Page 114 of A Kingdom of Fire and Fury
He was so close. Every part of my body longed to close the distance and kiss him. He was a cruel man and a calculating one. All these words were designed to make my heart melt. And they did.
Kieran let go. “Why me?”
I jerked back. “What?”
His lips quirked. “I’m feeling a bit neglected here,little thief. I’ve poured my heart out to you. What do you feel towards me, Selena, or doyouonly want me for sex? Have you lied to me, darling? Played with my heart?”
I stilled. “I… I don’t have to answer that.” If I did, it’d hurt even more.
He leaned closer. “Now who’s being a coward?”
Iknewhe was trying to push my buttons, but I straightened my shoulders anyway. “Shut up. You want to know—fine. I can’t stop thinking about you either, okay? I hated you when I first saw you. I thought you wanted me dead. Hell, I wanted you dead. But then you saved me. And you kept saving me. And we kept talking, and I found out you’re not a total asshole. That underneath all that, you care, and youdream,and you want to help people. I’m drawn to you in ways I can’t fully explain. It’s like… like no matter where I go, my soul will always be connected to you.”
“Then we’re on the same page.” He leaned forward, and his breath warmed my lips, but he didn’t get any closer, didn’t close the distance like I yearned for him too. “I know you want this as much as I do.”
Heat simmered in my belly. “But we can’t. If Luther finds out—”
“We’d be careful.”
“It’s too risky.”
“I’d cherish you. You own my heart, Selena.”
“Clara—”
“She wouldn’t get in trouble. Even if something happened, I’d protect her with my life. I know howmuch she means to you. I won’t let anything happen to her.”
My heart squeezed. Despite my body’s protests, I pulled back. “I can’t make any decisions tonight.” Not when my emotions were so scattered.
“I don’t expect you to.” Kieran’s eyes glinted. “When you fall into my bed, I want it to be because you can't resist me. Not because you want to escape. But don’t think I’m giving up, little thief. I’ll show you I can protect you. Even if I have to slaughter the world to do it.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
The next day, I was relieved things weren’t awkward or tense between us. It wasn’t that Kieran acted like nothing happened, but he didn’t pressure me. It made warmth flare in my chest, though I knew Kieran’s patience had more to do with how fucking sure he was that I’d fold. That cocky prick.
I wished I could fold. The potential consequences were the only thing stopping me. I snuck a glance at Kieran as he loaded our supplies. I had no idea how Kieran planned to prove his dedication and yet… yet I wanted to see it. It was a dangerous game we played, and I couldn’t help but want to go along with his whims. Seeing the desire in his eyes… I shifted and tried to ignore the heat swelling in my core. This trip didn’t make it easy to resist him, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep it up much longer.
Another ten hour flight later, my legs were dead, and my thoughts weren’t any clearer. The capital of the Caddel Province, Elidad, was a little more isolated than I pictured. There was a huge lake nestled behind the woods that surrounded the capital. My heart stuttered when I spotted the huge stone wall that separated the land from Ethava, the eastern kingdomravaged by dragons until nothing remained. The stone wall was so high, it seemed to reach the skies. If I had to guess, it might’ve been ten stories high.
The air tingled around me.Shit.I had no desire to get any closer from here. One look at Kieran, and he was similarly tense, though that probably had to do with the fact that he might see his family. What was it like to live with the wall towering over the land, to constantly see the warning of what happened to those who rebelled?
“What’s the plan?” I asked once we landed deep in the woods. It was best to give our dragons the chance to hunt. Something Umara was clearly eager to do. She snarled at Hesperos, shouldering past him so hard he staggered sideways. I grinned when Kieran glanced my way.Not my fault my dragon’s badder than yours,my grin practically said.
He rolled his eyes. “We’re going to stay at the edges of the capital and more toward the forest. That’s where the gryphons will be, after all. But first, we’ll go to the post office and send a raven to Caddel Castle to announce our arrival. Then it’s in their hands if they want to make a big deal about it. After that’s settled, we’ll explore the town and gather information.”
Coward.But I kind of liked seeing this side to him. It humanized him. “Are you sure this is a good idea? Like I said, Andova just tried to kill me.” And this time, they weren’t playing around. They weren’t just trying to rattle me. They wanted me well and truly dead. Was it Raven who sent them, or someone directly from Andova? Either way, it didn’t matter. If they succeeded, the result would be the same.
Kieran leveled me with a look. “We can’t give them more power, and we still have a job to do. Stick with me, and I’ll keep you safe. I made a vow to you. I don’t take that lightly, Selena. Trust me.”
I swallowed. For so long, I never allowed myself to trust anyone. Not even Brynn. But I wanted to trust fully. “Okay.”
The capital was bigger than I expected. We could easily spend an entire day walking around. We passed by a lot of stores on our way to the post office. So many of them were two stories and bustling with life. People smiled and greeted Kieran as we passed. This time, there was no obvious reverence like there’d been at our last stop. Instead, it was more of a quiet pride.
After Kieran delivered his raven, we walked past the nicer area of town and into an area I was more familiar with—where the lower classes dwelled. Most of the places were small, but still nicely maintained. However, Kieran strode past them and led me to a brothel of all places on the corner of the street. From the outside, it looked pretty nice. The two-story brick building was well-maintained and even had fresh flowers decorating the outside.
Not only that, but there was a guard stationed outside. That eased some of my nerves. So many women were often treated poorly at brothels, either by clients or the owner. A guard was a good sign. It meant that the workers were treated with at least some dignity and that their safety was somewhat prioritized.
I arched a brow. “A brothel?”
