Chapter Thirty-Two
Avari
Afaint swaying sensation set my insides tingling—left and right, up and down—like a ship drifting on the ocean, carried by the rhythm of the waves until everything stilled with a jarring calm.
The softness that followed was unfamiliar, as was the herbal scent lingering in the air.
One of my eyes opened cautiously, wary of the light I sensed was peeking through the curtain. ‘River?’
‘Shh. Sleep,’ he said, tucking me in. The thick weave of the blanket brushed gently against my abdomen. I basked in the calm, a soft breeze carrying birdsong through the cracked window beside me.
Life was peaceful in the forest. Nature took care of those who cared for her.
The next time I opened my eyes, the room was darker, bathed in muted shades filtering through a narrow gap in the double-layered curtains.
Planning to grab something to eat before urging River to continue the search, I froze mid-step, mortified. I must have fallen asleep in the hot tub—and that meant…
No, it was fine. He probably hadn’t even looked. He hadn’t peeked when I asked him to turn away; he’d have the decency to ignore my lacy underwear this time too.
I jumped out of bed, searching for the clothes I had arrived in, but found nothing. It was time to explore the set of doors that had caught my attention the moment I woke. One of them had to be a wardrobe. I just hoped it was at least partially stocked.
My hand closed around the golden handle, and as I stepped inside, a light flickered on above me, illuminating the wooden room before slowly cascading into the side lamps nestled between the wardrobes.
Charming. Of course, it was.
And it was fully stocked. The realisation both pleased and unsettled me. It meant River truly intended to provide me with this space, but I feared it went beyond that… that he expected me to accept because I was his mate, not because I needed somewhere to sleep.
Would he feel like he owned me if I slept under his roof?
Grabbing the first baggy sweater I could find, I completed the look with a pair of black mom jeans. Let’s not give him a reason for his eyes to wander anymore than they might have already.
Though the more I thought of it, was it even a bad thing?
River was a conventionally handsome man, and being the focus of his attention made my insides tingle again. For someone who had never thought herself particularly attractive, it meant everything.
Even if nothing could come of it… though I couldn’t stop questioning why I kept him at arm’s length. Especially when I craved him every bit as much as he craved me, and the Gods themselves had bound us together.
The fire in my veins thrashed, begging for release, and I found myself wiping the sweat from my flushed face. My power was betraying me. Everything about that man was an aphrodisiac I wasn’t sure I could resist much longer.
I exited the wardrobe and headed straight for the other door—the bathroom—splashing my cheeks with ice-cold water.
The reflection that greeted me looked better than it had that morning when I left the Isles.
Maybe I slept better in his proximity. Or maybe the adrenaline from holding my flames at bay helped stave off the exhaustion.
I glanced to the side and nearly yelped. A couple of bottles of repellent sat among the perfumes and body lotions. I sprayed myself and slipped one into my pocket.
Step by step, I made my way downstairs, hoping not to find River as unclothed as I had been. My prayers were answered; he busied himself in the kitchen, still wearing the burgundy shirt from earlier.
‘Did you sleep well?’ he asked with a smile as I made my way over to the kitchen island and took a seat.
The room smelled sweet and tangy; whatever he was preparing required fresh tomatoes.
‘Yeah, the bed’s quite comfortable. What are you making?’ I asked, shifting in my seat to silence the grumbles of my stomach.
Wiping his hands on a piece of cloth, slowly enough to catch my attention, he grinned before saying, ‘Your new favourite.’
‘Okay. Bold. I like it.’ I admired his efforts. From the looks of it, it could be spaghetti. ‘Are you sure it’s not burning there?’
He whipped back toward the gas top. ‘Shit.’
Quickly and in circular motions, he moved the pasta around on the pan and kept adding seasonings. ‘Where did you learn how to cook?’
‘I never went out of my way to learn; it’s just something I picked up from my grandpa. He’d spend hours in the kitchen to avoid my granny. Unhealthy habit, but best believe that man can cook.’
Ah yes, the mad woman. Personally, I couldn’t blame the man for escaping. ‘Why the kitchen?’
‘Granny was raised rather… snobbish. She is the oldest of her siblings and was raised to be the queen, she always looked down on simple tasks like cooking. Not that she didn’t appreciate the staff; she was a fair ruler, but her pompous ways keep her away from mundane tasks and places.’
‘I think I get the gist.’ I instinctively touched my eye and laughed. ‘It’s just funny because when you first took me to the Volcano Lands and I met her, all that ash-throwing didn’t seem very high and mighty.’
River looked back smirking as he plated our dinner. ‘She was asking about you recently. Said you should come over soon and that she has a stash of that wine you drank last time just for you.’
My eyes widened. ‘Oh hell no. Never again; that stuff is evil. What in the world does she even put in that wine to make it so strong?’
‘I’m not sure. I used to steal it to get drunk with my friends when we were younger. Until one ended up in a coma.’
My mouth slacked open.
‘Oh no, don’t worry. It was only a short one; he was fine within a few days.’ River scratched his forehead. ‘His mother gave us hell, though. Father threatened me with boarding school. Fun times.’
‘Sure.’ I tried to imagine the younger River and his mischievous ways. ‘So you were a troublemaker?’
‘Well… I wasn’t exactly known to be calm and collected.’ He gestured toward the plate before me and dug into his food. ‘Enough about me.’
I smiled and kept eating until the plate was empty. It wasn’t an elaborate dish, but it was delicious, and the fact he made it for me was precious. But we had too much to focus on to dwell on stuff like this. ‘River, we should get back to searching, right?’
‘We will. But finding the Crones is just a milestone. We need to think about the bigger picture, Ava. Like what happens when your mother comes back or if the blood witches decide to attack.’
That made sense. ‘What are you saying?’
Interlocked fingers of his lay on the marble top between us as his forehead creased before explaining, ‘You need to be able to protect yourself. You have an arsenal of flames at your disposal, but using them in battle efficiently requires training. Not that I ever want you near one, but I have to know you can protect yourself.’
It made sense. My fire was reactive, but I’d never used it in a fight. ‘So what do you have in mind?’
‘You seem to have your flames in good reins, so we can skip that part of the training. We could go straight to defence and offence. If you’re comfortable.’
Huh. Was I? ‘I just don’t know when I’ll find the time, honestly.’
‘Don’t worry, small steps. It won’t take long. Some of what I’ll teach you, you can practise while we search. It will also sharpen your awareness, so you’ll need to stay alert to everything around you.’
My eyebrow arched. I used to be a danger magnet. ‘Fine. Just be careful. You know what they say about the pupil surpassing the master.’
River bit his lip. ‘I’m looking forward to that.’
‘Masochist,’ I blurted, glaring at his satisfied grin.
‘Never claimed otherwise.’