can see all from this angle.” He dropped to a hanging position from the branch, swinging with a smirk on his face before dropping and landing on his feet in front of her.

After the “brawl” between Chess and March, Ever had been frustrated, not only because their plan was put at risk from their foolishness, but because she’d been aroused by the way Chess’s lithe body had moved, even when ridiculous words had poured out of his mouth.

Ever’s fingers, restless, wished to play the viola to release her emotions instead of squeezing the chess piece in her pocket. Once they took out the guards in the palace, she would retrieve her favorite viola from under her bed. Unless Rav had cleared out her room and given her things away, which was most likely the case. Still, she hoped her prized instrument was there.

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