Page 64 of The Curse of a Kingdom
“History?” Devon asked with a mocking smile, and Arkimedes side-eyed his brother but proceeded to ignore him.
“Street vendors and art. Does that sound good?”
Breathless at the shine behind his irises, she didn’t think she’d seen him so eager since she’d met him. He was happy.
She cut her eyes to Devon, making sure she wasn’t the only one seeing this, and by his brother's softening expression, it wasn’t just her.
Arkimedes loved it here, and it was a disaster.
* * *
By the time they made it back to the castle, the evening light had taken over the sky. Watercolor shades of blues and oranges matched the beautiful silk scarf Arkimedes had gotten her in one of the markets earlier in the afternoon.
She hated to admit she’d had fun. Though she’d been apprehensive at first, life in the city had been contagious. Since Arkimedes's wings had been hidden from view and he hadn’t been wearing his crown and regalia, they’d gone unnoticed. Just three humans walking around town.
Time had passed, however, and her body had acted a bit off-kilter. Too swollen in areas it shouldn't be. Even though the night was cool against her skin, she was too warm to stay in her dress a second longer. Having left Devon back in his room, she and Ark walked together down the corridors of the castle, trailed by Fael not far behind.
“Did you have fun?” he asked as they approached the green room.
“I did. Very much so.”
Memories of eating frog legs for the first time flashed through her mind. Devon had told her they were chicken skewers; it was her own damn fault for trusting the Crow with anything. She’d been halfway through her second skewer when Arkimedes asked her if she had eaten frog before.
In her defense, it sort of tasted like chicken—with a bit of a swampy aftertaste. Their combined laughter still chimed inside her head, making her smile.
Their rooms grew closer, and with that, the tension in her stomach multiplied, a sort of giddiness she hadn’t experienced before. It was what she imagined being courted a regular way felt like. Being walked to her door, unsure what to expect from it.
Unable to look away from him, she was drawn like a moth to a flame. His face had relaxed from the weight of mistrust that had darkened his aura after what they’d done yesterday with the Zorren, and the lightness of today’s outing.
He was breathtakingly handsome, and the fact that she was not allowed to reach and kiss him had her aching when she shouldn't be. Fael hung back as Arkimedes leaned against the doorframe, his gaze flashing around the corridor before coming down to her. Nava’s back hit the cool texture of the door behind her. Her blood drummed in her veins, and her fingers twitched with the need to grab the lapels of his tunic and bring him in. She missed the way his lips felt against hers, soft but demanding. The softness of his tongue, the burn of his stubble against her cheeks.
“You weren’t lying last night,” he whispered, and Nava’s gaze snapped back to Fael. She gathered her soulmate trusted this man more than he did the rest of the guards. Why? Nava didn’t know, but she didn’t feel comfortable speaking about yesterday here.
She brought her hand to his chest; his skin burned the pads of her fingers through the fabric. They were both running too hot and treading dangerous territory. “I wouldn’t lie about that.” Withhold truth, yes. But out of necessity.
“I’m sorry for how I reacted. I was— I have been feeling a bit off-kilter.”
So was she. Nava grasped the collar of his tunic and pulled him in just a fraction. He was close enough she could see the spots that moved in his irises and the darkness of his lashes as they dipped.
Nava had to get out of this hall immediately. They had company. “I should get in. I need a good shower.” Or ten to cool down. She reached for the doorknob with a shaky hand, struggling to grasp at the metal. “Good night, Ar—sir.”
His pupils dilated. “Good night, Nava.”
The door clicked closed, and she leaned against its surface for too long, grasping her chest, trying to calm her fast-beating heart and talk herself out of doing something ridiculous like inviting him in.
The reason why she shouldn’t was not sounding too important. She struggled to remind herself that there were lies in between them. That being intimate for them was more than just a good time and tousled sheets.
Lying with Arkimedes when he was in a solstice-induced spell was not her goal here. Her nerves were on edge after the day she had today.
She focused on something else. The burning fire in the corner, the fresh scent of a summer night, the memories of the afternoon they had. Nava wanted to hate this city as a whole, but it had been nice to get to know something new, something bigger than where she had been in the past.
Nava walked toward the fireplace, dropping the sleeves of her dress and pushing the gown past her wide hips and down her legs. She wiggled out, her body coiled tighter with each step she took, and the gentle breeze of the early evening enveloped her, cooling her skin.
Her only clothes was a light chemise, made of sheer silk. A low neck and beautiful embroidered straps that tied it to her shoulders. It was light as a feather over her, but even that felt suffocating.
She pulled it down her arms when the ends of her hair raised on end and a pleasant sensation in her stomach blossomed.
Arkimedes’s gaze burned across the expanse of her balcony and through the fabric of her curtains. She guessed he’d been outside getting some fresh air—or maybe he’d heard her and had been waiting for her.
