Chapter 23
Before my date with Barrett, I decide to ignore Elle’s request and leave my wing to check on Marik. Instead of completely rebelling, I clear it with Ivan and bring William with me, who now stands outside of the guest cottage as I enter.
Clanging comes from the kitchen, so I head there first. Asmo leans against the kitchen counter stirring a spoon in a ceramic mug, a pair of blue plaid pajama pants slung low on his hips, his pale torso on proud display.
He looks like he just rolled out of bed, his hair messy and unbrushed.
A black snake tattoo is inked on his chest, the tail winding its way from his left bicep, up to his shoulder, with the head settling across the right side of his chest.
He clears his throat, and my eyes snap up to his.
“Like what you see?”
Um. Yes.
“How are you?” I ask awkwardly after being caught ogling him.
“Fantastic,” he says, shooting me a sarcastic smile. Okay then. Gone is the sweet Asmo from less than twelve hours ago.
“I’m looking for Marik,” I say.
“Care for a cup of coffee?” he asks, holding out his mug to me.
My attention, once again, slides to that tattoo slithering along his perfect chest. The room feels too hot. I need to get out of here. I shake my head. “No, thank you. Can you tell me where Marik is?”
He doesn’t say anything. Instead, he turns and leaves the kitchen.
I follow him, trying desperately not to stare at the way the muscles in his back ripple with every movement.
He leads us up a flight of stairs, then turns right when he reaches the landing.
He points down the hallway. “Last door on the left, princess. Let me know if you need rescuing again.”
“Thank you, Asmo,” I say, looking into his dark eyes. “For your help last night,” I say sincerely.
He doesn’t respond, but I feel his eyes on me as I turn and walk down the hallway. When I get to Marik’s door, I turn to look back. Asmo’s gone.
I knock softly on Marik’s bedroom door.
“Yeah?” Marik calls from the other side of the door. I crack the door open. Marik leans against his headboard in a T-shirt and boxers, legs stretched on the bed. His hair is tousled and the wound on his head is already completely healed.
His eyes widen when they see me. He scrambles to throw the blanket over his lap. “Mae! I wasn’t expecting you. Otherwise, I would have put some clothes on,” he says.
I wave him away and say, “Sorry for the unannounced visit. I just wanted to come by and see how you’re doing after last night.”
“I’m fine. I’ve been through much worse.”
I raise an eyebrow at him. “Really? Worse than getting attacked by a cambion?”
“I told you a little bit about my childhood the other night,” he says with a shrug. “When Asmo and I were younger, our father used to make us fight each other until one of us lost consciousness. So, getting knocked out isn’t anything new to me. It’s never pleasant, but it’s familiar.”
He told me about their parents’ brutal childrearing practices, but to force them to battle each other? For consciousness?
I don’t have words.
I can’t speak.
I enter the bedroom, closing the door behind me. He moves over on the bed to make room for me to sit.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Marik,” I say quietly as I sit next to him. His thigh presses against mine, solid and warm.
He shrugs. “I’m stronger for it. It sucked, but I’m a better man because of it. The world is cruel, but I can handle it, thanks to my father.”
I shake my head. “The world isn’t cruel. Not like that. Nobody deserves that.”
He casts his gaze downward. “No disrespect, but the world is that cruel.” He leans back and drapes his arm around my shoulders. I lean into him.
“Enough of that. How are you?” he asks me. “You’re not used to stuff like that. Are you okay? Even though I’m used to it, cambions are still scary, even to me.”
I take a shaky breath and say, “Yeah…it was terrifying. I’m so thankful that Asmo was there.”
He scoffs.
“What?” I ask, turning to look at him.
“Nothing,” he says, but he won’t look at me.
“Marik, what?” I ask again, repeating the question with force.
“I’m just not convinced he wasn’t playing with dark magic again.”
My eyes threaten to pop out of their sockets. “What? Again? What do you mean? You think he summoned them?”
He shakes his head. “No, I don’t. I’m sorry I said that,” he says quickly.
I lean away from him and glare at him. “Marik, why would you say something like that?”
He takes a deep breath, then says, “My brother is…the way we were raised messed him up. He used to play with dark magic when we were younger because it pissed our parents off. What I just said was stupid because only witches can summon cambions, so it couldn’t have been him that brought them here.”
“You can’t make accusations like that!” I say, nudging him with my elbow.
“You’re right. Can I just kiss you instead?” he asks, catching me off guard with the sudden shift in his mood. “I hate that you got hurt because of me,” he says, glancing at the bandage on my forearm.
