Chapter 4
I bolted upright on the lumpy mattress, my heart racing, and my head pounding. Memories from the last few days poured in—the morgue, the tavern, the attack, the arrow. My hand drifted to my bandaged arm.
The bandages were still dry, which meant the bleeding had stopped. The dull ache that had been there yesterday had faded as well. Despite getting struck by the poisoned arrow, I was recovering.
But my concern continued to grow. I needed to know what this meant, and I could think of only a few people who could potentially answer.
The spot beside me on the mattress was empty.
The floorboards creaked downstairs. When I peered over the edge of the loft, I found Ace in the process of gently lifting Nala’s head so he could sit on the couch.
He nursed a cup of coffee in one hand, the steam lifting off the surface to carry its delicious smell to me.
His other hand lazily stroked my familiar’s matted fur.
The first rays of the sunrise filtered through the window.
Soft light gilded his face, kissing the sharp angles of his jawline and chiselled cheekbones.
Tousled and wild from sleep, stray locks of chestnut hair tumbled across his brow and veiled his dark gaze.
He raked a hand through the unruly mop with a slow, careless motion.
Lifting the chipped mug to his lips, he took a languid sip of coffee, completely unaware that in that quiet, golden moment, he looked like a dream.
This was an intimate view at an unguarded Ace, and I couldn’t tear my gaze away.
Wasn’t that pathetic?
“Anymore where that came from?” I asked, trying to break the spell this man had placed on me.
Ace smiled and tilted his head up, his dark gaze finding mine right away. I hadn’t startled him at all.
“I’m not a complete monster.” He jerked his chin in the direction of the meal prep area and the mug sitting on the counter.
“You might just be a decent human being after all.” I flung the sheets back and scampered down the ladder, ignoring Ace’s bemused look.
I tried to recall all the reasons I hated this man, but the softness in his gaze and the warmth I felt when he held me last night replaced all the hurtful memories.
Ugh.
“Felt like you thought I was more than decent last night when you were rubbing up against me,” Ace said.
I froze at the base of the ladder.
I’d had a wonderful dream featuring Ace and his hands. Had I arched into him in my sleep?
Heat spread across my face.
I probably had.
Gauging from the smug smile spreading across Ace’s face, I definitely had.
Would I ever admit to any of this?
Never.
“Please,” I said. “It was minimal chaffing, at best.”
Ace choked on his coffee and cast an incredulous look my way as I padded over to the awaiting mug.
The kitchen occupied a small alcove to the right of the entrance and couch. The cup of coffee sat on the compact but functional, rough-hewn counter beside a deep farmhouse sink. I glanced out the window above the counter. Through the dust and grime, a view of the silent forest greeted me.
He cleared his throat. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”
“Do you have something better to call it?” I leaned on the counter and inhaled the smell of coffee.
“Dry humping.”
I chose to take a deep sip of the coffee instead of commenting. The rich flavour coated my tongue, and I savoured the warmth as my senses woke up. “What do we do now?”
“About what to call your gyrating on my leg?”
“About our entire situation.”
“Funny, before you called our intimate embrace last night chafing, I had planned to ask you the same thing.”
“I want to talk to Orion.”
“What? Why?” Ace turned on the couch to face me. “We saw him yesterday and he left us to return to Perga.”
I took another long sip of coffee. “I need to understand why the arrow didn’t harm me this time and whether my hypothesis is correct. If I’m right, I need to know what that means.”
Ace didn’t say anything right away.
Shit. I hadn’t admitted to Ace the arrow was poisoned. I cradled my mug to my chest and walked back to the living room.
“You can’t trust him, Mouse,” Ace said.
“I’ve known him for a long time. I’ve hunted with him. He’s saved my life. Of course I can trust him.”
“First of all, telling Onion the arrow was poisoned and didn’t harm you will mean revealing more than you might be ready to.
” He took another long sip of coffee as if to buy himself time to choose his words.
That was so unlike Ace. He usually spat out the truth and spared no feelings.
Or at least he never spared mine. “Besides, you’re immortal. How exactly did he save your life?”
I opened my mouth and then shut it again. I hadn’t told Ace my suspicions. Had he figured it out on his own? He took the news of the ineffective poison as if it didn’t surprise him at all. Regardless, he made a couple of good points.
I mentally shook my head.
Good points or not, Rye had patched me up on more than a few occasions, and he cared for Nala.
