25. Lira
25
LIRA
E ven if my skin hadn’t felt like burned leather, I had no doubt my face would still be feeling hot now. I wanted to cover my body with my hands, but that was part of the problem. I couldn’t move without feeling as if my skin might crack and fall off. This must be how snakes felt when they molted.
When he opened the door and stepped in, he stopped in his tracks.
I almost wished I had the power of darkness or even shadows to hide myself. I’d tried to take off my leather pants, but sweat had stuck them to me, and I couldn’t get them off without nearly passing out from the agony. I could barely even stand, let alone undress myself. “I …” The words died on my lips, and it had nothing to do with how parched my throat was. “… need help.” I shouldn’t have asked him, but my wings were limp. I had no choice, and who cared if I owed him? I’d be dead soon, either from the next trial or at Tavish’s hand.
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he remained frozen in place .
I wanted the floor to open up and engulf me. He didn’t want to help me. I couldn’t blame him. I could only imagine how awful I looked. “Never mind.” I tried to force a smile, but my skin didn’t want to stretch. “I’ll figure it out.”
“I don’t mind assisting,” he said loudly and entered the bathroom. “I merely don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“We both know we’re way beyond that,” I whispered. The words held many meanings, and even I wasn’t sure which one I meant. He’d kidnapped me, brought me to a realm I didn’t remember, made me feel things I hated and didn’t understand, and took care of me. Every one of those things made me uncomfortable, but in very opposing ways.
He winced, and I could’ve sworn his face tightened with remorse for a second before he continued toward me.
The air between us turned electric. Something tugged in my chest hard, and if I hadn’t been in such a horrible condition, I would’ve helped close the distance between us. As it was, it took him an eternity to reach me.
When he stood before me, he bit his bottom lip. “What do you need me to do?” he asked in a growly voice.
Heat flooded my body. The kind that didn’t resemble pain in the least, other than feeling like I might combust if he didn’t touch me.
“Help me undress.” Three words I’d never said together, and of course, they’d be to him. This man had the ability to take everything from me, but this time, I’d give it to him willingly. Thank fuck my body was in complete misery, or I very likely would’ve done something stupid. “I … I can’t get my pants off, and just thinking about getting the shirt over my head—” I cut off with a shudder.
He nodded and reached out a hand before pausing. “Uh … what do you want help wi th first?”
Good question, and surprisingly, the answer was easy. “My shirt.” I would be a lot less uncomfortable standing around without my top while we removed my pants instead of being commando and him touching my top half.
Hands shaking, his fingers slipped into the collar of the tunic. “The shirt’s ruined. I’ll just rip it so you don’t have to strain your back and wings to get it over your head.”
“Good idea.”
His fingers brushed my skin, and the buzz thrummed, taking the edge off my pain. I didn’t understand how or why, but his touch felt better than ever before, and that was saying something.
Gripping the material, he ripped the shirt open in the front.
Cool air hit my breasts, and he glanced down then closed his eyes. He breathed through clenched teeth as he lifted his head before opening his eyes again. His breathing quickened, and he slowly eased the tunic off one arm at a time.
Even though he was gentle, the material gliding off my skin might as well have been raking me raw. I groaned.
“Blighted abyss, sprite,” Tavish gritted out. “We’re both going to be in misery if you keep making those noises.” He dropped the tunic on the floor and straightened.
I started, my wings fluttering and my back muscles spasming again. I jerked forward, and my body pressed against Tavish’s chest. My nipples hardened from the buzzing and cold as my feet hit the floor.
Excruciating agony crumpled me. Tavish wrapped his arms under my wings, my body buzzing everywhere we touched. He slid his hands back under my knees the way he’d carried me before. Unlike last time, my top half was bare for him to see .
He gritted his teeth, and his eyes focused on my breasts again before he averted his gaze back up to my face. “Let’s get you undressed and into the tub before you get hurt worse.”
As he placed my butt against the side of the tub, Tavish’s magic of darkness crept around me. The cold sensation blanketed me, and when I glanced down, he’d covered me from the waist up. I relaxed my shoulders, thankful for the privacy, though my chest tightened in disappointment. He clearly didn’t enjoy looking at me.
But why should he? Not only was I bloody and hurt, but he planned to kill me.
As I enjoyed the coolness against my raw skin, Tavish gripped the waistband of my leather pants and pulled them down gently. My legs weren’t as bad off as my upper body and feet.
When he got to my ankles, his face was right in front of my crotch, and I wanted to die inside. In less than an hour, I’d had two firsts—a man who hated my guts had held me tightly because he’d feared death, and a king had put his face right in front of my vagina. When I imagined revealing my naked body to a man, I always thought it would be with him pleasuring my body instead of mere circumstance, which was definitely not sexy.
