Fifteen
Ariadnne
Dawn was creeping round the corner when a scraping noise pricked Ariadnne’s ears, shortly followed by a thud and a muffled curse.
Her eyes shot open. Someone was in the room, slumped on the floor by the window.
Quietly, Ariadnne slid a hand towards her nightstand, to where she’d left her ceremonial blade, and grasped the smooth leather hilt with her fingers. If it was D’avant, come to finish what he’d started, then he would be leaving with fewer appendages than he arrived with.
Her sleep had been fitful and she hardly felt rested, but her sharp ears worked as well as they ever did as she focused on the subtle sound of the intruder picking themselves up and dusting themselves off. A floorboard creaked as they shifted their weight and crept closer to the bed.
Ariadnne waited until she could hear the breath of the person behind her, until they were close enough to touch, then she swung round with her blade drawn—only to have her hand caught by familiar fingers. Nieve’s icy blue eyes sparkled in the dim light.
‘Well… this wasn’t the welcome I’d hoped for. I’ve just scaled a very unforgiving wall—’
Her eyes creased in a smile as she slowly released her grip on Ariadnne’s wrist, testing that the startled varanya wouldn’t continue her attack.
‘Your guard didn’t make it easy for me to find a way in.’ Nieve’s smile turned triumphant. Ariadnne dropped the blade onto the bed to stare incredulously. She was here. It had seemed impossible, Melixanthe had made it so. But now…
‘You came…’
‘Of course I came.’ Nieve sat on the bed.
‘You see, I told this completely unattainable varanya that I’d try to see her, but I was derailed by an inappropriate lord and ended up posted on guard duty all night.
I spent the whole shift worrying that she’d think I’d forgotten her…
and worrying the lord might have upset her.
So…my shift ended, and here I am.’ Nieve shifted slightly, bringing herself a little bit closer. ‘He didn’t, did he? Upset you?’
‘It’s already forgotten…’ Ariadnne’s eyes drifted to Nieve’s hands, which were scraped and bleeding from the climb.
‘You’re hurt,’ she murmured and took one of them, running her fingers lightly over her grazed knuckles.
Nieve’s breath caught and Ariadnne couldn’t control the way her own pulse quickened in response.
A shock of silver braids tumbled around Nieve’s ears and begged to be tangled in Ariadnne’s fingers.
She inhaled. Nieve was there, and a pressure so pointed it almost hurt built in Ariadnne’s chest, the desire to touch, to have and to hold Nieve obliterating her senses and driving Melixanthe’s warning to the deepest recess of her mind.
It made no sense, but then nothing did when it came to Nieve.
She had come, and that alone meant the world.
Even if Nieve came to her senses tomorrow, Ariadnne could hold on to this moment.
‘Do you think this varanya was disappointed when she couldn’t see you?’ she whispered.
‘I don’t know…’ Nieve’s voice tailed off as Ariadnne shifted closer, driven by unexplainable, burning need.
Nieve was here—that wasn’t a gift Ariadnne was willing to waste.
Cautiously, she reached to slide a hand along the leather of Nieve’s sleeve, up past her shoulder, until her palm cradled her neck.
Nieve’s breath caught as Ariadnne played with her hair; it was as soft as spun silk, as Ariadnne had imagined, her cool skin pebbling beneath her touch.
Ariadnne’s heart pounded; she was in uncharted territory, moving on instinct as she placed her lips at the base of Nieve’s jaw, breathing in the scent of pine and snow on her skin.
A small sound escaped Nieve’s throat. ‘Ariadnne…’
Ariadnne’s insides turned liquid at the sound of her name on Nieve’s lips, a deep-seated ache taking root.
One hand traced the supple leather of Nieve’s vest to her waist, trembling with need, as her other tangled in Nieve’s hair.
Silver scales flickered along her arms—her ability to control herself fading in the face of her mounting desire to steal another taste of Nieve’s mouth.
It was terrifying; the effect Nieve had on her.
With a shaky breath Ariadnne pulled back, searching for an answer as to why she couldn’t say no. Nieve’s eyes trapped her—Ariadnne could drown in their startling blue. They stripped her down to her barest parts, seeing her as more than a tool.
