Page 27 of A Kiss of Embers
Her red-black lips puckered in her sleep, reminded him of when she’d hovered over him before her kiss. For a moment, he’d thought she would kill him.
But she hadn’t.
Instead, she had saved his life.
The woman’s long, dark eyelashes fluttered in her sleep, and her wings followed suit as they shuddered during a small stretch. Instead of green with traces of brown, they were now white, edged with a rich mahogany hue.
His gaze traveled between the creamy complexion of her skin to the black armored patches of scales on her shoulders. And on the side of her face, the small black horns proved to be softer than they looked as she rested her head against his shoulder.
Autumns, Seraphina was a beautiful woman.
Run!The voice inside his head urged him to leap to his feet and get a running start from the woman who had captured him.
But she was so warm, and outside was so cold. Soft and warm, and she smelled oh so good, like sweet flora and autumn winds.
All too suddenly, she froze against him, not moving even to breathe. Slowly, he closed his eyes but kept his breaths deep and even to feign sleep. A part of him wondered what she might do after discovering themselves in such a position. Because he wasn’t sure what to do himself. The woman had shown him compassion. But did that mean he could hand her a sliver of trust?
The action was nearly indecipherable when she moved quickly, but Bastien was ready. Right as Seraphina tried to slam another poison dart into his shoulder, he flipped her over and pinned her hands down with his knees while he held his forearm firm against her throat. The dart clattered across the rocky floor before coming to a standstill beside the cave entrance.
“I gave you a chance,” he growled in her face. “Why would you squander it?”
She snarled right back. “You can’t truly tell me you would come to the Burning Cliffs willingly. You are my prisoner, not my friend.”
“You kissed me.”
“I saved your life.”
“I never asked you to.”
Seraphina wriggled beneath him, trying to free her hands, but he held her tighter. “You are a means to an end. My sister needs me. This is the only way.”
He laughed dryly and shook his head. “You mean yourchild.”
She lifted her lip in a snarl. “I told you not to speak of her.”
“Why not? Pri spoke to me through some sort of crystal dust. Asked for my help. Do you know what I said?” When Seraphina glared, he continued, “I told her it was impossible. But still, she begged. And I relented. I thought it was an impossible task. Ashryn is skilled and resourceful, but even she’s no match for a dozen patrol guards.”
He shoved her throat one last time before he stood, stalking away from the Ember Queen. A thin layer of snow still lay on the ground, but the sun beat down on the earth, making quick work of the remaining snow and melting it as he trudged through the numerous puddles and small streams surrounding him.
A part of him knew he was mad for facing his back to the enemy. It might earn him a dart to the neck. But he was feeling in a particular mad mood, with anger and annoyance as the backdrop to its symphony.
Behind him, Seraphina released a war cry, moving too quickly for him to turn around in time before she jumped onto his back and latched on. “I hate you, Bastien Dalena!” She pounded once on his shoulder. “You irk me, and I hate you more than you could ever know!” She pounded on his back.
Prying her legs off from around his waist proved difficult, but he finally managed to flip her over his shoulder and threw her toward a puddle of mud. She caught her balance in time and landed with an airy flit of her wings.
“More than I could know?” he shouted back. “You dragged me halfway across the blazing forest! My back is scraped up. My clothes have holes. And you single-handedly shattered my dignity.” He laughed humorlessly once again. “I know exactly how much you hate me because it’s a perfect reflection of my contempt foryou.”
The woman took him off guard as she untied her sash from around her waist and tossed it onto a patch of damp grass. “Fine. You want a fair fight? Come and get it.”
The entire situation felt wrong. After what seemed like a twisted sense of camaraderie after the wraith attack, the thought of trying to hurt Seraphina didn’t sit well in his stomach.
As if noticing his hesitancy, she charged at him, which forced him to block an attack to his throat. He swiped her hand to the side and lashed out toward her shoulder. She twisted at the last second to avoid the strike.
They grappled with one another, and just when one had the upper hand, the other would escape their grip like soap beneath water. His shoes slipped in slick mud, making his task of subduing her much more difficult.
She jabbed her elbow into his ribs, causing him to stumble backward. But his foot skidded to the side when he misstepped, and she was quick to take the opportunity to lash out at his throat once again. He grabbed onto her wrist and twisted it behind her back. In the process, he lost what little footing kept him balanced and crashed face-first into the mud, bringing her down with him.
Mud flew in all directions as they wrestled one another. Her green dress quickly became brown. His white hair turned brunette. And when he flipped her into the mud, and she rolled over with her face covered in the brown substance, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the absurd sight.
