Page 108 of A City of Flames

I yank my hand away from his grip, the phrase hurts more than I can admit, but I was the first to mention it, to remember that day in Chrysos when he’d first said it. “I will never understand your desperate need to be hated by so many.”

He smirks without a glimmer of amusement in his gaze. “Don’t act like you ever stopped.”

My groan is nothing but frustration and anger built into one. “You know for one moment, I thought you were a decent person. Helping me pay off my debt, protecting those creatures? Instead, you’re confusing, arrogant, deceitful—”

“Selfish?” He whispers, and it takes one single step for him to be looking down at me, his breath to fan across my forehead and his eyes to pierce through mine.

I wonder if he can hear the raging thump of my heart forcing its way out of my chest or the tightening of my fists at the need to add more to that list. But I can’t, I can’t seem to speak, I can’t seem to think, I can’t seem to breathe.

“Go on, say it,” his voice low and enticing as his gaze wanders to my mouth momentarily.

Say it, say it, say it.

We stare into each other’s eyes, unspoken rage at ourselves sparks between us and then… our lips clash, weapons out, and a battle ensues.

His hands rake through my hair and the force of him on me has us stumbling back against a tree. There’s nothing gentle in the way we kiss, our tongues collide like we are both fighting to prove a point. His lips are soft, almost silken compared to how they move with mine.

“You’re infuriating,” his voice is rugged, as he shakes his head, nipping my bottom lip. My legs threaten to collapse on the spot, and I let out a whimper.

That unleashes something dangerous in him, a wild lust as he kisses me furiously again. Fire, shadow, and mind, just like his powers, I’m caught in every single one of them.

“I hate you so much,” I say against his mouth, as one of his hands slide from my hair to underneath my thigh and lifts it up against his. My hands fist through his hair as he tilts my head back and his lips come down on my neck. Warm shivers spread out in a wave from between my thighs, making me wish I could hate it, hate it as much as I hate him—

“Completely feel the same for you—”

“Shut up,” I breathe, pulling him back to me.

A groan releases from his lips, dominating and a sound that irritates me because it only makes me want more.

My breath comes out in short pants as his mouth moves down my jaw then he twists me around, my back against his chest before his hand slides up my neck reminding me of my dream. I close my eyes, tipping my head back with my body setting aflame. My lips find his over my shoulder as his other hand roves the plane of my stomach in sweet, seductive motions.

This doesn’t mean anything, this doesn’t mean anything, this—

He stops.

A sudden emptiness fills me as he lets go and I turn around. I’m breathing too hard to hear anything but the buzzing in my veins.

His back is turned to me and I walk up beside him, thinking he stopped because of what just happened but I realize by the frown on his face he’s focusing on his hearing, his scent.

“What—” It goes too fast for me to comprehend as Darius pushes me out of the way. My side thumps onto the grass, and I squeeze my eyes shut, holding my breath for a few seconds before I lift myself onto my elbows and look over my shoulder.

My heart pounds as Darius stumbles back, clutching onto an arrow in the middle of his chest. He tears it out as fluorescent red pours from the arrowhead and stares at it just as his legs buckle and he slumps to his knees.

“Darius!” His name falls from my lips in a gasp. Fluorescent red... the blood from the Neoma tree.

No, no, no, this can’t be happening.

I sit up, trying to rush to Darius, but the hollow hooves of horses sound as venators approach us, getting off them and reaching Darius before I can. Two men grab him by each arm, lifting him up as he winces.

“Wait!” I rasp, staggering to my feet. My stomach plummets as more venators surround the clearing, and I spin to face each one until Lorcan barges through.

He’s here. They’re all here. How—how did they know?

He slides off his horse, running towards me. His hands grab the sides of my arms, but my vision is warped in a haze. “Were you hit?”

I shake my head, swallowing as I look at Darius, still conscious yet unable to fend off the venators.

“I told you to wait for my signal before we were to shoot at him,” Lorcan says roughly at someone behind him.

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