Ten
Aeryn
Our training today was brutal. What was the purpose? If this was mere training and assessment, the trials were going to be worse than I feared.
By the time we finished the obstacle course, my arms shook and my legs trembled. Mud caked my boots and streaked up my legs, my tunic ripped in several places from snagging on thorns.
The others looked just as disheveled. Raina leaned against a tree, panting. Her platinum hair had come loose from its braid and stuck to her sweaty neck. Even Zoriyah, usually primped and poised, had leaves tangled in her lustrous mane. Her cheeks were flushed an unbecoming dark pink.
We trudged back to the castle in silence. I wanted nothing more than to sink into a hot bath and scrub the stench of sweat and dirt from my skin.
Once I reached my room, I went straight to the bathroom and peeled off my filthy clothes. Standing in the shower felt like too much energy, so I decided on a soak in the tub, stepping into the steaming water with a groan.
The events of last night crept into my thoughts and I gritted my teeth. I didn’t want to think of Zoriyah”s drunken words or how Nox had forced me to stay at the table. He hadn”t stopped me when I finally fled, so perhaps he was being merciful.
One could hope.
A knock rattled the door, startling me from my brooding. “Aeryn? Are you alright?” Sofiya’s gentle voice filtered through the thick wood.
I”d been half asleep when she checked on me after returning to our floor after the group”s meal with the king. I”d asked her to let me be and she had.
“Fine,” I said, not offering her entrance into the bathing chamber. “Just tired.”
“I’m here if you want to talk.”
Her concern warmed me even through my irritation. Sofiya always seemed to know when not to push.
“Thank you, but I’ll be okay, Sofe. Truly.”
I heard her soft sigh but she didn’t argue. “Alright. I’ll see you at dinner.”
Sinking lower into the water, I blew bubbles across the surface. At least no one today had pestered me about last night’s incident. Not even Zoriyah had muttered a sly comment the entire day, too focused on her own performance.
By the time I finished bathing, calm had settled over my frayed nerves. I wouldn’t let Zoriyah or Nox unsettle me so easily again.
I dressed and made my way to the dining space in the common area, hunger overriding any remaining anxiety. The trials would be difficult enough without distractions from careless words that only hurt if I let them.
My stomach growled and I picked up my pace toward the smell of something delicious.
The tables bustled with activity, the other contestants chattering away as they ate. Sofiya waved me over to where she sat with Raina, Mirrelle and Astrid. I slid into the empty seat beside Raina, who gave me a small smile.
“How was your bath?” Sofiya asked, pushing a bowl of stew towards me.
“Relaxing,” I said, curling my hands around the warmth. “Yours?”
“The same.” Sofiya tucked a stray curl behind her ear, a faint blush staining her cheeks.
My eyes narrowed, wondering what had her blushing like a maiden.
Before I could ask, Lorne strode into the hall, scanning the room until his gaze landed on our table. My stomach knotted at the sight of Nox’s brother, half expecting the king himself to stroll through the doors behind him.
Lorne made his way over, ignoring the females who”d tried to catch his attention or flirt. “You”ve been given one hour of free time, which begins now. You may explore the castle or the grounds as you please, but do not wander far. Be back in your rooms for the night when the hour is up.”
With that, he pivoted on his heel and left the hall. Excitement rippled through the room.
“Shall we explore?” Raina asked, eyes bright. “I’ve heard the eastern wing holds many magical artifacts. I would like to see them before ... well, I may not have another opportunity to do so.”
“That sounds lovely,” Sofiya said, “but I really just want to lie down.”
Astrid and Mirrelle made noises of agreement, wanting to relax and meditate before bed. We all pushed away from the table.
I hesitated, glancing around the room. As much as I wanted to see more of the castle, anxiety niggled at the back of my mind. The last thing I needed was to stumble across Nox in some dark corridor.
Raina touched my arm, drawing my gaze. “Are you coming, Aeryn?”
Steeling myself, I nodded.
