Page 155 of Of Blood and Banes
“If he had found out you were lying…” I whisper.
“Then what?”
“Then…”
“Exactly. I’m not afraid of Sethan.” He crosses his arms over his chest, regarding me with a confident head tilt and grin.
“You should be. A’nala would torch you on the spot.”
“I could outrun her.”
I chuckle. “You’re not fast enough to outrun a dragon.”
“Says who?”
I snort. “Says the person who outran you one time.”
A rumbling laugh bumps his words, shaking his arms and chest. “You mean like the time you split your pants?”
My mouth drops open, and I playfully smack him with the letter, the warmth of embarrassment and fondness washing over me at the memory. “I did not!”
We both erupt into laughter, watching each other through squinted eyes.
He has to contain his chuckling just to say, “I don’t think I had ever seen you run so fast. Not even the time when you almost got sprayed by that skunk.”
As I quiet down, a smile still warms my cheeks, a new light cracking through the grief in my chest. “I definitely thought you hadn’t noticed my pants.”
“Oh, Idefinitelynoticed,” he laughs with a nod.
We stand a few feet away from each other smiling, until our faces relax as the memory becomes just that—a memory. And a reminder of a simpler, more joyful time.
He clears his throat, and I break our eye contact to look to the right.
“Well…I’ll let you get settled in for the night. Unless you need anything else?” he asks.
I almost ask him to stay with me tonight. To hold me. But knowing it’s not fair, I shake my head, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. “No, I should be all set.”
He dips his head then takes a few steps for the door, and I slide toward him, stopping his advance. I wrap my arms around him, kissing his cheek before closing my eyes as I lean my head into his chest and whisper, “Thank you.”
He flinches before he wraps his arms around me, holding me in a tight embrace and resting his chin on the top of my head. “Always.”
When we break out of our hug, his cheeks and eyes are warm. He squeezes my hand lovingly. And walks out my door.
I’ve read the letter Cole gave me from Sethan multiple times over. But it’s pointless. Ten read throughs later, and I know nothing more than I did on the first. The strange language stares back at me, taunting me for not being able to decipher it.
Gavin knocks on the door later that night with Darian in tow, coming to collect Darian’s rucksack after being commanded by Sethan to take Darian to his office. While I’ve been able to build my trust with Sethan, I hesitate over him being alone with Darian. And given Sethan’s growing desperation to save this realm, I wouldn’t put it past him to try the same tactic again to glean information.
“Bring him in here. He’s staying with me,” I whisper to Gavin and open the door farther.
Gavin eyes me hesitantly but hands me Darian’s shackles all the same. After I pull Darian inside and close the door, he’s already eyeing the bottles on the desk. I managed to break two of the seven bottles yesterday. Bless Cole for cleaning it up sometime after I’d fallen asleep.
Darian tips his chin toward the liquor. “I see you’ve finally decided to hold up your end of the bargain?”
“Knock yourself out,” I mutter before turning my back to him.
He clears his throat, and I turn slowly, finding him lifting his shackles and shaking the chain. Sighing, I remove the key frommy brassiere and unlock his shackles without looking him in the eye.
“Did she still have that fire in her eyes?” he asks softly.
