Page 113 of A Touch of Stars and Stones
Blood pooling. Oozing from her chest.
No.
I won’t let that happen. And if I was worried, I might be falling before, I’m clearly screwed now. Because I knew I wanted to fight for her from the moment she stormed past me. And now, I want to defend her with my life. Defend against that vision ever being her future.
She is quiet through training, which, mercifully, has rotated back to skills. We work with blades, and it once again reminds me of how little Ever knows. Rowan actually instructs her this time, alongside everyone else. Calix keeps watch over her, too, which shouldn’t fucking piss me off, but it does.
Usually, we’d steal glances, or I’d catch her watching me. Or I her. But she avoids me at every turn.
Infuriating.
And only serves to burn my emotions hotter.
Rowan pairs Micah with her for sparring. Wise. He can’t do much more damage than her with a blade, but it still bites into me.
Every fibre, every beat of my heart wants to stand guard over her and make sure she doesn’t suddenly transport us to some snow-covered landscape where I’ll have to live through watching her die.
Everything feels off-kilter. Maybe the events over the last few days have caught up to all of us, or it’s the waning effects of the new moon in two days’ time. It’s not just me, and it helpscamouflage my piss-poor mood. There’s far too much in my head, and it all revolves around her.
The conversation with my father still tugs and worms its way in, and every time I look at Ever, I feel like I’m betraying her for not telling her my suspicions that he knows who her parents are.
But that’s all they are. Suspicions. Strands of thought and cloaked words that don’t add up to enough. At her Transference, Kamari said that her being a Fifth was destined, not influenced by her Advocate. That must mean her parentage. I want to give her something sure—something real. She deserves that.
After baking under Novandia’s ruthless rays for most of the day, with only a short break for lunch, we’re dismissed.
I stride towards Ever, who’s still with Micah, and pull my concentration around my mind to guard against the sorrow that has lingered far too long for my liking. “Go and find Kyra. Ever will need her later. I’ll come and get you after dinner.” Micah nods and leaves us, and she finally turns to look at me.
“You really don’t want me to have a bath, do you? First, this morning, and now, after all those hours in the sun, you still want me to work?” Her attack pulls at the smile on my lips at laying eyes on her again. No darkness, only that bright, clear green. She shoves her hands on her hips, and that move brings my attention right to where her hands are.
She’s stripped off the cotton shirt she often favoured to cover up. It’s now hung from her waist, secured with a knot at the front. And it doesn’t hide the small strip of skin I can still see. Skin that glistens along her chest, her collarbone, and down her arms.
I’m staring. Fucking drinking her in, and I can’t stop even if I try.
After today, I’m done.
No more playing safe. Apparently, watching the girl you might be falling for bleeding out in front of you changes your priorities.
I crowd her, forcing her head to tilt up to keep her eyes watching mine. Very, very carefully, my hand lifts, and the tip of my finger brushes one of her stray wisps of curls away from her face.
Her breath hitches at the barely-there contact, and her pupils flare darkly, beating back the cool green with ease. Relief that she doesn’t pull back hits me in the chest.
“Take a bath if you want, Ever. But please don’t do it on my account.” I lean down to angle my lips near her ear. “Because you look fucking delicious just the way you are.”
I don’t need to use any of my magic to pick up on what she’s thinking now. It’s written all over her body, her body that’s reacting to me. My eyes dip to her lips, then lower, where the outline of her breasts and nipples now press firmly against the top she’s wearing despite the heat.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
My body blocks her, shielding her because that isn’t something I want anyone else seeing.
“Ten…” Her voice is all breathy, and now I need a fucking bath. A cold one.
“Put your shirt on,” I snap.
“What?” Confusion creeps over her face.
“Put your shirt back on,” I grind out each word. “Because while I’m more than happy to stare at your chest. I don’t want anyone else to. Understand?”
“What? Oh, Stars!” Shock dawns, and she steps back, twisting her body and scrambling with her shirt.