Her gaze dropped to Nieve’s lips.
‘In case you were wondering…I was,’ she murmured. ‘Disappointed. When Melixanthe told me she had put you on guard duty gods I was frustrated.’
‘Frustrated?’ Nieve threw back her head with a soft laugh. ‘Just ‘frustrated’?’
‘Very.’ Ariadnne reached out to grip Nieve’s sleeve in her fist, pulling her closer. ‘Maybe a bit more than that.’
‘Good,’ Nieve muttered, a shy smile creeping over her mouth.
‘I’m very glad you’re here, but…’ Guilt prickled—Nieve had fought like a lion yesterday, surely draining her reserves, before being placed on watch all night. Because of her. ‘You must be shattered.’
‘Don’t insult me.’ Nieve’s brow arched, followed by a curve of her lips that Ariadnne couldn’t tear her eyes from. ‘A night’s watch followed by a bit of a climb is nothing.’
She pulled Ariadnne closer till their foreheads touched, leaning to hover beside Ariadnne’s lips.
‘Can I kiss you?’ she whispered. ‘You can tell me no—’
‘Yes.’
Ariadnne’s world exploded as Nieves lips brushed hers, heat and hunger barrelling through her, a moan escaping her throat. Nieve tipped her head back to deepen the kiss, and Ariadnne wanted to press the memory of Nieve’s taste onto her soul.
‘Ariadnne… I…’
Whatever Nieve had been about to say faded as Ariadnne wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close. Nieve moulded against her and it was worth every minute she’d spent agonising over whether to allow this or not.
‘You smell like southern spices and sun.’ Nieve’s hand traced her side, a shudder running through Ariadnne’s body in its wake. She closed her eyes, but Nieve’s fingers on the side of her face drew them open again.
The knights pale brows knitted. ‘We should talk. What I’ve been feeling, this pull—’
‘I’m not sure we have time,’ Ariadnne cut her off softly. ‘We should, yes, but I want you, want this, while I can have you.’
Her cheeks burned, Nieve’s pupils blowing wide before nodding, throat bobbing.
‘Okay.’
She took Ariadnne’s lips again, more urgent this time. Unbidden, Ariadnne’s hands teased at the laces that fastened Nieve’s vest, her teeth nipping, winning gasps that sent heat blazing through every inch of her body. She couldn’t stop, not when Nieve’s vest fell open, exposing pale skin—
They both froze as a sharp knock rapped the door.
‘Hide,’ Ariadnne gasped.
Nieve couldn’t be caught. Not like this.
‘Shit.’ Nieve jumped into action, rolling off the bed to slide underneath while Ariadnne stuffed her legs under the blankets.
‘Come in,’ she called, glancing around to ensure there was nothing to give away Nieve’s presence.
A servant entered, breakfast tray in hand.
‘Apologies if I woke you,’ she gave Ariadnne a funny look, assessing her pink cheeks and heaving chest and glancing round the room.
‘Ah… uh, I was instructed to bring breakfast at dawn. Your handler said you were to meet in the courtyard after.’ She placed the tray on the foot of the bed and backed out quickly, as if she couldn’t get out fast enough.
When the room had been quiet for a few minutes, Nieve slid out from under the bed. Being told that Melixanthe was waiting had a similar effect to being immersed in a bucket of ice.
‘Talk about timing…’ Ariadnne said as Nieve pulled herself to her feet. She shot Ariadnne a look that made her insides go doughy before smoothing her tangled braids.
‘Not ideal…no.’ She sucked in a breath.
Ariadnne almost moaned as she began—slowly—to fasten the laces of her vest.
It wasn’t fair.
Nieve took a seat. ‘Maybe this is good—’
Ariadnne snorted. ‘Good?’
‘Okay, not good, but I want to get to know you, Ariadnne. There’s something about you. I’m not sure I’ll be happy with a few stolen kisses.’
Ariadnne’s heart twisted. In reality, a few stolen kisses was all she could offer.
‘I…’ Her words caught. ‘I don’t really do this.’ She gestured between them. ‘It’s not allowed.’
