Page 46 of The Curse of a Kingdom
“I said, back away!” She pushed against his chest with all her strength, but he didn't move an inch.
“That was the custodian, the only other person allowed to enter.” His gaze narrowed on her. “You shouldn’t be able to enter.”
The solstice was affecting them both, she realized. Nava had been off-kilter ever since she’d woken up, her blood flowing hot under her skin; her thoughts about her mate weren’t just focused on how to escape but more about how to get him trapped somewhere, preferably under her and wearing a lot less clothes.
Still, she would not let him think he could talk to her this way, even if she was secretly loving it. She was technically in a forbidden area of the castle—and had gotten caught eavesdropping. Those were semantics.
“Stop whatever this is,now.”
“I’m going to ask you one more time, and then . . .”
Nava lifted her chin, narrowing her eyes at him. She called upon her magic, and it came soaring through her veins with the heat of her scorn. She dissolved midair as Arkimedes staggered forward, his hands desperately grabbing a breath of pollen, dander, and dirt.
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
NAVA
Nava’s legs buckled when she materialized between sculpted hedges in the garden. She took in her surroundings with a heated breath. The emotions inside her weren’t hers alone but his as well. She bolted forward.
She transferred three times, each occasion bringing her closer to the forest. Her energy flared along with her adrenaline; however, transporting so many times in a row made her dizzy.
The pounding of gravel under her steps and the clear buzzing in her ears muffled all other noise. The large flapping of wings came behind her, and then Arkimedes had landed with a mighty roar. She turned and her eyes widened when he met her gaze.
His frown deepened. “Nava, stop.”
She ran as if her life depended on it. Repeated inside her head that Ari needed her. Arkimedes also deserved to see this side of her, of them. Her actions only kept feeding his mistrust. Something had to change.
He groaned when it became clear Nava would not listen to him. “Stop!”
She turned back around but ran faster. Her strides down the path led to an imposing copper gate, rusted in mint-green color with drips of white and dark browns. Walls made of stone caged in the garden. Here, so far from the castle, the heavy scent of smoke lingered heavier than before.
They were playing cat and mouse, and the excitement of it made her blood simmer. Whatever the gods did to magical creatures like them in the solstice was not helping.
The gate’s intricate designs let her see beyond the carvings to a misty forest where Ari awaited her. She could almost feel Arkimedes’s heat as his steps boomed closer. If he caught her, she knew somehow it would take a lot to convince him to let her leave.
But if she made it out and Ari found them . . . then maybe it would spark his memory. His fingertips brushed the end of her hair, and her body lost matter, floating in the air and through the holes of the closed gate.
“Fuck!” His voice sent a thrill of excitement down her back. She almost smiled as she materialized back on her own two feet outside of the castle grounds. “Dammit, Nava.”
He flapped his wings and was over the gate and heading toward her. He had to be using his magic to propel his movements.
The exhilaration that ran through her was a mixture of magic and something more primal. The strong wind stirred her hair before a wall of steel landed on top of her, sending her flying to the ground. An iron arm snaked around her waist and twisted her in his grasp.
The air escaped, and she shut her eyes, awaiting the impact, but all she saw were dark feathers that wrapped her in a protective cocoon.
His muscles reverberated with the impact of the landing. Arkimedes grunted in pain, and the soft, velvety texture of his wings touched her skin.
Nava was draped over him, her arms pulled around his chest. She felt the quickness of his heartbeat under her cheek. This was the closest she had been to him in so long. Her mark soared at the touch. His wings spread open, letting the warm light of the day fold over them. His dark lashes lowered as he blinked multiple times, confusion flashing through his features. One of his hands came to his chest and massaged the spot where his mark lay.
Nava stirred, feeling the long expanse of muscle tense under her movement. He was hard wherever she was soft, their angles and curves perfectly molded to fit one another, just like their souls. His pupils dilated, and the thrill of desire that traveled through her body left her breathless. Whatever this nonsense Devon had been blabbering about, it was not untrue.
Arkimedes rolled over her, and his warm breath hit her cheeks. “Don’t run away again,” he commanded.
“Or what? You will lock me away in the dungeons?” She’d heard castles had dungeons. Her complete ignorance on the matter was not lost on her.
“I will tie you to my bed if I need to.”
Her mouth went dry. Now,thiswas the kind of submission she could get behind. “I would like to see you try.”