I roll my eyes. “I didn’t get hurt because of you.”
His body shifts and he brings his hand up to cup my chin, forcing my head up. The gesture is gentle, and I lift my eyes to meet his.
His black eyes bore into mine, reminding me of his brother. I banish Asmo from my thoughts and focus on Marik. On the sliver of silver that surrounds his iris, just like the sliver of the moon. “Next time, let me be your hero, okay?”
I nod, feeling a little breathless at our proximity. He tilts my chin up further, then softly presses his lips to mine. The last time we kissed, it was simple, easy.
This time, he takes it a step further, parting his lips. His tongue slithers into mine. His mouth moves expertly against mine, and I climb onto his lap to deepen the kiss. His hands slide down my back, but don’t go any further.
I break the kiss before it can go any further and say, “I’m sorry, Marik, but William’s waiting for me outside. To be continued?” I ask him, smiling at him.
He returns the smile, but it doesn’t meet his eyes. “Of course. Thank you for coming to check on me.”
He gives me a peck before I stand and head to the door.
When I turn back to close the door, I take one last glimpse into Marik’s room to say a final goodbye.
He’s not looking at me, smiling and watching me go as I was expecting.
His posture is rigid, every muscle tensed as he stares at the wall, a dark expression on his face.
I hesitate, considering offering an apology or an explanation at leaving so suddenly. Although I wanted to continue, I don’t think that would be the best idea. Not if I want to prioritize building relationships with all of the princes on deeper levels.
I’m still considering turning back as I descend the stairs and head back to the main level. But any thoughts of Marik disappear as I pass Asmo in the living room, sprawled on the couch with a novel, still shirtless.
“You didn’t need to act like that toward Koa last night,” I say, avoiding looking at his eight individual abs that are on full display.
“Yes, I did,” he says, not looking up from his book.
“No, you didn’t,” I shoot back.
He turns a page of the novel. “He should have protected you,” he says in a monotone voice.
“I can protect myself,” I retort.
He sits up on the couch, dropping the novel to the seat beside him. “Oh? Really? That is news to me. Last I checked, you just started practicing your magic.”
I roll my eyes. “I was fine,” I mutter.
He picks up the coffee mug on the table in front of him. “Interesting. I think I remember coming to save you, but I could be wrong,” he says, eyeing me over the mug as he takes a sip.
“I would’ve been fine,” I retort, unwilling to back down.
“That remains to be seen. Regardless, Koa should never have been able to sleep that soundly. If he was your m—”
“Nobody told me we had company,” a deep voice says from behind me. I spin around to find Barrett standing at the bottom of the stairs, also only wearing pajama bottoms.
“She came to see her damsel-in-distress,” Asmo says, a snarky smile on his face.
Barrett’s brow furrows at Asmo’s comment.
“Marik,” Asmo clarifies. “Anyway, she was just leaving.”
“Sorry, Barrett. He’s right, though. I’ll see you later,” I say, trying to force some happiness into my voice so I don’t sound the way I really feel—annoyed. I shoot him an apologetic smile, then open the front door and step outside.
“See you tomorrow, love,” Asmo calls cheerfully.
Normally, the pet name would send my head buzzing. But right now, it just irritates me.
I don’t respond as I slam the door shut.
Later that day, Barrett knocks on my door, dressed in tan slacks and a red dress shirt, the top buttons left unbuttoned. Curly, brown chest hair pokes out from the opening, immediately reminding me of the glimpse I got of his chest just hours before.
“How nice of you to put a shirt on,” I say sarcastically as I open the door for him.
He steps inside my wing. “I can take it off if you’d rather,” he offers.
“Insufferable,” I mutter, failing to hide my smile. I grab the woven basket from the side table and slip my shoes on. “Let’s go, Prince Barrett.”
He holds the door open for me, gesturing me out into the hallway. “So, flower picking?” he asks.
I descend the stairs, Barrett following closely behind.
“Yes. I used to want to own a flower shop when I was younger, so I thought this would be fun to do together. Plus, our options are kind of limited with the extra tagalongs we have joining us,” I say, glancing behind us at the small group of guards following us.
“This was the only way I could get Ivan to agree to let us do something that wasn’t confined to my wing. ”
“A flower shop, huh?” he asks. “What changed your mind to books?”
We step outside and into the sunshine, and I immediately regret the dress I chose. Although the sun is shining, a frigid wind whips through the air, sending goosebumps scattering across my arms.