Page 20 of Conquering the King of Storms

“Right.”

“Then I want you to open your eyes.”

Fuck, I didn’t want to.

But slowly, I peeled them open.

Everything was so dark that I couldn’t make out colors, but my eyes had adjusted enough to let me see basic shapes. The water was the easiest thing to separate from the cave itself, because the stone was rocky and uneven while the water was smooth.

Sirus’s eyes glowed just the tiniest bit, but it wasn’t the same kind of unnatural glow that they had when he was being controlled by his magic. I was fairly certain this tiny glow was just a sign of the strong magic coursing through him.

“I can’t see very well,” I whispered to him.

“That’s not a pleasant fact, but it is a fact of being down here for you.” His fingers brushed a tangled chunk of curls off my cheek. I hadn’t even noticed it plastered to my skin there, but he tucked it up into my bun without a thought.

“Are you always this unpleasantly positive?” I asked him, still speaking quietly.

He chuckled. “Annoyingly unshakable, my friends like to call me.”

A soft snort escaped me. “I don’t think it’s annoying.”

“That is very lucky for me.” His lips curved upward slightly, and it occurred to me that the light coming from his magic was enough to let me make out his face despite the darkness.

I liked that, a lot.

“Can you see better than I can down here?” I asked.

“Yes. The darkness doesn’t affect fae vision much. We can travel through the day or the night, unlike you pretty, fragile humans.” There was a gentle tease behind his tone that I liked tremendously.

“Uspretty humans? Which other girls do you have your eye on?” My voice was playful, too.

“Oh, certainly Margo. Her constant complaints are quite attractive,” he drawled.

I laughed softly. “I wasn’t sure at first, but I think her and Quake are actually a perfect match. If they can ever stop fighting long enough to have a real conversation, that is.”

And if she ever decided to explain her past to him, too. She had mentioned it so many times, but the man clearly had no idea what she meant.

“He seems to enjoy riling her up.” Sirus flashed me a smile as he stood. His movements were smooth as he gathered his thick, soaked hair and deftly tied it up in a bun on top of his head. The vines connecting our bodies were long enough to give us that much space from each other, but not much more.

I studied the thick bun on top of his head.

Sirus probably had major hair skills.

“Do you know how to braid?” I asked him.

“I’m raising a six-year-old girl, and have more hair than five of her put together. I definitely know how to braid.” He held out a hand, flashing me an amused look.

My face warmed, but I didn’t think he could tell. “Later, could you do my hair? I’m shitty at braiding it myself. The braids never end up straight, my arms start to hurt, and…” I trailed off.

Dammit, I was babbling.

The stress of being in an unknown place, in the dark, was getting to me.

I needed to get a grip.

Sirus was right; we were going to be in the cave, underground, and I just needed to cool my tits, breathe, and speak normally.

“Of course. I can do it now, if you prefer.” His fingers slid over the back of my neck, freeing a few trapped, wet strands. The touch made me shudder, and rethink my request.

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