26. Eshe #2
“Because I saw him. I saw him near the pillar, just staring at you when you were drowning in the bath during the storm. I saw him do nothing.”
“N—no, it was an accident. He didn’t know.”
Ezra tightened his hold on my throat.
“It was no accident. He wanted you dead.”
Another uncontrollable, panicked sob came from my throat, and I shook my head. I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it.
“You’re lying. Kavid would never try to kill me—it was an accident. He told me!”
“If it were an accident, why didn’t he save you when you were screaming for help? You know who did?”
I shook my head again and again.
No, no. It was impossible.
The room spun, and I faced Ezra once more. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing.
“I did. I pulled you out of that bath, Eshe. Not Kavid. He could have, but he didn’t. He stood there, staring at you, and then he left you to die.”
Tears rolled down my face like never before. I hated this. I wanted out. I wanted him to let me out.
I froze in the waters.
My teeth gritted. He knew this. He used this against me. He tied me in my chambers in Urnaz at the palace to make me listen to him. He knew I hated being constricted because of that night.
I twisted against his hold and faced him.
“You knew. You knew, and you tied me up,” I hissed.
A chuckle rumbled the waters. “It was harmless. But effective.”
My jaw dropped, and I realized his hand was still on my throat. I clawed at him, “Get off me.”
“Fine,” he said, letting me go and stepping back.
By instinct, I grabbed onto him again. “NO!” I wrapped my legs around him and slammed my eyes shut.
I felt his smile against my collarbone.
I had jumped on him. I was naked, my breasts pressed against his chest, but I didn’t care.
I wanted to live.
His arms wrapped around my middle, keeping my body pressed against his. “This isn’t funny,” I gritted.
“No, it’s not. You’re right. I’m going to kill Kavid for this. You shouldn’t have to be afraid of a goddamn bath.”
My eyes flew open, and I leaned back, arms still around his neck, and faced Ezra.
“No, you will not. Over my dead body. You’ll have to kill me first.”
A slow, sinister smile appeared on Ezra’s face. “You don’t mean that, do you?”
My heart thumped loudly at what he was implying. “Ezra, please. Don’t. Don’t kill him.”
“He deserves it.” His jaw twitched, and then his face turned stone-cold as he said, “He tried to kill you.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m sure he regrets it…”
“Doubt it,” Ezra grunted.
There was silence in the baths. Shamelessly, I was wrapped around Ezra. He was warm against the cool waters. He was strength against my weakness.
“I’ll find the truth,” I whispered.
“I know you will,” Ezra said, and locked his eyes with mine. His arms moved, and his large hands rested against my hips.
My heart picked up.
“I’ll do everything in my power,” I whispered.
“I have no doubt,” he whispered back. We’d never had such a harmonious conversation before… His hands slowly brushed down from my hips over my bottom, and my core sprang into sensation.
My eyes dipped to his full lips, and his fingers pressed against my skin.
Oh my God.
My breath hitched, and heat pooled between my legs.
“Careful, little warrior,” Ezra warned. My eyes flew to meet his. “I’m still a man, even if I am Atrovian.”
Blood rushed past my neck and to my cheeks, to the tips of my ears.
He wanted me. He was tempted and was warning me.
A part of me wanted to push him, to see how far I could go. That surprised me.
At last, we moved to the side of the baths, and he lifted me effortlessly back to the dry land.
I almost kissed the floor. But I was all too aware of my nakedness and rushed over to cover before I realized Ezra wasn’t even looking.
He lifted himself from the baths. I suddenly became fully focused on dressing.
Ezra left without saying a word, and I found myself drifting in my mind, aimlessly walking through the halls.
I had just survived another drowning. Both times were because of Ezra.
My body tingled just before I remembered what he said about Kavid.
I felt a twist in my stomach—I had a strong feeling he was telling me the truth.
It made sense why Kavid had acted so strangely before that fateful day in the baths, and why he was so guilty afterward.
He was guilty because he almost killed me.
Did he kill my family? And if so, why? Why would he want us dead? I needed answers from Kavid.
I stopped in my tracks when Yven appeared around the corner.
“How were the baths?” she asked thoughtfully.
“It was fine.” I flushed again, wondering if she knew something about it, the part where I was drowning or the part where Ezra had been entwined with my naked body. I cleared my throat, “Though it’s a wonder why there are no stairs in the baths.”
“No stairs?” She frowned. “Of course there are stairs to enter the baths. They were on the other side between the two pools, where the shallow part of the baths are.”
My lips parted, and I was speechless.
Ezra, that fucker.