34. Chapter Thirty-Two #2
I clenched my fists, feigning a yawn. If he wanted to taunt me, I would meet him toe-to-toe.
“You think you’ve caught me, do you?” I leaned in closer, newfound confidence overtaking me.
“Even the smallest prey can outwit the biggest predator, for intelligence isn’t reliant on size.
In fact, one might argue the larger the predator, the smaller the brain. ”
That earned a low laugh, a dark indulgence curling around me. “One might argue you enjoy provoking me, testing how close I’ll lean before I break you.”
“I don’t break.”
“Mm,” he hummed, tilting his head as if weighing the truth. His eyes flashed brighter. The runes along his arm pulsed golden. “You crackle, then. Like firewood just before it catches.”
My pulse hammered, but I held my ground. “And when the fire inevitably spreads, Awakener? Will you still smirk while it burns everything down?”
His lips twitched, dangerous. “Perhaps.”
I let my lips curl, mocking his own. “Then I’d say you’re flirting with fire right now.”
His eyes narrowed, not in anger, but hunger. He leaned in, close enough that his warmth bled into me, unyielding.
“And if I am?” His voice dropped to a coax, all flame and temptation. “What will you do, Little Seer? Burn with me, or run before the spark takes hold?”
Gods, I could feel his intent. I was a small creature, wriggling in his trap.
I was so…fucked.
“Maybe I’ll let you find out.” The words tasted like fire on my tongue. For the first time, it didn’t feel like weakness. It felt like a dare. One I was willing to take.
A silence stretched, perilous, before he let out a low laugh, wicked and reverberant. “Be mindful, now,” he murmured, the air between us trembling. “I’ve walked through flame before, and I don’t feel the burn.”
His lips hovered near mine. His breath slid across my mouth. A shiver tore down my spine. Verboten. Every instinct screamed it. I was not meant for this. My voice cracked the silence, a last-ditch attempt to end this insatiable desire.
“What you’re doing…” I whispered, “is forbidden. By the very gods that made you in their image.”
For a heartbeat, I thought he might pull away. But Tairngire didn’t care for laws or rules.
“Forbidden?” His voice was a velvet taunt. “Yet…you. A mere mortal, break countless rules.”
My chest rose sharply. “Because I don’t have a choice.”
I could feel his chuckle against my lips. “You’ve always had choices, Little Seer. You just tend to regret the ones you make.”
My body locked. I’d never allowed myself this proximity. His mouth was so close to mine, I could practically taste his pine-infused breath. I swore the bond throbbed between us, begging for what I wasn’t supposed to give.
“I’ve never been this close to anyone,” I rasped.
His expression faltered. His jaw ticked. His runes flickered with something close to restraint.
Every heartbeat was betrayal, every breath a plea to close the distance. My thoughts fractured, and for the first time I wanted—truly wanted. I leaned into him further.
And then he stilled, pulling back slightly.
The smirk was gone. His eyes locked on mine with something softer than I was used to. His grip loosened. The runes across his skin dimmed to a reluctant glow.
He leaned in so that his lips brushed my ear. “Some fires must wait to be put out,” he whispered.
The bond pulsed, furious at the space he was forcing between us. I wanted to curse him—or myself. But before I could breathe another word, he stepped back, composure snapping into place like a shield. As if he hadn’t just set me burning.
“You’ll need rest,” he said at last, expression unreadable again. “Mairenn will put you through trial tomorrow, and I’d hate to see you fail before you begin.”
There it was again—the arrogance, casual and maddening, as though he hadn’t just unraveled me. He extended a hand toward the path.
“Come. Unless you’d prefer to stay out here…burning.”
Mairenn practically floated beside me, her grin unshaken. “You don’t realize what an honor this is, do you? My mother charged me to train you. Me.” Her voice held that same bright, untamed joy.
I tried to smile, but it twisted into a grimace. “You seem far too eager to knock me flat in the sparring yard.”
“Oh, I will knock you straight on your ass,” she teased, eyes dancing. “And you’ll thank me for it later.”
We bantered. Her laughter echoed through the gilded corridors. But the question had been gnawing at me since the feast, and at last I asked. “Mairenn…why?”
She gave me a pensive look, golden curls catching the torchlight. “Why what?”
“Why are you his consort? King Caedmon. You’re sired by Scáthae, the actual Goddess of War. Why choose…your half-brother?” I just couldn't help it, I scrunched my nose in distaste. It just felt so…wrong
Her smile softened. “Because it’s not always a choice. Sometimes it’s inevitable. Bloodlines. Duty. Devotion. And yet, he’s kind to me, kinder than most would expect. That’s what matters.”
Her honesty stunned me as we reached the ornate doors of my chambers.
“Where did you and the Forest God disappear to, hmm?” she asked lightly, curiosity lacing her tone.
I didn’t want to think about the little rendezvous I had with Tairngire, I still wasn’t willing to process how all of it made me feel, so I deflected. “Nowhere important.” The words came out brittle and entirely unconvincing.
Her gaze lingered, weighing. A knowing glint flickered before she let out a soft laugh, playful, but not unknowing. “Ah. So…mysterious. Like him.”
Heat rose to my cheeks as she bowed her head and finally left me alone with silence—and the memory of divine lips that had almost touched mine.