Page 29 of Taming Chaos

“You might maim me a little, but you won’t kill me, Persephone.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Trust me.” He closed her fingers around the weapon. Seph studied the contours of his hands, idly thinking they looked more like hands that might belong to an artist, not a warrior. “There are things that even I don’t understand about myself.”

Curious and curiouser.

It occurred to Seph that his hands were bare. Somehow, he must have discarded his armor-gloves.

His forearms were bare too. Corded muscle flexed as he released his grip on her hand.

His elbows were bare.

When had he…?

Seph swallowed. She didn’t dare turn around. “Torin, when did you undress? Are you…” Naked?

“This is by far the best way to keep you warm,” he said cryptically, a hint of amusement entering his voice.

Clang! And then something metallic hit the outside of their container, and Seph would have gone flying through the gravity-free air if not for Torin’s unwavering presence behind her.

He barely moved, except to reassuringly tighten his arms around her. “Here we go,” he whispered.

“Does nothing surprise you, Kordolian?”

“Me? Good things surprise me. Bad things annoy me. I’m used to dealing with the latter.”

The unnerving metallic sounds continued, each tap and clang sending a chill through Seph. If not for Torin, she would have been tossed all around over the place as momentum kicked in.

The cabin started to shake.

“This is a retrieval. They’re pulling us into their ship. I’m guessing gravity’s going to kick in right about—”

Boom. A dull thud reverberated through the metal walls, followed by a series of shudders. Without Torin, Seph would have overbalanced and fallen awkwardly, but he seemed to anticipate the exact moment when weightlessness ended and gravity kicked in.

Their feet hit the floor, and Torin momentarily took her weight, making sure she landed without a fuss. His armor had mysteriously reappeared, coating his arms and hands in a layer of sleek, sculpted obsidian.

Suddenly, Seph wasn’t weightless anymore. She was standing on the solid floor.

“We’re in. I’m guessing pirates, rogue traders, or even a Kordolian exile ship. Don’t worry. Whoever they are, they’ll understand very soon that you’re not for sale.” He released her and took a step back. “This might sound strange, but in the Greater Universe, the only language the pirates and marauders and cutthroats understand is that of power. For all intents and purposes, once we set foot on that ship, you’re mine.”

The sheer intensity of his expression made her heart flip inside her chest. The way Torin spoke—with absolute authority—gave her a glimpse of yet another side of him.

He’s Kordolian. Just because he comes with polished edges, doesn’t mean you should forget what he really is.

The paranoid part of her imagined an alternate reality, where Torin did whatever he pleased, where he enforced his claim over her with startling brutality.

He was certainly capable of such things.

How could she be so sure he wasn’t any different to the people who wanted to buy her?

Stupid. Stop overanalyzing things. Forget your prejudice. He isn’t like that.

“Believe me, Persephone, I am nothing like the people who are trying to get their hands on you.”

“I know,” she said, feeling guilty for imagining he was capable of such horrible things.

“I can be far, far worse,” he said darkly, a bitter smile curving his lips. “But not to you. Never to you.”

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