The corner of Nieve’s mouth twitched. ‘So you said, but maybe I could be your exception?’ She nudged Ariadnne with her knee.
Ariadnne’s throat tightened. Gods, she would love that, to explore what was between them and where it could go, but ultimately Nieve would be disappointed.
She didn’t know about the curse that rendered her a prisoner.
Nor could Ariadnne tell her, in case the Guild found out and decided to silence her.
Frustrated words tangled on her tongue, so she offered Nieve a pastry, winning a quizzical look as the knight took it and placed it back on the plate between them.
‘Tell me,’ Nieve said with a soft smile. ‘What actually happened at your birthday last year?’
A small laugh escaped Ariadnne’s lips at the unexpected nature of the question.
‘I’m not sure you’re ready for that story. It involves a little lord, not unlike D’avant.’
‘Oh gods…’
Ariadnne smiled as Nieve clutched her chest in mock horror.
‘I knew it. As soon as I met you I guessed you weren’t some spoiled princess throwing a tantrum. I bet he deserved it.’
‘He did.’ Ariadnne’s smile dropped.
‘Hey.’ Nieve leaned over and took Ariadnne’s chin.
‘You’re a hundred miles away.’ Her eyes softened.
‘This isn’t goodbye—if that’s why you’re worried.
I promise. I’ll see you every day at training.
I’ll make sure we get time together. Something tells me you’re worth playing the long game for.
’ A tender look softened her face, and she gently touched the side of Ariadnne’s.
‘I’ve not been able to stop thinking about you, and that doesn’t happen to me much.
I want to see what this could be. Who knows, if I put my mind to it, maybe I’ll make Second.
Josef will be promoted to handle a dragonling at some point and I’ve made Second before.
I can do it again. In fact, I’ll set my sights higher.
As your handler I could see you freely. So if this works, and we both want it, I’ll earn that right.
’ She glanced back to Ariadnne, and a glimmer of her previous unsureness broke through. ‘If you would want that?’
Ariadnne laughed softly, unwilling to admit how wonderful that sounded. ‘We’ll see. You’re quite the dreamer… but I happen to already have a handler.’
Nieve sighed. ‘Yes, the flaw in my plan, but she’s served a full term already.
I’m sure retirement will cross her mind eventually.
’ She moved the plate away so she could shuffle closer to Ariadnne.
‘If I strive hard enough I’ll be the next logical choice.
’ She paused, her fingers teasing the corner of the bedsheet.
‘I know we’ve just met, and all this thinking is foolish, but I don’t think I could walk away if I tried. ’
Ariadnne flushed under Nieve’s scrutiny, aware of the way her own breast tugged towards the knight, the pull its own kind of torture. She wanted to admit that Nieve dominated her thoughts, but her mouth had gone dry.
‘If you were wise, you would. Walk away, that is,’ she said softly. ‘Melixanthe and the Council won’t approve. I have no idea what they would do if they found out, and that terrifies me.’
Nieve made a dismissive sound, and Ariadnne frowned.
‘They could hurt you, or worse.’
‘You are the varanya, and I am their prize knight. How disapproving could they be?’
‘Very.’
Ariadnne pictured the stern faces of the seven councillors, and shivered.
‘Then we don’t let them find out,’ Nieve said with a quirk of her brow.
Ariadnne rolled her eyes. ‘How do you propose we do that?’
Mock shock painted Nieve’s face. ‘Are you saying you don’t think I can be discreet?’ She placed a hand on her chest. ‘I am the master of discreet…’
‘Okay… okay.’ The corner of Ariadnne’s mouth twitched. If she could be so sure, maybe there was a chance…
Something in Ariadnne’s resolve melted, and as her face softened, Nieve waggled her brows, making her laugh.
‘You are such a fool, but a beautiful fool.’ Ariadnne leaned to place a kiss on Nieve’s lips. ‘Okay. Yes, we’ll be discreet…’
‘Yes!’ Nieve kissed her again, her face lighting up. ‘In which case this is absolutely not goodbye, and you have no need to look so sad again. I promise we’ll be careful. Though, in all seriousness, we should probably figure out how to get me out of this room.’