Tavish hissed, scrunching the pants hard together and removing them carefully from my legs. With the darkness now hiding me from the cooch up, I didn’t feel nearly as uncomfortable.
As soon as he was finished, he turned his back to me.
My chest ached. This whole experience had to be miserable for him. I hated that I’d asked him to undress me, but he’d been right about needing to clean my wounds.
“Do you need any additional help?” he rasped .
There was no way in hell I’d ask him for anything else. “I’m good. Th—” My lips slammed shut, stopping me from thanking him. I couldn’t forget he was the reason I was in this situation. “Therefore, you should go.” My words were terse, but I was more upset with myself than with him. How could I have allowed myself to almost be that careless?
He cleared his throat. “If you need anything, I’ll be outside the door.” He went to the door, but I couldn’t help but notice he was walking … not quite as easily.
Had I hurt him? If so, how?
When he shut the door behind him, the darkness around me faded, and I ached for the coolness once more. Instead, I slowly turned my body around and winced as I prepared to dip my feet into the water.
I had no doubt it would sting.
Inhaling deeply, I touched my soles to the liquid, bracing for torment. But something cool and refreshing inside my chest trickled down to my feet like it was reaching for the water. As soon as it came, it vanished as if it had found what it’d been searching for.
The throbbing eased, and I lowered myself, shifting so that my wings slid inside as well—a little awkwardly, but I managed. My skin tingled, and my muscles relaxed, so I submerged myself, needing the relief on my face. I held my breath for as long as possible, enjoying the way my body felt underneath the liquid. I opened my eyes and turned my head to the right, where Nightbane lay, watching me. I could see him through the glass bottom of the tub.
Soon, my lungs ached, so I surfaced, laid my head back against the edge, and closed my eyes.
Something warm sparked next to where the cold, refreshing sensation had been, lulling me to sleep.
“Lira, are you okay?” Tavish slurred from the other side of the door. “I’m not trying to rush you, but you’ve been in there a blasted long time.”
My eyes popped open, and I sat up. My back ached, but nowhere near as much as it had after the trial. How long had I been in here?
“Sprite?” He knocked louder. “Are you still in there?” He chuckled loudly. “Of course she’s in there. Where else would she be?”
His unguarded laughter tugged at a memory I couldn’t quite grasp. I shook my head, my hair dry except for the ends that dipped into the water. “I fell asleep. I’ll be out in a moment.”
“Well, I’ll be here waiting.” Something thumped against the door, almost like he’d placed his head against it. “I’m not going anywhere. Not unless I take you with me.”
I slowly reached for the towel and noticed that my skin wasn’t burned anymore. The water had healed me, and I wouldn’t complain. Though I was moving slower, I no longer wanted to cry from the pain.
“Do you need assistance getting dressed?” he asked a little too loudly. “Because, believe me, I wouldn’t mind.”
My breath caught as I snatched up the emerald gown—my favorite color—and slid it over my body. Thankfully, my wings instinctively knew how to move and slide into the slits in the cloth, though my back ached gently. “Thanks, but I’m okay.” I didn’t want to live through another embarrassing moment.
He huffed and muttered, “That’s a disappointment.”
My wings folded behind me as I straightened. Surely I hadn’t heard him right .
Not wanting to make the situation between us more awkward, I gently placed my feet on the floor, waiting for the debilitating pain, but all the arches of my feet did was ache. I sat on the edge of the tub and examined the bottoms to find the charred skin gone with fresh golden skin in its place.
I looked over my shoulder at the water. What sort of magic did it hold? I’d never take it for granted again.
Nightbane climbed to all fours, and we padded to the door. Though I still limped, I was thankful I could actually stand on both feet.
When I opened the door, Tavish stumbled into me. One hand caught the doorframe while the other wrapped around me. He buried his face in my neck and took a deep breath. He murmured, “You smell so nice.” Then he swayed on his feet.
I placed my hands on his shoulders to steady him. “Are you all right? You’re acting strange.”
“I’m better than perfect,” he answered, his lips brushing my earlobe.
A zing shot down my spine, and warmth flared between my legs. Definitely a reaction I didn’t need to have with him. My heart hammered, and I took a step back. His actions were not in line with his usual behavior, so something wasn’t adding up.
I scanned the room and saw one clear container that held water and a second that was half-empty, holding red liquid that reminded me of wine. “What is that?”
“Spirits.” He smacked his lips and leaned back. “Sweet, but I bet you taste even better.”
My face burned from embarrassment. “Maybe we should sit down. ”
“Or we could lie down.” He waggled his brows, reminding me of Finnian.