Raina would be going alone if I didn”t tag along. Also, did I really want the chance to learn more about this place slip through my fingers? I”d never been in a castle and would never be in one again. It was now or never, as they said.
“Lead the way,” I said.
Raina grinned and we headed out, trailing behind the line of females who chose to wander. I walked slowly, hoping the other contestants would simply disappear into the bowels of the fortress. I had neither the patience nor the will to bother with any nonsense tonight.
As Raina and I entered the main foyer, we realized no one had chosen to venture into the eastern corridor. Perhaps I actually would make it through this night without incident.
I struggled not to gape at my surroundings. Intricate tapestries lined stone walls, depicting fantastical scenes of fae and creatures locked in epic battles or dancing under starlight. Ornate sconces held magical flames that flickered and danced, casting a warm glow over the corridors.
“This is nothing,” Raina said. “You should see the throne room.”
“Did you spend much time here? Before … things changed?”
“Some.” Raina”s expression darkened. “Only because they wished to parade their prized daughter before the court and brag on my betrothal. And you know how that ended up.” She spat the words, bitterness lining each syllable. “They care not for my happiness, only for how I may advance their station.”
“I”m sorry,” I said softly.
While my own parents had been somewhat distant in their efforts to make me independent, they”d never used me as a pawn in political games. I couldn”t imagine the pain such a thing would bring.
Raina waved a hand, shaking off the resentment that had risen. “I should not speak so of them, but,” she sighed, “it”s difficult, sometimes, to hold my tongue.”
I nodded in understanding. “I know the feeling. Though, I have to say sometimes it”s freeing, not having to constantly watch your words or actions to please another.”
At that, Raina paused, meeting my gaze. For a long moment, she studied me, a considering look in her eyes. Then she smiled, bright and true, and warmth bloomed in my chest.
“I”m glad to have made a friend in this place,” she said.
Friend. The word resonated within me, chasing away the last of my unease. I smiled back at her, reaching to squeeze her hand.
A companionable silence fell between us as we continued down the hall. Our situation may have been difficult, but at least we had gained allies in one another.
Perhaps this wouldn”t be such an impossible task after all.
We explored for a bit longer but fatigue was fighting us hard. As we made our way back toward the tower that housed our rooms, a familiar figure in the distance caught my eye.
Liam lounged in a windowsill, one leg dangling over the edge while the other propped up a leather-bound sketchbook in his lap. His brow was furrowed in concentration, a piece of charcoal moving swiftly over the page.
Raina stiffened at my side, her steps slowing. I cast her a questioning glance, but before she could respond, Liam glanced up. His eyes locked onto Raina, and for a moment, his hand stilled.
The sketchbook tumbled to the floor, its pages fluttering open to reveal a half-finished drawing. My gaze snagged on a familiar face peering up from the parchment, pale and ethereal, framed by a cascade of white hair.
Heat flooded my cheeks as understanding dawned. I bent to retrieve the sketchbook, but Liam was faster. He snatched it up, slamming it shut, though not before I glimpsed the storm of emotions swirling in his eyes.
“What are you looking at?” Liam snapped, rounding on Raina.
She blinked, taken aback by his hostility. “Nothing,” she said softly. “I didn”t see anything.”
“Good.” He practically growled the word. “It”s nothing to do with you anyway.”
Raina flinched, hurt flashing across her face, and fury ignited in my chest. I stepped forward, ready to give Liam a piece of my mind, when Raina grasped my arm.
“Don”t,” she whispered. Her fingers tightened around my wrist, trembling.
“Go back to your room, mukana, and leave me in peace.”
Raina gasped, releasing her hold and backing away. Liam gave the tiniest of flinches, but she didn”t see it. She was already halfway down the hall.
My anger mixed with concern as Raina”s wounded expression played in my mind. I turned to give Liam a piece of my mind.
But I couldn”t.
He was sitting on the stone bench below the window with his head bowed. His shoulders were hunched, fingers worrying at the edge of his sketchbook.
