Page 70 of Vicious Princess
The wood breaks on the stone, and a sea of beans spills all over the street. A laugh bubbles out of me when Daegel curses as he slips on the beans and almost loses his footing.
He glances up at the roof, where I kneel perched above him. My bow is sturdy in my hand, an arrow aimed right at his forehead.
Slowly, he straightens his back. “Nice work, Wildarrow.”
Panting, I say, “Thanks. The beans were a pleasant coincidence.”
He sheathes his blades into their place on his back. “You took advantage of your surroundings very well. Putting distance between us, throwing me off by making a sharp turn when I didn’t expect it, and climbing the crates and pushing them off to ensure I didn’t follow.” Daegel claps. “You’re gonna do just fine during your trial mission.”
I lower my bow. “Is that why you brought me to the city tonight? To prepare me for the trial mission?”
A shrug. “Partly.”
Daegel’s feet are quick as he navigates the spilled beans under him and approaches what’s left of the crates. Swiftly, he pushes himself up, then elegantly jumps onto the roof. He takesa seat next to me, throwing his legs over the edge. I lower myself to a seated position, too.
Cool sea breeze ruffles my hair. From here, we have a decent view of the rest of the city roofs, and on the horizon, I can almost make out the lines of the dark sea.
“Have you ever been on top of the castle?” I turn to Daegel. “The views from there should be amazing.”
“I have. They’re spectacular. You can see far away behind the city walls, almost to the forests at the base of the mountains.”
I look behind us to where the large mountains with snowy tips loom. “Are those the mountains your ancestors are from?”
Chuckling, he shakes his head. “Not those specific mountains. Ones much farther up in the north.”
For a while, we simply sit in silence, enjoying the peaceful night. Daegel watches the city that stretches in front of us. And I watch him.
I’m not very subtle, because with a hint of amusement in his voice, he says, “Got something on your mind, princess?”
I’ve got plenty things on my mind.
Many things I can’t voice. Like how stunning and defined his profile is, his cheekbones high and cut sharp enough to slice through glass.
Or how attractive his lips are, pouty and soft. When I remember the way they felt on my body, against my most sensitive spo?—
I blink rapidly and turn away.
His voice is husky. “I sense you’re thinking somefunthoughts.”
My head whips back to him. “Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean?”
Daegel inhales and exhales with a hum. “I can tell from the scent of your body that whatever was going through your mind got you…excited.”
Oh, dear gods.I press my thighs together and stare at him. Horrified.
“You do know fae have heightened senses compared to humans, right? So do dwarves.”
“Of course I know that!” I snap. “I just…didn’t consider it right now.”
Daegel runs his teeth over his bottom lip, but says nothing on the matter. From the way his pupils expand, though, I can tell he’s curious to hear all about those thoughts of mine.
To avoid the tension building further, I change the subject. “So, Leti. She’s close with your family?”
All the magic between us evaporates in the blink of an eye. Daegel looks in front of him again, face distant. “She is.” After a brief pause, he adds, “But not in the way you imagine.”
I frown. “How many ways are there to stay close to your ex’s family in Ekios?”
“It means…there are things that are hard to explain. That may even be dangerous to explain, to be honest.”
