Page 45 of Slaying the Shadow Prince
‘A ranger really should know this,’ he managed through gritted teeth. ‘What would you do if you were injured on the road?’
‘Well, we don’t usually drink the liquor we treat our wounds with,’ Drue replied. ‘How’s this?’
Talemir surveyed her handiwork. ‘Good. Now, if you’d be so kind as to put it on the wound…’
A bitter smell drifted from the paste as Drue scooped it up on her fingers. Gently, she applied it to the gash. She could feel Talemir trembling beneath her touch, and in that moment she realised she didn’t actually wish to inflict pain upon him, half-wraith or not.
‘Sorry,’ she murmured as she added more.
‘I’m fine,’ he said quietly. ‘The ivy should coax any infection from the wound. It acts as a cleaning agent against any toxins.’
‘How long does it take to work?’
‘I should be feeling better in an hour,’ he told her, grimacing as the bitter aroma grew stronger. ‘Just what I need. More filth added to this mess.’ He gestured down at his blood-and-dirt-spattered clothes. ‘Though I can’t say I fancy freezing my bollocks off in the river.’
Sure enough, when Drue washed the remnants of the blackbore ivy from her hands, her fingers went instantly numb in the icy current. She returned to Talemir, surveying him critically. ‘I’ll make you a deal, Warsword…’
He looked up at her, brows raised. ‘What sort of deal?’
‘Recover quickly and I’ll show you where you can wash off the blood and stench of wraith without freezing your precious balls off.’
Despite his eyes still being glazed with fever, Talemir smiled. ‘Well, consider me intrigued. In fact, let’s up the dose of this blackbore and we’ll be on our way.’
Drue had been debatingwith herself whether to mention the hot springs. As much as she longed to soak her aching muscles and scrub the grime from her own skin, it seemed an unnecessary waste of time to take the half-wraith there. But at this point, with Talemir injured and a cold night suddenly upon them, there was little reason not to set up camp by the steaming pools. They could rest and recover there before continuing on at dawn. Perhaps he’d let his guard down.
On horseback once more, she led them away from the river across several plains, to a rocky outcrop on the outskirts of the island where, beyond a series of enormous boulders, the hot springs lay.
Talemir whistled low as they neared the turquoise waters. ‘I’ve never seen such a beautiful sight,’ he said, dismounting with much more ease than he had before.
‘How’s the wound?’ Drue asked.
‘Never better,’ he quipped, already pushing his boots off at the heel.
‘You don’t want to make camp first?’ Drue led her mare to where it could graze.
When she turned back to the springs, Talemir already had his shirt off. ‘Not a chance.’
Her mouth went dry at the sight of him. She was utterly transfixed at the view of that glorious torso once again. This time, his golden skin was spattered with blood and dirt and a smear of blackbore paste on his shoulder, but the mess took nothing away from his sculpted chest and broad shoulders… In fact, it suited him. He still wore that sapphire around his neck, the blue gem glinting in the last slivers of sunlight. Drue was tempted to ask who it had belonged to, for there was no denying that it was a woman’s jewel. But she had no right to ask those sorts of questions and, to her dismay, she questioned whether she actually wanted to know the answer.
‘What are you waiting for?’ Talemir asked from the edge of the pool, hazel eyes bright.
A dare. A challenge.
One that Drue wouldn’t lose.
‘Nothing.’ Calling his bluff, her fingers rose to undo the buttons of her own shirt. She felt his stare fixed upon her like a searing brand as her shirt came undone down the centre, the fabric slipping from her bare shoulders. She placed it over a nearby boulder, not yet daring to look at the Warsword.
Slowly, she untied the band of material around her breasts, the cold air kissing her skin, her nipples hardening.
Then she looked at him, her chin raised high, anticipation already throbbing between her legs. She had meant to unsettle him, provoke him even, but she’d underestimated her own body’s response to the Warsword.
Talemir hadn’t moved a muscle. His hooded gaze devoured her, trailing across her exposed torso, drinking her in.
‘Your turn,’ she said in a low and sultry voice she hardly recognised.
‘Considering you’ve already seen under these clothes, I’d say things are a tad unfair… but I’ll play.’ His hands went to his belt, sliding it from its buckle and tossing it aside. The buttons of his pants came undone beneath deft fingers and soon, the fabric was sliding down his muscular thighs, his thick, hard length springing free.
Drue’s breath caught as he kicked away his leathers and stood before her, utterly naked.
