Page 45 of A Clash of Embers

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Eros watching me closely, every breath I took, and every move that I made. He was keeping track of me, ensuring that I didn’t fuck this up, and, honestly, I was kind of glad that he was being so cautious.

I fixed a metal tray of food with vegetable medley and a piece of sourdough bread. While I was there, I thought I’d give ale a try, too. Eros fixed himself a glass of wine and led the way to our seats at the large table in the front of the room. Our chairs faced inward into the room of people, signifyingroyalty.

I placed my tray down as Eros pulled the chair out for me. I slid into the seat well aware of what I was wearing. It brought back memories of whenEvanderand I had dinner at my parents’ castle and I wore a very tight dress so that anyone with eyes could see every curve of my body.

Eros sat beside me and the energy I felt between us was swirling. I could tell he felt it too.

If anyone were to walk near us, they would feel the electrically charged air that crackled and buzzed between us.

He leaned back in his chair and sipped his wine periodically. Every once in a while, he turned his head to watch me eat. Once I had finished eating the soup and bread, he leaned over grabbing the front leg of my chair and dragged my chair right next to his.

His face was right next to mine as I held the glass of ale in my left hand, swirling the glass around to distract myself, but I couldn’t do that when his emerald eyes were starting into mine. Searching for something, they cascaded over my features, lingering on my lips. I felt the heat spread involuntarily over me as I realized he was thinking of kissing me and my breath hitched slightly in my throat with that awakening.

“It’s good to know that I still have that kind of effect on you.” I felt his breath on my bare shoulder as he spoke. He leaned down to the tender skin by my collarbone and I felt my body tense.

“Are you scared of me?”

I shook my head no. I didn’t want to speak my answer out loud because he would know I was lying.

He pressed a soft kiss under my collarbone and a sharp chill ran down my spine causing me to shiver as his breath caressed my skin again.

“I think—” he paused, brushing a piece of hair behind my neck as he eased into that space. “You like the thrill of me. I can feel you reacting to me. You forget you are mymate.”He took another breath and closed the space between his lips and my neck once again. I noticed I slightly tilted it to give him better access.

“Even now, you battle with yourself because your body reacts to me but your mind is unsure. But you are doing an excellent job at ensuring everyone here knows you are here withme.” He pressed a soft kiss into my neck and immediately I was hit with his scent. The teakwood, the roses, and the dewy scent of rain.

All my memories flooded in and I felt tears well up in my eyes. When he pulled back, he noticed the change in my demeanor buthe didn’t say anything. I think he understood what I longed for even without me having to say it. He wiped my cheek with the pad of his thumb and rubbed it gently back and forth.

“We will have to discuss this more, but not here.”

I nodded and his eyes glistened, ever so slightly. The shell of him was the same. The same tapered midnight hair that was tousled over slightly, chiseled jawline, soft emerald eyes, plush lips—yet our inamorato marking was gone. How could I still hear him? How could I still feel this way about him with that part of us being severed?

The longer we sat there in the ballroom, the more time I had to think. I couldn't get over Eros and Leo—my Evander and Madok—being alive. I watched Madok die in front of me. Yet, I've had two people tell me that there's no way that Theo would have let them die. So, what did he do? I needed to know. Because looking at Eros, there was only a physical difference. He had large, white feathered wings and the fangs protruding from his mouth. But the other part that was different was that I trusted the man in Carondelet but not the one here. I couldn't trust him.

How old was he? How many people has he killed? What does he want from me? Or even bigger than that: What did he want the outcome of this war to be?

It seemed like it was a cat-and-mouse game on a larger scale. One group poked the other, they tussled, then sat around for a while, and did it all over again. Luke said specifically, my job was to secure Eros. I laughed internally because the only thing secure about any of this was my tits in this dress, and that was a feat in itself.

My father always told me that in war there comes a certain intuition of right and wrong. He said, "At the end of the battle, you don't think about the lives you've taken, you think of the lives you've saved." I guess on either side of the battleline, peoplewere fighting for something. For someone. Perspective made all the difference.

Eros stood and extended a hand to me. “Come. You will walk with me to the war room with the other leaders and seconds-in-command. We have a few things to discuss.”

“Why? What value would I even add to that conversation?” I asked while I noted the frustration in his exhale.

He gave me a perplexed look before responding. “Your presence alone adds value. Come with me.”

I very reluctantly took his hand, and when I did, warmth spread through my arm. Contentment. I knew he felt it too.

As I walked through the crowd of people, they stopped and turned to look at the two of us. Some are out of interest, and others out of fear. They looked between the two of us and I tried to reach out to distinguish who they were more fearful of.

Before we reached the small side room on the edge of the larger ballroom, I met eyes with a woman who had beaming red eyes. I immediately was inundated with her overwhelming feeling of fear and it was direct and clear that she was fearful ofme.

Unsure of how to react, I nodded to her, and she flinched away from my gaze, turning, and walking across the ballroom.

“She is a young Vamprye. She has heard stories of a powerful woman who can kill any species with her thoughts," Eros said.

I laughed, “Seriously? Who even is telling these stories?”

He stopped at the doorway and turned to look me directly into my eyes as he whispered, “Me.”

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