Disquiet gnawed at my insides as I approached. I suspected I knew why he”d reacted that way to Raina, and it had little to do with her. Their history was complicated, tangled up in politics and broken promises, but that was no excuse for cruelty.
Still, I couldn”t ignore the ache I sensed within him. The loneliness. He”d seemed playful back in Greenhollow, even when I”d attacked him. His past was going to break him.
I sat down beside Liam, close enough that my arm brushed his. He tensed but didn”t pull away. We sat in silence for a long moment, listening to a pair of songbirds in the tree just outside.
Finally I reached over and clasped his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You should apologize to Raina.”
Liam shook his head. “You don”t know what you”re talking about.”
“I know it would be the decent thing to do,” I told him. “She doesn”t deserve your anger, and you don”t deserve to carry this hurt.”
He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face, but I could see the fight draining from his eyes. I”d struck a chord within him, and he knew I spoke the truth.
When Liam looked at me again, his gaze was uncharacteristically soft. “You don”t have to fight everyone else”s fight, you know.”
“But I can try,” I smiled, bumping his shoulder with mine. “It”s difficult for me to admit, but I don”t think you”re the asshole you”re trying to be.”
The corner of his mouth quirked, and in that moment a flicker of warmth passed between us. A feeling of understanding, of kinship. I realized then how assuming I”d been of the male.
“I”ll escort you back.” He stood and offered me his hand. Taking it, he helped me and my sore muscles to stand.
“And you”ll check in on Raina?”
Liam looked down, looking more like a youngling than a grown male. He might be an ass, but it was his job I supposed. My need to comfort killed my good sense and I threw my arms around him.
His frame stiffened. “What are you doing?”
“You look like you need a hug. So I”m hugging you. Deal with it.”
I held on, wondering how many of these he”d ever gotten. The Duersians weren”t known for showing compassion.
The male surprised me when his arms slowly came around, one hand awkwardly patting my back. I laughed and lifted my head to see a smile stretch across his face.
A low growl startled us both. We turned as one to find Nox emerging from the shadows, his face carved from stone.
“Step away from her.” His voice was deceivingly soft. He strode toward us, silver eyes glowing. “Now.”
We stepped apart.
Nox kept coming until he stood toe to toe with Liam. “You overreach, my friend.”
My heart leapt in alarm and I opened my mouth to explain.
The king rounded on me. “Do you sit around at night plotting ways to drive me mad?”
Now I was the one taken aback.
“Because seducing my soldiers will surely get you more than my attention.”
Anger flashed through me. “That”s not what happened here and you know it!” I snapped. “You have no right to accuse me of such things!”
Nox ignored my words, turning his head to Liam with a predatory gleam in his eye. Liam stiffened, his hands curling into fists, but he made no move to back away.
“Nox, you go too far,” Liam bit out.
“Do I? You touch what is mine,” Nox”s voice vibrated, sounding more animal than fae.
My mind rebelled at his irrational claim while my body reacted with heated interest. Did he see the pool of candidates as his?
I”d had enough. Stepping between them, I shoved Nox back with a snarl. “I am not a possession for you to claim.”
Nox”s gaze darkened, and for a moment I thought he might strike me. Then he seized my arm and dragged me down the corridor, throwing open the first door he came across.
He backed me inside, slamming the door behind him, and I found myself pinned against cold stone with Nox”s hard body pressed into my own.
“You drive me mad, little menace,” he growled, fisting a hand in my hair to wrench my head back. His eyes blazed like star fire, blinding in their intensity.
I shuddered, emboldened by his confession. “I thought I was a hellion?”
“You”re a hellion when you”re impressing me. You”re a menace when you destroy my control.”
He crushed his mouth to mine, kissing me with a savage hunger that stole my breath. I kissed him back just as fiercely, nails pressing into his back, and he groaned into my mouth.
The heat between us was scalding. Our hands roamed and clutched in between searing kisses. Nox slid the length of my skirt up my thighs, and I moaned as his fingers traced a path up my legs.
His palm cupped between my legs, and my heart thumped wildly. I”d never been touched there before. It was both terrifying and exhilarating.
