Page 66 of A Sky of Storms
His brow furrowed. “You don’t know that.”
I twirled a strand of raven hair around my finger, contemplating. “She told you she wanted to kill me, right? Why would she bother dropping that little nugget of information unless it served her? She wanted you to find me, and she wanted me to retaliate. I know my sister, and she’s a clever snake. No, we won’t be walking into her trap today.”
He ran a hand through his red hair, turning his curious brown eyes on me. “What is it between you two? She’s your sister for Mars’ sake.”
I smiled sadly, weighing up whether I should tell him, but it didn’t really hurt either way. Anyone who cared enough to investigate the Auger family would be doing it for the wrong reasons, and everyone at the academy already knew how much my sister hated me.
“Victoria wants to destroy me because she’s intimidated by what I could do. I’m a threat to her—to her ascension in these trials. My parents won’t care if she succeeds. They only care if an Auger sits on the throne.”
“Damn,” he breathed. “That’s harsh little angel.”
I swept my eyes over his face, taking in the chiselled jawline and golden-brown eyes that seemed gentle despite his usual macho bullshit. “Are you close with your family?”
He smiled genuinely; a hint of pride etched in his eyes. “Very. They’ve always pushed me to do my best and to make them proud. Everyone looks down their noses at the Crimson Steppes, but things are going to be different when I become king. It’ll be better.”
“So there’s a heart beneath all that brawn after all,” I teased.
He folded his giant arms and scowled. “I didn’t say it would be better for everyone else. Maybe I just want to see the other Houses squirm beneath Mars’ boot.”
“Sure.” I smiled sweetly, striding over and placing a hand on his bare chest. His huge muscles stiffened beneath my palm. “Big bad Kayden is going to punish everyone.”
He growled, stepping forwards and forcing me to back up. “Don’t mock me little angel. No one’s watching, I could push you over the edge right now.”
I enjoyed this game, getting under each other’s skin. Kayden was a puzzle I wanted to figure out, if only so I could understand his motivations. His ego was overinflated and he was definitely an asshole, but if he genuinely cared about improving things for his city, there had to be a softer side beneath all that muscle.
The dominant energy that he exuded was no joke and frankly was impossible to ignore, but I was beginning to wonder if it was partly a mask. To cover what, I wasn’t sure, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit a part of me wanted to explore not only his head but other things too. Maybe I could have some fun finding out if this sexual tension I was feeling went both ways.
“Would it make you happy to see me dead?” I asked curiously, cocking my head and stepping into his space.
“What?” he asked with a frown, caught off-guard by my sincere question. “No, I—”
I laughed, sliding my hand down his chest to trail my fingers along the vee above his pants. He quivered beneath my touch, his cock hardening as he leaned in and grabbed my ass, a low growl rumbling in his throat.
“You don’t really know what you want, do you?” I breathed, moving my hand lower so I was stroking him through his jumpsuit.
“I’m beginning to get a few ideas,” he said roughly.
I laughed again, thrilled by the idea of anyone being able to see us like this if they only looked up. “Do you want me, baby?” I asked in a husky voice, batting my lashes as I looked up at him.
“Yes,” he groaned. “Fuck, yes, I want to see those pretty eyes staring up at me with my cock jammed down your throat.”
He pushed his leg between my thighs and I had to stop myself from grinding against him. “Do you want to hurt me?” I breathed against his lips, trying not to pant as heat ran down my skin.
“Only when you beg me to.”
I stood back abruptly, leaving him gaping at me. “Good. You’ve been very helpful.” I winked. “We should do this again sometime.”
Without hesitation I stepped backwards, letting myself fall off the ramparts as he rushed to the edge with a cry. My copper wings burst from my back in a flurry of feathers, glinting in the midday sun as I flapped higher, laughing at Kayden’s shocked expression.
“Cya, Rocky, you’ve been a real treat.”
I left him standing there in his full, hardened glory, and joined Kendra below. I pulled in my wings as I landed and she smirked, handing me a spear.
“So, what’s the deal with Kayden then? Think we can trust him?”
Straight to the point. It was one of the things I liked about her. “I don’t think he’s a threat. Victoria bruised his ego and he’s out for her blood, but he seems harmless enough. In fact, I think you’re right about him being a marshmallow deep down. He could be an asset to our group here.”
She rolled her eyes. “Speaking of the other three fools, can you deal with the mean, scary machine over there? He’s threatening to rip out eyes and break necks. It’s not doing much for morale.”
