Page 69 of The Princesses of Ruin
Chapter twenty-six
Adrik
We wrap ourselves tightly in leather and cloth, sealing in our heat and scent. I spray both of us several times with the scent-obscuring mixture, and Emillia sighs.
“How does this hide scent?”
I relish the sound of her voice, muffled as it is by her wrap.
“Charcoal, glycerin, witch hazel, and strong spirits.”
“I don’t care what it’s made of.” Her eyebrows furrow beneath the brim of her hat. “How does it work?”
“It’s not magic—just simple alchemy. Charcoal absorbs odors, witch hazel makes us smell of the wild. The spirits and glycerin keep the mixture stable and sharp. That is all.”
“You think it’ll fool a wolf?”
I meet her gaze. It’s intense, perhaps frightened, but she is ever the strong captain, never one to admit her fear.
“It’s better than parading out there with six days of stink on us.”
She snorts a laugh. “I suppose.”
I spray her again, staining her leather black in splotches like a painter. She must be covered. She must be safe.
“Adrik…”
My name is soft from her lips and hidden by her scarf, but it stills my heart.
“Emillia?” I ask, spraying her a few more times to avoid her.
Her gloved hands cup my hood-covered cheeks and she pulls on me until we are eye to eye.
“I like you.”
My heart squeezes at the same time my stomach flips. The sensation flowing through my body is erratic, invigorating, and unwelcome. We have a wolf to hunt, and now I’m just thinking of her.
“Sorry,” she says, dipping her face into the cradle of her coat. “I just thought—if we die—you should know. I like you more than the lovers I’ve taken in temporary ports and I just…don’t get hurt, okay?”
I drop the spray and pull down her scarf, dragging her face to mine. The kiss is cold but filled with passion. I band my other arm around her lower back and drag her to me. We’re both very fluffy, and friction is impossible, but it feels good to have her against me either way.
I break the kiss, leaving her breathless.
“I like you, too.”
She drags me back for one more feral kiss.
“When we’re done, I’m going to fuck you.”
My mouth is salivating at the thought of last night, and what comes next. I want to survive to enjoy it, so I pull another two vials from my bag.
“My own special cocktail,” I say, handing her one. “Pain dampener, calming draught, amplifier, and wakefulness.”
Emillia whistles and uncorks her vial, then takes a whiff of it. I’m not sure if she’s looking for poison, or if this is a customary Wolishthing, but once it passes the check, she clinks her vial gently against mine.
“Bottoms up.”
I uncork my potion and throw it back. The tingle of many drugs mixes with the taste of Emillia on my tongue. The resulting flavor is like a noxious dessert. I drink it down and sigh deeply into the instant relief from my painful erection as it begins to abate.
