20. Rahzlyn #2
“My what?” It took a few moments to process who he could possibly mean. “Jere? He wishes.”
“Do you have more than one?”
I threw my hands up. “Unbelievable!”
“We’re wasting time.”
“Why the rush?” I pressed.
Nearing my face, he said lowly, “Because if I’m caught in Gemini, it would be trouble for both of us.” He reached for the end of the bed and tossed a wad of dark clothing at me, kicking a pair of tattered boots my way. “From the innkeeper. More suitable for flying.”
I unfurled a large, black tunic and tan trousers skinny enough for a twig. “I don’t know if I should be flattered or insulted.”
“Neither.” He gestured behind me to a chamber pot. “Wipe off the vervain coating your skin and relieve yourself. It’s going to be a long flight.”
“When you said flying, I thought you meant by ship or carriage. I never imagined being abducted on a Pegasus.”
“Do you have a preferred method of transportation for abduction?” the guardian asked, sounding bored.
“I’ve simply never seen a Pegasus.” I gawked at the creature. “Only Hippogriffs from afar.”
The Pegasus stood taller than a horse, with a broader chest, longer legs, and a pair of stunning feathered wings.
The skybeast snorted in greeting at the guardian.
He cooed softly, their heads nuzzling together.
The brief, tender exchange surprised me.
I stepped forward, eager to greet the Pegasus, but my footsteps startled them both.
“Don’t sneak up on her,” he warned. He adjusted the saddle at her back, securing a round sack that he’d picked up from the hay at her hooves. He pulled out an apple from it and fed the beautiful animal. The Pegasus craned its neck warily in my direction as it chewed.
I tugged at the oversized sleeves of my tunic. It smelled nice, and given its size I assumed it belonged to the guardian. “What’s her name?”
“Cobalt.”
Her coat shone so black it gleamed like the purest midnight skies. I smiled, unable to help myself. “Fitting. I’ve always wanted a pet.”
“She’s a beast bred for battle, not domesticated companionship.” The guardian brought his hands to either side of my waist and lifted me swiftly. I swung a leg over Cobalt’s broad back, settling into the saddle.
The oversized tunic slipped down my right arm, baring my shoulder. “Could have fooled me.”
His serious eyes held mine for a beat. Then he leapt up effortlessly behind me. “An easy feat to accomplish.”
“Ass,” I muttered, becoming all too aware of his muscled chest pressing into my back.
With a click of his tongue, we jerked forward. His arms encased me to steer the reins. Cobalt’s hooves clopped rhythmically out of the stable and onto the cobbled path.
“This saddle isn’t exactly comfortable for two people,” I remarked when the pommel dug into my crotch.
He didn’t bother responding. My toes curled against the cramped boots that dangled on either side of Cobalt’s wide ribcage.
The waistband of the pants dug into my torso.
“And while I’m grateful for the change of clothes, you couldn’t manage anything more my size?
You may not have noticed, but I’m not exactly… petite.”
“I noticed.”
His blunt response sent heat to my cheeks. “For someone sent to retrieve me, you don’t seem fully prepared—”
“Apologies if I am not living up to your imagined abduction standards.”
My thighs clenched in frustration. “Some say sarcasm is a sign of intelligence.” I paused. “Others say it’s a defense mechanism for men with insufficient manhoods. Many might mistake such insecurity for… cockiness.” I couldn’t help but grin, feeling triumphant over his silence.
His breath warmed my ear. “I may be celibate, but I assure you my manhood is anything but insufficient.”
I stiffened, trying to ignore the fact that whatever-sized manhood he possessed was pressed against my backside.
I’d felt his length with my own pelvis earlier.
Unwanted heat bloomed in my core. Shifting in the saddle, I scanned the row of compact buildings before us.
“Given we’re in for a long ride—and the fact that we almost had sex, thus proving your manhood insufficient—do you mind at least telling me your name?
” I didn’t recall what either Scorpion guardians’ names were.
In fact, I couldn’t even think of Gemini’s.
“Mine is Roselyn Ariti, but I prefer to go by Rahzlyn. Not that many care to listen, though,” I added under my breath.
“We didn’t almost have sex.”
I snorted. “You certainly weren’t stopping me.” Even though he’d been immune to my advances—a fact I shouldn’t have taken such offense to. Pride was no stranger to women.
“No one could ever make me break my oath of celibacy,” he said with finality. “Chosens are bound to that.”
Cobalt’s pace picked up as the quiet street we trotted down widened enough to fit the span of her wings. “Oh, really? Tonight, the king of Gemini planned to—” I cut myself off. The less I gave him to use against me, the better. “Do any of you face repercussions for your actions?”
“Obviously. Of all the twelve decrees of the Treaty, the oath of celibacy is the easiest to adhere to. The punishment is always death.”
“Easiest?” I scrunched my nose, unable to fathom a life without such intimacy.
This man could undoubtedly lure many women—and men—into his bed if he wanted.
Yet as he spoke, it became startlingly obvious that he had no appetite for such pleasures.
It was both startling and intriguing. “Giving up sex is a horrible way to live. That’s an awful rule. ”
“Spoken like a true apostate.”