Page 55 of The Curse of a Kingdom
She nodded. “Four months ago, when they took you away.”
“I believe that something is not adding up.”
The palisades became clear behind the wilderness as they stepped out of the cover of the foliage. Nava turned around, her face changing as she took in the forest; it pained her to go back to the castle, and now that he knew the why, he would try to get her out of that room more. Even if that meant having to face the king’s scorn.
“We can’t enter the garden the same way we came out. Because of the attacks, we’ve increased patrolling during the night.”
The sky darkened, offering them cover. “Are we going to walk all night, then? Or are you just trying to torture me?” She groaned, rubbing her hands over her thighs.
“Torturing you? May I remind you I’m here because you had to go to that damned forest today—”
“Right . . .”
She was an eager, beautiful woman, with a sunny disposition and a breath of fresh air.
Orion patted the wall that separated the wilderness and the perimeter of the castle ground, the pattern he had memorized months ago. The grout cracked, and a line was drawn over stone, between the rocks, forming a door with an arch frame and intricate designs.
“So tell me, Nava. In my repressed memories, I remember you being a curious creature. Are you also an impatient one?” His eyes shone when she approached the door.
“I guess you will have to find out for yourself.” She smirked, passing by him. The scent of her wrapped him like a warm hug. Wild berries, earth, honey, and, of course, smoke. The threshold wasn’t wide, and her body was touching his. She faced him.
With her skin flushed as she stared into his eyes, he wanted to pull out her thick bottom lip from the ministration of her teeth and replace it with his own. He was suffocating, dying to know if she felt as soft as he imagined.
But as soon as the heated thought surfaced, it was quickly pushed down by guilt. Devon’s face flashing through his mind had his stomach dropping. Was she even engaged to him? Had that all been a lie to prevent the king from making an example of Nava the day they’d arrived?
It would explain why Devon had been so unaffected the day of her panic attack, when to Orion it had been anything but. He would be asking his brother questions tomorrow.
CHAPTERTWENTY
NAVA
The warm evening enveloped them as Arkimedes flew to his tower, the white moon and stars peppering the sky’s veil. The smoke didn’t linger in the air any longer. However, their skin was stained by the demon’s scorn, and the scent clung to their clothes. A reminder this was not over.
It’d been a while since Nava had been this close to him, with his arms wrapped around her body protectively. Their feet touched the cool stone of her balcony, but he didn’t let go of her. Maybe he was also enjoying their nearness for a change.
She held the cloth of his tunic, feeling the quick beat of his heart under her fingertips, and lifted her face to meet his. They were so close, she would only have to lift to her tiptoes to kiss him the way she craved. “I guess you didn’t drop me after all.”
“I’m offended you even considered it,” he mocked and mirrored her smile. “Safe and sound and delivered to your room.” Arkimedes’s gaze flashed behind her and into the aforementioned space.
She was still determined to get them out of this place as soon as humanly possible. After today, she sensed she had taken a significant leap forward.
He believed her; he knew her role as a Beekeeper and was guarding her secret of being able to call to her magic, even though she was wearing the bracelet. Arkimedes didn’t trust these people. She still wished he would have taken her straight to his room, and by his heated gaze, she knew he was thinking the same.
“This is not my room,” she murmured.
“No? Where, then?” He matched her tone.
Emboldened by his question, she pushed forward. “I rather think my room is wherever you are sleeping.”
His eyes widened at her words, and his fingers combed his hair back away from his forehead. “You keep playing this dangerous game, Nava—"
"I'm not playing. I want you to take me there tonight—"
"I want to," he admitted. His finger caught her bottom lip and pulled it out from under her teeth. "Is that something I have done before? Take you to my room? Touched you." His hand left her lips and traced down the skin of her cheek. He wrapped his hand around her neck, pulling her closer to him. His body was hot, and that place in between her thighs throbbed in anticipation of more. "Have I tasted you?”
The heat that ran through her was nothing to be trifled with. She breathed, “Yes.”
“I keep wondering if you would be as sweet now.” He dropped his face down, and her breath caught in her throat as she awaited the kiss that didn’t come. “It feels like I’m under a spell, burning for you.”