I snorted and quickly covered it with a cough. “Why don’t you go do that, and I’ll grab myself some water?” Even though the bath had made me feel substantially better, my throat remained dry.
“No, I should take care of you,” he insisted, taking my hand and leading me to his bed. “Sit and allow me to do this for you.”
Before I could argue with him, he soared to the table where his chessboard had sat before the incident . Knowing there was no point in arguing, I sat on the edge of the bed.
He filled a glass to the brim with water for me then filled a second one with spirits.
Something he’d clearly had enough of already.
He hurried back to me, liquid somehow not sloshing over the rims. His pain-in-the-ass self would still be careful, even when plastered. That sounded about right.
“Here you go, sprite.” He held out the water glass.
I gladly took it and drained the liquid in four large gulps. Just like in the bath, my throat immediately tingled and felt better. “The water here has to be full of magic.” That was the only explanation.
“Your magic must be returning.” He took a large sip and plopped beside me. “Your wings coming out is a big deal. It makes things more complicated.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “What do you mean?”
“This was the point, the reason I’d intended to take you back to Gleann Solas, so I could drain you of your blood in front of your people to take down the veil.” He lifted his glass and watched the liquid swirl around it. “But I can’t do that now that you’re part of the gauntlet, and I’m relieved.”
I arched a brow as anger heated my blood. “You’re relieved I’m stuck playing a game where all the competitors want to kill me, and you want to drain my blood.”
“Yeah, I need your blood to take down the veil. It’s the only way to save my people. And Lorne didn’t want to kill you tonight.” He wrinkled his nose. “That wildling will die for touching you like that. You’ll see.”
I stood, ignoring the way my feet twinged. “Are you fucking serious? You want to kill him for saving me? If that’s how you feel, why keep me in your room and help me bathe to feel better?”
“Don’t be foolish, Lira.” He lowered his glass to the bed. “I’m not upset with him for saving you. Nobody touches you but me .”
“You mean gets to kill me.” I crossed my arms, hating the way so many emotions were surging within me, making me feel off balance.
He sighed and hung his head. “No, for touching you. I blasting don’t want to kill you. Not anymore.” He looked up at me through his lashes and messy hair, which had fallen over his eyes. “I wish I’d never brought you here. You don’t deserve any of this. But I’m also glad I did because I got to spend time with you again.”
I swallowed, my pulse pounding hard. That damn yank in my chest fired, trying to pull me toward him. “Tavish, you’re drunk. You don’t mean any of this.” I reached over and took the glass from him. “It’s best for us both if you stop drinking.”
He surprised me when he yielded the glass without a fight. As I walked to the table, he said, “Don’t pretend you don’t feel the same attraction. Do you know how hard it was to walk away when you were naked in front of me?” He laughed. “When I say hard, I mean it was in all ways.”
The image of how he’d moved strangely while leaving the bathroom suddenly took on a whole different meaning, and desire pooled in my stomach.
Smirking, he stalked toward me, reminding me of the night we’d met on Earth. I felt like the prey, but the thrill had my pulse beating quicker.
Wrapping an arm around my waist, he pulled me flush against his body. His eyes homed in on my lips, and he lowered his mouth to mine.
Everything in me wanted this to happen, but I found the strength to lean back and place a hand on his chest. “No. Not like this.”
His irises darkened, and he frowned. “Why? Is there someone else?” His arms tightened around my waist. “Is it Lorne?”
I blinked. “ Lorne ?” I must have misunderstood him. He thought I wanted a kiss from the prisoner I’d been chained to and who hated my guts? “Have you lost your damn mind?”
“Knock, knock, wildlings!” Finnian’s voice boomed from the other side of the bedchamber’s door. He flung the door open as he continued, “See, I knocked this time instead of—” He cut off as he and Caelan froze in the doorway.
Tavish didn’t move, his face locked on mine as he commanded, “Leave before I make you.”
Caelan’s face tensed. “What is going on here?”
My patience snapped. I glared at Caelan and said with heavy sarcasm, “Tavish just informed me that you chained me to Lorne because I have the hots for him.”
“Hots for him?” Caelan scratched the back of his neck. “You’re a water Seelie, not fire.”
Of course, they wouldn’t know what that meant. Fine. I’d make it clear for him. “Apparently, I want to fuck him.”
“I knew it,” Tavish hissed and released me. “I can’t wait until the gauntlet is over to kill him. He will die tonight .” Then he soared across the room to the door.
“Tavish, she didn’t mean—” Caelan started, ready to block him, but Finnian stepped out of the way, waving his friend on.
“Remember, he’s got the hurt leg!” Finnian called out as Tavish vanished from sight.
What the hell was going on? My stomach clenched, and I prepared to go after Tavish to stop him.