Page 91 of Burn

Attentive, the First Knight inclined his head to me and then bowed for Briar. Her eyes swerved from mine to his, and she offered him a solemn but companionable grin before dipping her head, acknowledging the soldier in kind. They’d reached that zenith where allies became kindreds, fewer words needing to be spoken.

As Aire stalked off into a shawl of wind, the plates of his armor glinted like dragon scales, iridescent against the dark backdrop. Nicu had been right, for the man oftentimes resembled a winged creature. However, only a modicum of my attention remained on him, and only to anticipate the soldier leaving me alone with my next visitor.

Routinely, this woman did that. She made everyone vanish, even if they were standing beside me.

Beneath a vault of stars, Briar stood with her fingers nestled into the pockets of a mantle that hung loosely off her shoulders, with a hood cascading behind her. The cold air brushed her cheeks, and ornamental beads dotted the braided bun knotted to one side of her nape. The princess had changed into a less formal outfit than the one she’d modeled when we greeted the Winter prick.

Comfort clothes. That meant she needed to talk quickly and quietly.

No matter. This female could wear strings of wire and still take me captive. Matter of fact, that ensemble sounded rather appealing.

Like a reflex, my mouth slanted at the sight of her. “Evening, beautiful. Out here alone with an armed jester? That’s asking for a lovely amount of trouble.”

Despite the flirtation, she charged my way and cupped my face. “Are you all right?”

Fuck. Why had I bothered trying? She knew me better, might have even witnessed my rampage against the mannequin.

Guilt, wrath, and concern eroded on my tongue. “I’m much more invested in how you’re feeling.”

“You needn’t worry about me.”

“But that’s my lifelong calling. Haven’t you heard? We’re inextricably linked.”

“None of this was your doing,” Briar insisted.

My eyes closed. The vision of a burned body flitted before my eyes, as it must have been doing to her. My jaw hardened, then collapsed against her touch.

Opening my eyes, I focused on Briar’s face. “Nor was it yours.”

Sweet resignation sagged her features, then her gaze slipped to my crimson knuckles. “You’re injured,” she fretted, pulling back and stroking the blood-clotted joints.

“Merely a few stings,” I dismissed. “As you can see, the training course had it worse. And so long as it wasn’t my face, I’m not bothered.”

Seeing the injury wasn’t vital, she nodded absently. I watched her mind churn, a stack of words piling behind her lips. Those gray irises darted across the lawn, as if searching for a way to continue.

My voice deepened and caressed the air. “Look at me, sweeting.” And when she dragged her gaze to mine, I stepped nearer. “What is it?”

“We must act quicker,” she ventured, then shook her head at whatever blasphemous thought entered her mind. “Mother proposed something. A way to use Winter as an advantage against Summer.” Her eyes sought my own. “But I refused to do it.”

It took me a second. A mere second to weigh those words.

Based on Briar’s expression and a history of political maneuvers, it didn’t take a genius to guess what subject Avalea had broached, especially after tonight. As the implication struck, my blood’s temperature spiked. Red flooded my vision, and a possessive hiss struck like a whip from my tongue.

My fingers snatched Briar’s hips and yanked her against my naked chest. “Like fuck is he coming near you.”

“I know,” she rushed out, her voice wrought of steel and her fingers locking into the hair at the back of my scalp.

“Do you?” I asked, capturing her chin between my thumb and forefinger. “Do you know how much you belong to me?”

“As much as you belong to me.”

“Then this had better be the last time we entertain this subject.”

If not, I would carve the flesh from the prince’s bones.

I used to be good at hiding unbridled emotions. Hatred. Malice. Disgust. It had been effortless to conceal my deceptions and wage clever war against my enemies.

Until this princess. She’d shredded through that facade long ago.

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