Nox continued to kiss me hungrily, his hand relentless in its exploration. I gasped for breath as pleasure shot through me. The feeling intensified when he shifted his weight to pin me against the wall more firmly.
He deepened the kiss then paused, resting his forehead against mine as we both struggled to regain control of our breathing.
“You tempt me beyond reason,” he whispered hoarsely, tilting his head to capture my lips once more.
This time our kisses were softer but no less passionate. His fingers delicately stroked and teased until I was trembling in anticipation. When I gasped and curved my pelvis into him, he growled low in his throat like an animal claiming its mate.
The wild in me demanded more.
The petting turned to concentrated stroking and my hips tried to roll into the friction of fabric between my flesh and his. Ever so slowly, his fingers ventured under the seam of my panties and one blessed digit found my delicate nub.
I panted and undulated, desperation laying waste to any restraint. My body began to quiver in pleasure while his finger continued its rhythmic caress until I was writhing in torment.
Nox increased the pressure, the feeling electric and celestial. A golden exhilaration of sparks lit behind my eyes. Close to something I sought but didn”t know.
“Let go,” he commanded my body. “Just let go and feel.”
I did as he bade, suddenly aware of the stone wall at my back, cool against the heat I was radiating. The thunderous pounding of my heart. My skin as it stretched. My moans as they cracked under pleasure.
It was an explosion of sensations so exquisite that it was painful. The planet blew apart into a blazing comet, pleasure so sharp it would surely cut me in half. I jerked and shivered until the onslaught of sensation eased.
My skin tingled with awareness as Nox trailed feather-light kisses down the column of my throat. Something clicked into place and the wild thing settled. No less aroused, but no more demanding.
His hand inched lower, probing at the entrance to my sex. He pressed further, my muscles flexing. How far was I willing to go with this male?
Something pinched and I winced. Nox froze, easing his face back to look down at me. I couldn”t meet his eyes.
He was astonishingly gentle when he withdrew his hand. I stared at it as he lifted it up between us. I flushed at the shiny slick covering his fingers and musky scent of my essence.
And copper.
I stopped breathing, bewildered by the tint of red on the tip of his middle finger. I wasn”t old enough to go into my cycles yet. Fae females didn”t ovulate until years after they”d come into their powers. It was nature”s way of ensuring the mother was strong enough for birth.
Nox”s eyes were the untamed side of savage, the smell of lusting male so thick the air sizzled.
“You are untouched.” He stated gruffly.
“Well,” I licked my swollen lips. “I would have to say, technically, I”ve now been touched.”
“Only by me?”
Reaching for courage, I met his stare. “Yes.”
His nostrils flared, the feral creature behind his eyes stared back at me.
“Nox—”
A pounding on the door interrupted and I jolted at the unexpected sound.
“What?” he barked, eyes still trained on mine.
“Brother,” Lorne”s deep voice came through. “We have a problem.”
Nox cursed under his breath then planted a quick kiss on my lips. “We”ll continue this conversation another time.”
He went to the door and wrenched it open. Lorne spoke low, in a language I didn”t recognize. Nox”s spine stiffened.
Lorne continued. If it wasn”t for the looks they were throwing me I would have thought their words were naught but gibberish.
Smoothing my hair, I approached the doorway. Lorne said something else and Nox finally responded in our language.
“It”s none of your business. Go with Liam to escort Aeryn back to her chambers. I want extra guards on that floor tonight. Instruct the females to lock their doors. I”d have you tell Astrid to draw runes but she”d never agree to marking every door.”
“Even if His Majesty demands it?” Lorne asked.
“I wouldn”t put her in the position of having to defy me,” he answered.
I”d never have thought he”d say such a thing. It was good of him. What wasn”t good was that his consideration of Astrid made my veins course with bitter heat, surging with powerful envy.
“Now,” his palm landed on my lower back. “Be a good little hellion and do as I say.”
He pushed me forward and disappeared in a swath of shadow.
Well, hell.