Chapter Seventeen
Avari
River’s muscles strained and tightened the more he put them to use. His heated jacket lay on the ground by the massive tree stump I perched on, which offered an unobstructed view of fabric on his back stretching beyond what, I thought, was possible.
The chilly breeze whipping his soft curls around his forehead did nothing to cool him as beads of sweat glistened under the vibrant moonlight. They cascaded down his neck, disappearing under the collar of his shirt.
His moist skin reflected that moonlight in the most sinful way. Or perhaps it was just him. My pride took a hit when I realised how scandalous it was to watch him, mesmerised. Suddenly, he shifted, casting me a cocky stare that made my heart skip a beat.
‘Enjoying the show?’ he winked, and I felt heat creeping up my chest.
Thank Gods I was covered in many layers of clothing, though he could probably notice the change on my cheeks. Unless I invested in a massive scarf, they would be difficult to hide.
Chuckling at my lack of response, he moved closer to me. He took one of the dark metal prongs and swiftly kicked it into the ground to make sure the tent stayed secured.
Judging by the cloudy sky, it would turn to rain at best and storm at worst. That didn’t worry me too much. If it tried to lift away, I could use witchcraft to anchor it in place.
Somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to make that offer while he worked on it.
‘May I invite you into our humble abode, princess?’ he asked cheerfully, opening the flaps.
Two thin comforters lined the floor on opposite sides. The need to dwell on the fact I never even considered we might need all of those things overwhelmed me, but then I realised I couldn’t have. Fogoya was still a mystery, not to mention my lack of strategic expertise.
I could blame him for not keeping me up to speed, but I never asked either. Was I a hypocrite? ‘Never took you for a hiking type. Where did you learn to set up tents?’
River’s lips curved into a soft smile. ‘I’m a treasure trove of secrets and surprises.’
The humblest of kings. ‘Why am I not surprised you consider yourself to be treasure?’
Standing beside me, his energy exuded excitement, while the sleeping conditions made my head spin.
No space. Cramped. One tent.
‘I don’t tend to sell myself short,’ he snorted.
Leaving him by the entrance, I sat on my makeshift bed and petted the snake, who hovered just above my collarbones. ‘Are you sure I will even fit in this tent with you and your ego?’
His head tilted as he cracked his neck. ‘Not to mention the amount of pheromones you’re secreting. You just might make me dizzy.’
Dickhead. ‘Oh, shut up, I am not!’
Though maybe I was… I enjoyed the show a little too much.
A smug smirk made him even more insufferable and irresistible until he opened his mouth. ‘Relax. It’s not like it’s new; you’ve had the hots for me a while now, little witch.’
‘What the– No. No, I have not.’
He tapped his nose. ‘Fae senses, remember?’
Wind howled like a wild beast outside and shook the fabric walls, making me cringe. This whole situation was insane. What the hell was I thinking agreeing to work with him? ‘The little lapse of judgement when I was ovulating doesn’t count, River. I wasn’t myself.’
‘Oh, are you sure of that?’ he challenged, too convinced of his charm. ‘What’s the excuse now?’
Shit. ‘Now? Um…’
‘Exactly! You can ogle me all you want. I’m literally your dream man so you might as well.’ He chuckled, lying on his mattress and crossing his muscled arms behind his head.
I gasped at his audacity and covered my eyes in the nook of my elbow. It was all I could do, hoping for a moment of reprieve since looking at him sent my mind to places I couldn’t entertain. ‘Gods give me strength.’
The asshole found my internal battle entertaining. The witch part of me wanted to murder him. I wouldn’t even consider what the fae half craved.
The thin blanket covering my limbs seemed insufficient against the harsh chill of the pine forest night, while the tent walls swayed under the wind’s pressure.
Even so, I was warm. The fire that River kept burning in the middle of our dwelling banished the cold.
The stray sparks never ignited anything else; his control was truly admirable.
The second I allowed mine to come out, it was game over.
They would be all over him, drawn to the forbidden fruit.
But could he keep it up when he fell asleep? Could he keep it away from me? And what if I couldn't keep mine away?
‘Are you asleep?’ he whispered, pulling me out from a tangent of never-ending pondering.
