Page 13 of A Clash of Embers

“Would you like a drink?” Leo asked me as I continued to observe the space. I nodded without saying a word, and I walked toward the terrarium. Itwasa pool, and the space was much larger than I originally thought.

“Here you go, Clara.”

I turned around as Leo held out a glass of water for me. I smiled in acknowledgment of the drink. I was quite thirsty from the trip through the salty air.

“I’d like to show you the room you will stay in while you are here. And just so you know, you are welcome here as long as you’d like.”

I smiled while watching him walk down the hallway before me. His shoulders were strong, tight, and broad. Looking at him, I could tell he was firm and immovable. Was I intrigued by him? Yes. I never thought I would see him this way. Even under the curse, Madok was strong but slim. He never showcasedthismuch muscle. I wasn’t complaining but seeing him this way confused my body. He couldn’t be a distraction.

I needed to find my mother. My friends. Evander. I didn’t know what I’d face when I searched for them, and, honestly, I feltweak. I hadn’t trained or fought in a while.

“Is there... is there any way that I could train for fighting? Just in case someone decided to attack?” I asked.

He turned his head over his shoulder with a raised brow. “Why? Who are you expecting to fight?”

“No one in particular. I just want to be prepared for the unexpected.”

He nodded as his soft brown curls bounced slightly as he answered. “I can understand that.” He paused at a large wooden door and turned to look at me. “Here’s your room.”

Leo’s hand gripped the doorknob, and I noticed the veins in his hand were pronounced and as strong as the muscles that threaded through his back. He turned the knob, pushing it open and allowing me to walk through the door frame first. The marble expanded across the entire space, leading into floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the valleys Leo had told me about on the trip to the island.

Immediately, I walked closer to the windows to look at the scenery. Ineededto see it. I gasped slightly as my vision scoured the view. It was stunning. The village was nestled between the rugged grassy mountains and the white pebbled beach. It reminded me of Manzanita and its unique features that made it my parents’ favorite place in the entire world.

I felt Leo’s presence behind me, looking over my shoulder as he spoke, “Yes, I will help you train whenever you’d like. My mother and father are away at a meeting with the family of Thea, at least that’s where they were before the Curse, but they will be back soon, and you can meet them.”

I smiled, wondering if his parents would remember me since they were the first generation. All first generations would remember what happened under the Curse.

If they remembered, would they pretend not to know me?

I faced Leo, intrigued by how closely we stood. Flashes of Evander’s words turned my switch of irritation on. He could still hear my thoughts and see what I was doing with my powers. Well, if hewantedto. So, I would make him pay for his cruelty. If he truly didn’t love me, I was going to find out. In the only way I knew how.

Chapter 5

“Where isyourroom?” I asked Leo, and his brows raised as a small smile spread.

“Would you like to see it?” He countered.

I followed Leo out of my room, a few doors down to his. “Our rooms aren’ttoofar, so if you need me, I’m close.”

Hmm. I’m close.

He pushed open his door, and when I walked in, I noticed the large king bed with ebony sheets and a red velvet blanket strewn across the foot of the bed. I approached his windows, delighted to see the harbor. It was a perfect field of vision for the ship we had arrived on.

Leo’s warm breath ghosted across the fine hairs on my neck, causing them to stand on end. I smiled, knowing that if Evander wanted to pretend he didn’t love me, I wouldn’t let him control my desire for happiness.

His hands slid onto my hips, and his chest pushed into my back. I felt his heart pounding.I did that to him.

The question I asked startled both of us, “Have you ever been in love, Leo?”

He sighed as his hands fell away, leaving me feeling empty without his touch. Without turning, I knew he was walking away as I heard the soles of his shoes tap lightly against the tile. When the footfalls stopped, I turned to look at him.

He sat on the white leather couch in the corner of the room and placed his hands over his face, rubbing his thumb along his jaw. Then, he removed his hands, slowly placing them on his thighs and leaning back on the couch.

“I’ve never been in love.” He blew out a breath. “To be honest, I’ve been alive for a long time, and no one has ever made me feel like how I feel when I’m around you.”

His eyes found mine, and I felt sincerity as I took a shaky step toward this man that I wanted to know and trust. A man who continued to surprise me with every word out of his mouth.

“It’s torture for me, Clara. I know you are in love with someone else, and I wouldneverdo anything to jeopardize that for you.” He paused. “But I’m afraid that if I give in to what I want, when the time comes…I won’t be able to giveyouup.”

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