“And if he is so trustworthy, if he truly has your back, where is he?” Ace continued. “Why did he return to town instead of running away with us?”
“He thought I needed the healing balm.”
“Yet you told him you didn’t, and you weren’t showing any signs of poisoning. Maybe the simplest explanation is the right one.”
“And what’s the simplest explanation?” My pulse thudded in my ears. I folded my arms tightly across my chest. “Please enlighten me.”
His jaw tightened, and for a moment I thought he might refuse to answer. Then, with his voice low and heavy with frustration, he said, “He’s a part of this.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Of course he is. He works for the royals, just like us. Those hunters were shooting at him, too. Or did you miss that part while you were busy spinning conspiracy theories?”
Ace exhaled harshly and pinched the bridge of his nose. The other hand still cradled his now forgotten coffee. “You’re purposefully being obtuse.”
Heat spread through my body. How dare he imply I didn’t understand. I grasped his point perfectly well, thank you very much. I just disagreed with it. “I’m refusing to jump to harmful conclusions about people who haven’t hurt me.”
His gaze snapped to meet mine. Dark and stormy. I’d seen them wild before in the bloodied moments we’d barely survived, but never like this, and certainly not aimed at me.
“He’s responsible for this,” Ace said, enunciating every word carefully. “He’s in this so deep, Mouse, I’m surprised he hasn’t drowned yet.”
I felt something shift in my chest, cold and uncertain, but I shoved it down. “That’s ridiculous.”
“It’s not.” He leaned forward on the couch. “And you’d see that if you weren’t so busy panting after him.”
I blinked. “Panting? I’m not a dog. I do not pant.”
“Yeah. Panting,” Ace said. “Gawking at him as if he hangs the stars in the sky and shits roses.”
I rocked back on my heels, stunned. “I can assure you, I’m not phaaning panting after him or anyone else.”
“You’re not objective when it comes to him.” He lowered his voice. “You’ve slept together.”
The words fell between us like a blade, sharp and final.
I stared at the hard line of his jaw, the fury in his gaze, and something else underneath it all. Something raw.
“Is that what this is really about?” I asked.
He looked away, pressing his lips tightly together like he wanted to say more but couldn’t. Or wouldn’t. Outside, a hawk screeched in the distance, high and sharp across the cliffs. The wind teased the branches of the tall trees. But inside, silence settled over us like a lead blanket.
“Last time I checked sleeping with someone is not a crime,” I said quietly. “You left and you have no claim on me. Not then and not now. You certainly don’t have the right to tell me who I can sleep with. Nor can you make me feel like shit about it. Orion and I were two consenting adults.”
“Phaaning Onion might not be a crime, but it means your history with him is clouding your judgement. You can’t fathom the idea of a man fawning over you while phaaning you over.”
Anger swelled inside me. He thought I was so simple I couldn’t see the signs of betrayal? That was rich coming from him. “Oh, I’m aware of the difference. You taught me that lesson long ago.”
“I never—” He made a sound halfway between a grunt and a growl before looking away, his expression pinched with annoyance.
“I can assure you that my weak, pathetic little girl brain is capable of handling these big boy topics and concepts,” I said. “If anything is clouding my judgement, it’s our shared past hunting. He’s patched me up and has had my back. My disbelief has nothing to do with one drunken night.”
Ace shrugged, his gaze still not meeting mine. “If you say so.”
Seriously? I wished I’d never slept with Orion. It made things awkward and our friendship messy. But I never thought I’d regret it because I’d have to defend my actions and opinions with Ace.
I set the coffee mug down and grabbed my bow and quiver.
“Where are you going?”
“Hunting.”
“The forest is probably still swarming with hunters.”
I stalked to the door and paused to answer. “I’ll take my chances.”
Nala lifted her head from Ace’s lap and whined.
“You stay here, girl.” I flung open the door and stepped outside, the old wood groaning on its rusty hinges as it swung wide.
Fresh, dewy morning air rushed up to greet me.
It had rained last night, and the cool air was laced with the scent of rain-drenched earth and damp moss.
The smell wrapped around me in silent comfort.
The path leading to the dense forest shimmered with puddles that mirrored the brooding sky. Looming dark clouds hung low and heavy overhead and promised stormier weather to come.
For now, though, the sun had clawed its way through a ragged break in the gray clouds, cascading light over the forest. Weak golden beams caught on the edges of leaves, turning droplets into trembling jewels.