Page 104 of Fear the Flames
My knuckles and cheeks are red and raw from the piercing wind. I sneak a glance up at Cayden and take in his reddened cheeks. I imagine it would make him look boyish if his glare alone couldn’t cut a man down without a fight. The reflection of the sun off the water makes his hazel eyes look more green than brown. They flash down to me before I have the chance to pull my gaze away. A sliver of warmth penetrates his eyes, and his lips lift in a smirk, betraying the usual scowl he gives the world.
I jerk my eyes away, focusing on the cracks in the wood below me. If my cheeks were not already red from the cold, they would have heated under his gaze. The dock creaks below us as he shifts beside me, leaning closer to my ear. “Careful, angel, your glare doesn’t have as much sting as it normally does,” he says in a teasing tone.
“My glares sting you?” I tease back and force my eyes to meet his again. They shimmer in amusement, but it’s better than him glaring at every single boat that passes by. I don’t think he realizes he’s glaring; I think his face is just naturally angry.
“Deeply.” He presses a hand to his chest. “Your hatred captivates me.”
“You make it very easy,” I retort.
“Perhaps,” his eyes flare in challenge, “but that doesn’t change the fact that you are the sweetest curse bestowed upon me.”
My breath hitches in my throat, and his eyes fall to my lips before slowly climbing their way up my face, meeting my eyes again. His gaze has darkened, and his smirk isn’t as prominent. He opens his mouth to say something but cuts himself off when he hears a set of footsteps coming our way. He whips his head forward and angles his body slightly in front of mine. Finnian rounds the corner, fiery curls swaying in the icy wind that flies off the water.
“Almost everywhere is full because of the ball, but they offered us the attic room if we want it,” Finnian says, licking his chapped lips.
It doesn’t surprise me that all the inns are full. Citizens probably made their reservations weeks in advance. I don’t care if we have to stay in the attic; I just want to get out of the cold for a few moments. It feels like it’s seeping into my bones and boots. All four of us nod in unison and push off the walls we’re leaning against. Cayden stretches his arm to the side and gently presses his hand into my lower back, urging me to walk in front of him.
We file out of the alleyway and round a corner that leads to the entrance of the weather-worn inn. I climb the few creaky steps, sandwiched between Finnian and Cayden, and walk into the warmth of the crowded building. Finnian reaches a hand up to the owner, who stands behind a busy counter to signal that we’re taking the room. The inn doubles as a tavern, as most inns do, and the smell of a hearty winter stew hangs heavily in the air. I keep my head down, not wanting to risk making eye contact with the wrong person, and follow Finnian’s footsteps to the narrow staircase.
The ceiling of the stairway is warped and slanted, which causes Finnian, Cayden, and Ryder to hunch over as we round the third level. Rather than another hallway lined with rooms, the stairway to the final level only leads to a single door. Finnian bounds up the stairs and stretches his arm to the top of the door frame to retrieve the key, puffing dust into the air in the process. The door creaks against the rusty hinges as he pushes it open. Light streams through the double windows directly in front of me. We have a view of the canal and several rickety buildings, resembling the same shade of wood as the inn. There’s no fireplace in the room, but it’s still decently warm in here—much better than sleeping outside. The room is equipped with two beds side by side and a couch.
I take a seat on the bed closest to the window. Finnian sinks down beside me, claiming his spot. A notch loosens in my chest when I see Cayden walk to the couch out of the corner of my eye. This is how the arrangements should be. My mind repeats that it’s good to put distance between us. However, I’ve said the words so many times that they’ve stopped holding as much weight as they should.
My eyes betray me and glance in his direction, only to find him already gazing at me. I don’t jerk my eyes away. Neither does he. His legs spread and he leans into the soft cushions. One of his toned arms stretches along the top of the couch while the other rests at his side. His long fingers drum against his thigh; it’s as if he’s silently challenging me to climb onto him. His eyes are laced with dare and decadence, and I can practically hear his sensual whisper in my mind, reminding me of how much I enjoyed myself when I last sat on his lap.
“I’ll toss your body into the canal if you kick me in your sleep, got it?” Saskia growls.
“Relax,” Ryder drawls. “We can make a pillow line. I don’t want to see your face while I’m trying to sleep. It might give me nightmares.” He sticks his tongue out at his sister. She hits him with a pillow before packing it into their pillow line while mimicking him in a mocking tone.
“I’ve been scheming,” Saskia declares, taking a seat on the edge of her bed, unaware of the silent battle between Cayden and me. I look away from him to focus on Saskia and the mission, but I can still see his gaze linger on me from the corner of my eye.
Cayden clears his throat and looks away after an extended moment. “You’re always scheming,” he responds.
“As are you,” she retorts before getting back on track. “We’re obviously going to have to split up to infiltrate the castle because all five of us together will draw too many eyes. Three of us should enter through the dungeon door Elowen mentioned, and two of us should enter through the main entrance in proper masquerade attire.”
“Elowen and I will enter through the main entrance,” Cayden states. Finnian whips his head in my direction, wanting my approval. I know he doesn’t want to separate from me, but he’ll be safer if he’s farther away. This was mine and Cayden’s mission from the beginning, and it still is. It’s what forged our alliance and partnership.
“I agree with him,” I say. Finnian doesn’t challenge it. Neither does Saskia or Ryder.
Saskia continues, “Elowen and Cayden will enter through the main entrance and take part in the ball. It’ll be easier to get to the dragon chamber from there, considering that’s where the amulet took her through. Finnian, Ryder, and I will steal guard uniforms, get the key, and get it to you in the ballroom.”
Ryder runs a hand along his jaw, “There’s a lot that could go wrong.”
“Those usually make for the best plans,” Finnian muses. Ryder’s calculating eyes flash to Finnian, but he doesn’t deny him.
“I have a condition,” I state. “We must travel back to Vareveth separately. We don’t know what chaos will come after Cayden and I release the dragons; it’s too unpredictable. They might follow me right away, or they might not. You three need to be out of the castle and riding away by the time we get to the chamber. We’ll wait in the ballroom to give you a head start.”
“You can steal a boat and travel down the Emer. It’ll get you to Vareveth faster than the route we took to get here. The river will be crowded due to the ball; it’s the perfect coverage,” Cayden adds. I glance over at him and offer a small smile of appreciation for supporting my condition before anyone else speaks. He nods in acknowledgment before fixing his hard eyes back on the group, daring anyone to challenge him. We could’ve taken that route if we knew about the number of people traveling through Imirath.
Finnian’s jaw is locked, and Ryder looks to Saskia, who twiddles with her tied back braids. “It makes sense,” she whispers, not wanting to bring the truth to the light.
Finnian pinches the bridge of his nose while getting to his feet. He glances out the window toward the canal. “We should head out soon to scout out where we’ll rob later.”
“It sounds so gross when you say it like that.” Saskia rolls her eyes.
“How else would you like me to say it?” Finnian turns away from the window to face us.
“Redefining ownership,” I chime in, smiling at Finnian, who meets my grin with one of his own.
