Page 72 of Iron Hearts and Dragon Magic

Naia shook her head. “What do I even know?” River found it funny?

River was still laughing. “And what did you say?”

“That I’ll think about it. What else can I say? He’s a potential ally.”

“So you’re going to torture the old man, making him think he stands a chance. Cruel, Naia, quite cruel.” His tone was playful, and yet there was an edge to it.

Still, in a way, River’s pity for theold kingmade her feel better, made her think about Sebastian like a pathetic, deluded fool, instead of feeling threatened by him.

River tapped his nails on the table, then stared at her. “You don’t know what else you could say? What about something wild and crazy, like that you are already promised or something?”

“He would ask to whom. What was I going to say?”

River looked away, thoughtful.

Naia feared she’d made him upset. “It’s not that I’m ashamed or—”

“I didn’t think that.” His smiled was gorgeous as he stared at her. “It’s just another tricky pickle on our list. Quite low on our list of priorities, I should say.” He looked up, thinking.

It was a problem—unless her father banished her for good and declared her dead or something. That would avoid the need for any awkward explanations. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

River stared at her, an eyebrow raised. “So you think you’ll all get together in the Iron Citadel and defy the owners of that castle?”

Naia was glad for the change in subject, or maybe not so much, since this was an even bigger and more urgent problem. “I don’t know. River, I don’t know what to do. I just needed some time, needed a chance. All I know is that we still have two days to think of something, but I don’t have any solution, I don’t have any idea. I’m feeling lost. Still, what I can do right now is try to save the fae in your city. They don’t deserve to die.”

He took a deep breath, extended his arms, and stared at her. “Come here.”

Naia got up and stood by him, waiting for him to get up, but instead he pulled her on his lap, wrapped his arms around her, then caressed her hair and nuzzled her neck. “I missed you. I still haven’t recovered from almost losing you, from almost hurting you.”

True. It had been a little over a day that she’d been in the Ancient City, when the mindmelders had tried to make River kill her. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“It was. I should have spoken to you more, I should have warned you. I can’t even believe you’re so good that you’re worried about the wellbeing of the Ancients.”

She closed her eyes, enjoying their closeness. “Usually the people are not at fault for what their leaders do. It’s not right to make them suffer.”

“I know.”

His lips were close to the corner of her mouth, then he moved them slowly and kissed her. It felt so good to be in his arms, to kiss him again, to feel the touch of his hands, the feel of his tongue, his scent—not really his.

Naia broke the kiss. “You smell like my brother.”

“I’m sure it could be worse.”

“Not for me. I can’t kiss you when you smell like that.”

She moved her fingers to the buttons of his shirt. Fel’s shirt. She unbuttoned it carefully, then got that thing of him. There was a faint scar where he had gotten cut, but not much more than that, which was impressive. Naia put her hand on his chest, feeling the softness of his skin.

River stared at her with dark eyes and a serious expression.

Naia moved her hand away, as she obviously didn’t want to go through the sheer humiliation of having him push it again. She chuckled. “I forgot. You don’t want me to touch you because apparently you can’t control yourself.”

River tilted his head. “I can control myself. I’m just… You’re human. I’m trying my best to court you in a way that’s comfortable for you. Your kind waits until you’re married—for everything. I always thought it was insane. Itisinsane. But going through this insanity is my way to prove that I care about you, that I’m serious about you. You’ll be much happier getting close to me once you decide this is what you truly want for the rest of your life, knowing we’re committed to each other.”

His words sounded lovely, right, and honorable, and yet somehow they disappointed her. “But is it…black and white? Yes or no? Don’t mock my ignorance. It’s not my fault. I hate being so…”

He kissed her hand. “You’re perfect, Naia. You were raised by a human family, and that’s who you are. As to your question… It isn’t black and white, no. There’s a lot of room in-between extremes. But even that, for humans, it’s something they wait.”

“I don’t even know why.”

---