Cracking one eye open, I sent him a mean glare. ‘Do I look asleep?’
‘You breathe like something is bothering you.' He sounded too worried.
A humourless chuckle bubbled in my throat. ‘It would be difficult to pinpoint one thing at the moment.’
‘Start with the biggest one,’ he offered, his voice surprisingly tender. ‘Or if you want to sleep, we can talk tomorrow.’
It seemed that he really meant it when he claimed he missed our chats. Deep down I longed for a genuine conversation like we used to have too.
Against better judgement, I allowed it. ‘The massacre in the Ortensian court… Why would she attack her own people? I understand her attacks on your people—I mean, I don’t—but you two had been at war for ages, and your father before you. But her court?’
My breath caught, before I continued, ‘I just don’t know what motivated her, and it’s the scariest part of it all because she always has ulterior motives.’
River lay on his back with his head perpetually turned to me when I only glanced at him sporadically. He was too intense; he needed to dial it down before I had to remind him of our earlier agreement.
‘Are you still scared of her?’ His voice cut slightly.
I considered it. ‘Aren’t you?’
A loud exhale. ‘I’m not scared of her specifically, though I’m wary of how unpredictable she is. But I’m scared of her effect on you.’
‘Her effect on me? I want her defeated and locked up,’ I raised my voice.
‘So do I.’ River stayed calm. ‘I’m not questioning your intentions.’
‘Then what do you mean?’
Silence. He stared for a while before whispering, ‘Just that I wish your life wasn’t as tough as I’m coming to understand it was.’
I didn’t know what to say. People either didn’t care about my struggles or pitied me; I found both reactions equally annoying and preferred they didn’t know about my past at all. Tightness spread down my throat, squeezing until it was unbearable.
My past was my burden to bear. Nobody else’s. ‘I don’t want to talk about that.' My voice came out sharper than I intended.
‘Of course.' He cleared his throat and shifted to look at the flailing fabric ceiling when I continued to ignore him. ‘How much do you know about the blood witches?’
‘Whatever I could find in old literature in Miriam’s library. That they’re witches with the ability to drain anyone who uses their power against them, and the stronger ones by touch.’
River’s sharp intake of air worried me. ‘Which one do you think she is?’
‘I never used my shadows against her,’ I said solemnly. ‘I didn’t even know I had them.’
‘So she drains by touch. Marvellous,’ River groaned, whacking his forearms against his forehead. ‘Did you feel it?’
‘Feel what?’
The wind howled, drowning out his words until he gave it a moment. ‘Did you feel your power slipping away as she drained you?’
‘I can’t recall any particular moments when she had done it. But I was never very strong to begin with, so I have no comparison. She must have been draining me ever since my powers appeared.’
River took a sip of water, looking a little restless. ‘Did she ever curse you in any other way before that time when she meant to keep you in Ortensia?’
How was that related to blood witches? ‘I don’t think so, why are you asking?’
‘The way your fire emerged, it’s like we had to lure it out. If it were drained, it wouldn’t break out like that. It was like a dam broke and it flooded out… I’ve never seen anything like it.' The fascination in his tone broke me out in shivers.
I sat up. ‘Why didn’t you say something?’
‘When I took you to the Volcano Lands I thought you would just get better control or maybe grow them a tiny bit like it’s usually done in training.
’ A faint blush rose along his cheekbones as he drew a steadying breath.
‘My head wasn’t in the right place to question what I was seeing, to be honest.’
Oh. The almost-kiss we shared wrecked me too. And then I made a fool of myself with my ovulation, and we actually kissed. Followed by all the other drama, I never stopped to question it either.
‘And strangest of all, I couldn’t sense them when we connected.’ Pressing his lips together tightly, he considered his next words. ‘Not when I healed you and not the times after. It’s like they expanded a thousandfold within seconds.’
A restless energy prickled under my skin. ‘What do you think it means?’
‘I’ve been researching it myself because I don’t want the information to fall into untrustworthy hands,’ he said, his voice too calm. ‘But I couldn’t find anything yet.’
Of course. ‘That’s worrying, isn’t it?’
‘Unfortunately.’