Page 41 of Between Life and Death

The gemstone allure of Belamour was losing its luster. I was tired of the loud, constantly thrumming city life, the lack of chirping birds and tall, swaying oak trees.

I missed home. I missed Ezra. And I missed Kaleb.

All of it was beginning to feel so incredibly far away—almost as if it were out of reach.

My spirit felt like an old, hand-me-down coat stuffed away in the back of a closet, worn and forgotten.

To make matters worse, I still had no idea who the woman was or what role she played in Von’s life. Or where he disappeared to during the late, late hours of the night, his silent footsteps echoing loudly on the cusp of my mind.

Was he with her?

Despite the mantra I repeated to myself—that I barely knew him, that it was none of my business—something deep within me wanted to know,demandedto know. As if I had some gods-given right.

Riding a wave of pent-up frustration, when the house was quiet, I shifted from my covers and walked down the hall towards his room.

My knuckles rasped against the door lightly so I didn’t wake the others.

On bated breath, I waited to hear his voice.

There was no reply.

I told myself to walk away, to go back to my room and stare up at that damned ceiling until I fell asleep. But something else inside me prevailed, and before I knew what I was doing, my hand fell to the handle, and I opened the door.

I peered into the silent darkness.

The bed was made, and he was gone.

In the morning, I sat at the sprawling obsidian island in the kitchen. Like the rest of the estate, the kitchen boasted high-quality materials, from the marble floor to the custom cabinets to the polished, onyx ceiling. Everything was sparkling, shiny, and clean. To my left, a butler’s pantry, large enough it could fit the cottage kitchen and living room inside of it, was chock-full of foods and spices, some I had never even heard of before.

I dropped my elbow onto the cool countertop, plopping my head in my hand. I stared at the bowl of porridge dusted with a sprinkle of cinnamon, more focused on shifting it around with my spoon than eating it. Last night, I had warred with myself—my thoughts. On the positive side, I was thankful we weren’t working at the bathhouse tonight—Lady Light knew I needed a day to rest my weary soul—not that my body needed any rest.

To my right, the view of the outdoors from the expansive window summoned me, whispering in my ear—they had been doing so since I woke up.

Answering its call, I shoved a spoonful of porridge in my mouth, trashed the rest, and headed outside. The sun was the first thing to greet me, the sounds of my training roommates the next. Today felt more like a summer day than an autumn one. I breathed it in. With my shoes in my right hand, I stepped off the brick patio and onto the browning grass, my toes wiggling happily. I rooted myself in place, my body filling with peace.

Built on the top of a hill, the manor had a height advantage when it came to the remainder of the estate. From this vantage point, I could survey the entire backyard—well over eight acres. Towering, fireclay brick walls outlined the perimeter of the estate grounds, providing a great deal of privacy from any prying eyes. Carved statues, figures with wings, sat on top of the walls, surveying the domain they protected. Vines snaked from the ground, their long tendrils wrapping themselves around the statues, some almost fully encased.

For the past week, Harper had focused on teaching Lyra how to use a sword. She’d started her off with a wooden one, and today, Lyra graduated to metal.

I offered her a thumbs-up and she smiled at me.

Harper utilized the distraction to her advantage as she took a swipe at Lyra, stopping a hair from her neck, the action speaking volumes of her swordsmanship. Harper pulled her blade away, telling Lyra that she must always keep her eyes on her opponent. Lyra nodded dutifully, returning her attention back to Harper.

Lyra did not possess much in the way of fighting skills, and although she bore the Earth Curse, I had never seen her use it. It was almost like she was scared to. For the most part, Lyra remained a mystery to me. I had never heard her speak, nor did I know if she could. I didn’t have it in me to ask Harper why that was. I figured she would tell me when the time was right.

A bit farther down, Soren and Ryker sparred with one another. Soren was on the ground. Ryker gripped Soren’s hand as he helped him back to his feet. “Let’s run through that combo again.”

Soren nodded and he swung, swords clashing as they went at it again.

Shirtless Ryker was a sight to behold, the fire twin chiseled in all the right places. A slick gleam of sweat highlighted his heavily carved muscles, carefully honed from years of battle. His body moved with speed, precision. Watching him spar was like watching a carefully tuned instrument of destruction. I could only imagine what he must be like on the battlefield.

Could only imagine what he would be like in the bedroom.

A shadow cast over me.

“See something you like?” Von whispered in my ear, his head lowered over my shoulder.

Like this, I could feel the heat of him wash over me in heavy, demanding waves.

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