10. Weak in the Knees – Rosemary #2
My mouth fell open as a flash of memory played behind a blink of my eyes. One of a soaked boy. I tried to grasp onto it, but like strands of mist, it evaporated. It felt familiar, but it was gone before I could figure out what it could mean.
"Tell me you're joking," I said.
He shook his head. "Oh, no. I am dead serious. She pushed me over into a deep fountain. I sank to the bottom, thrashing like a waterlogged infant, until she found it in her good graces to save me."
"You didn't know how to swim?" I asked. Something foreign nagged at the corners of my mind, an inkling of knowing that melted away each time I reached for it. Everything about this story felt familiar, but I couldn't figure out why.
"That's what she screamed at me when we surfaced, after I choked out half the pond. I think it was then that I fell in love with her."
"How old were you?"
"I was eleven. She was eight. Even then, I knew that one day she would own all of me, well, if I wasn't careful, that is."
"What happened to her?"
"We changed. We grew apart and are now on different paths." His eyes lost that sparkle and his voice went flat.
"Do you still love her?" I inquired softly.
"She will always own a piece of me. Yes, I still love her, but I’m trying not to. I have a different path to walk now. She deserves better than me. I could never be what she deserves. Not now. Too much time has separated us. There’s too much history."
That confession, so raw and unintentional, seemed to halt our discussion of love in its tracks—as if he hadn’t meant to be that vulnerable. He didn’t ask for my story, and I didn’t offer it. We continued in silence, once again haunted by our pasts.
The sun was high in the sky now, its warm rays filtering through the thick foliage.
Even though the effort was not my own as we moved through the forest, a prickle of sweat beaded along the nape of my neck.
Elias carried me effortlessly through the lush undergrowth, his strong arms cradling my body close.
It was impossible not to be hyper aware of every point where our bodies touched.
A few times, I could swear I saw the flash of something moving through the trees in the distance around us, but Elias didn’t seem concerned so I pushed the worry from my mind.
My ankle still throbbed dully, but the pain was now an afterthought, overshadowed by the intoxicating sensation of being held within his embrace, surrounded by his masculine scent.
I shifted slightly, trying to find a bit of distance from him, but all I managed to do was to create a delicious friction between us.
I chewed my lip, realizing that while my ankle healed, I was completely at this unseelie male's mercy.
"So," Elias drawled, breaking the charged silence between us, "tell me more about the daemonacus plant. How do you plan to use it?"
"It's an extremely potent herb known to break even the most powerful curses without the need to fulfill the original curse-breaking conditions."
"Ah, a shortcut. I like the sound of that." He adjusted his hold of me, my body sliding against his chest and my head nuzzling deeper into his neck until his chin rested atop my head. "And what curse are you trying to break exactly?"
I scoffed. "It's... personal. I'd rather not discuss it." Images of Briar, trapped in her endless slumber, flashed through my mind, but I blinked them away.
"Personal, hmm? Sounds intriguing. I do love a good mystery." His voice lowered to an almost provocative purr.
Heat rushed to my cheeks at the blatant innuendo. "I'm sure you do," I muttered. "But I have no intention of being unraveled by you."
"Oh, trust me. You star in every single one of my unraveling dreams." He winked down at me then, causing me to roll my eyes again. "But I much prefer reality. So, what do you say, princess? Care to make some magic with me?"
"Not a chance," I said, giving his chest another smack. "Now, can we please focus on the task at hand? The sooner that we find the daemonacus flower, the sooner this ill-advised journey will be over."
"Do you think you’re ready to try walking on that ankle now?"
I nodded. "Yes, but can you lower me slowly please?"
"It's not as if I was going to toss you to the ground," he replied, placing me gently to my feet.
"I'm quite all right, thank you," I said, taking a few steps backward. My ankle still hurt something fierce, but I didn't want him to see that weakness.
"That you are, princess," he admitted, taking a step toward me.
A dark look crossed his face for the briefest of moments before he advanced again.
I backed away from him until my spine pressed into the bark of a tree.
Elias hovered over me, leaning in until his voice was a hot breath upon my ear.
"I once knew someone like you. Someone I spent years worrying about. You remind me so much of her..."
I couldn't breathe. It was as if he had stolen my breath. His finger caressed the soft skin of my cheek, then the rounded tip of my ear as he tucked away strands of my hair that had escaped my braids. My tongue darted out, wetting my suddenly dry lips.
"Please, could you back up?" I pressed my palms against his chest, feeling the strong beat of his heart beneath my hands as I lightly pushed. He didn't move an inch.
"What will you do, princess, if I don't?" he asked, his silver gaze dropping to my lips. There was a molten heat behind those eyes, a heat matched within my core.
My fingers dropped to the sheath at my thigh. "I'll have to stab you."
He leaned down closer, his lips but a breath away from my own.
So close. All I would have to do is tip my chin upward and they would collide together.
Something flickered within my mind. A memory.
Another kiss. One that had left me weak in the knees.
It had been meant only for our bargain, but it had been burned into my soul.
I felt my gaze widen and my heart beat like a drum in my chest as I swallowed and took a deep breath to regain my composure.
Briar. She was my purpose. I couldn't afford to get lost in this male's clutches.
My brow furrowed, and I glared up at him.
He must have felt the shift in me because he gave me that crooked smirk before he stepped back.
The warmth that had built between us vanished, leaving me colder than I realized.
I wanted that heat, but I clenched my fists hard, resisting the urge to give into my traitorous body.