“Be careful as well,” I said. “You never know what lurks in the wilderness and may suddenly knock at your door.”
He laughed, the spring sun catching the warm highlights in his dark hair. “I am the most cautious man in all of Aron-Lyr,saeraery. As you well know.”
My eyes narrowed at the Aurean endearment. I didn’t appreciate it when he casually called memy love. We had been both enemies and lovers for centuries, baring our bodies and souls to each other, sharing the heights of ecstasy and the crushing darkness of despair countless times. He had never told me he loved me. Many, including Aramaz, believed he wasn’t capable of loving another being. At least not in the way I had wanted, needed, him to be.
“You should have stopped while you were ahead,” I said.
Ignoring the chill in my voice, Noctis stepped closer, covering my hands on the reins with his larger ones, pulling one toward him. “And when have I ever done what I should, my gracious queen?” he said, lifting my hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to my knuckles as if we were at court. The faint touch sent a thrill through me. “Bring me a surprise from the market. I think I’ve earned a little reward for my good behavior.”
My sarcastic laugh sounded far too breathless. “I doubt they have anything worthy of your interest.”
“Then buy yourself a new dress.” He shrugged, still holding my hand, pulling me forward until our faces were level. His eyes sparkled. Bane tensed on my lap, growling in warning. “I really enjoy seeing you in those flimsy ones you wear around the farm.”
Oh, I had noticed. How could I not when his eyes followed my every move, filled with barely concealed hunger that made my blood heat in response?
“You know it will never happen again, don’t you?” I said, leaning closer daringly. “You and me.” My eyes flicked down to his lips. A man should not have such pretty, inviting lips. It was unfair. Especially since I knew how good they would feel against mine.
“Never,” he answered, not daunted by my words in the slightest, “is a very long time for theimmortal.”
“We are gods no longer.”
The way he bit the corner of his lip, as if restraining himself from revealing his darkest secrets, was sinful. “And yet I find myself so eager to worship at your feet once more.”
I stole back my hand and sat up straight before I could do something irresponsible. Like dragging him into the lush grass beside the road for a passionate tumble, the warm spring sun caressing our naked skin as we gave in to the pull between us.
“You are impossible.”
“It’s one of the things you like most about me.” His grin showed no remorse as he moved back toward the house, giving me a cheeky wave. “Among my many other virtues.”
Did he know his little innuendos would make me think of him, of the temptation of his lips on my skin, for my entire trip to the village? As surely as the sun rose in the east. The man had worn down the defenses of whole realms with his relentless audacity. He knew how to lay siege to the most daunting fortifications.
“You are also delusional.” I snapped the reins, urging Poppy to move on. The only answer was a cheerful whistling.
The smile stayed on my face as I steered Poppy along the road, her gait more spirited, the wagon rattling behind. Lasgallen was always stunning, but it truly shone in early summer. The rolling green hills were adorned with countless flowers, ranging from the purest white to the richest blue. Nature had sprung to life, the air filled with birdsong and a crisp, invigorating fragrance.
I took a moment to savor the sun’s rays on my face, closing my eyes, confident that Poppy wouldn’t stray on the straight road. At times, I could sense my friend Tanez’s presence woven into the world’s fabric, a comforting thought. No wonder that many of her children, the good-natured Brownies who found joy in working theland, had found a home here. Dolores, I recalled, hailed from a big family living in a settlement west of Rasga.
My thoughts drifted back to Noctis. They always did, like birds of passage called to their ancestral home at the end of a long, bleak winter.
He had sent me off laughing. Just this morning, I had been consumed by anger and frustration, eager to flee his presence. Now, part of me couldn’t wait to return to him. Clever, really.
I hadn’t questioned him about his plans involving the power of Chaos. A self-deprecating grimace twisted my face as my fingers sank into Bane’s fur at the realization. The beauty around me suddenly offered comfort no longer.
I had used Noctis’s desire for me to control him for a very long time—a dangerous game that had backfired spectacularly. Unable to guard my heart, I had fallen so quickly and deeply that there was no turning back, no matter how often I tried to bury my feelings for him. It seemed he had picked up a few tricks from me over the ages.
Curse it! I gripped the reins, ignoring Bane’s questioning meow. My mind raced. I needed more information about the situation in Aron-Lyr to determine if there was a threat.
Unfortunately, I lacked trustworthy sources. Noctis was not an option. Tanez, though a friend, was still one of the Ten and likely had her own agenda. Our kind always had. One of the side effects of having command over immeasurable power and countless years to use it—or misuse it.
For an insane moment, I considered confronting Aramaz with my newfound knowledge of his lies and deceptions. Using his remorse to find out the truth—if he even felt any remorse. I had witnessed the hidden shadows within his heart. I could no longer be fooled by the illusion of the selfless, kind king he presented to the world.
He had let me believe Noctis was dead. But why? To keep me from seeking out his brother? Likely. I couldn’t even blame him. Yet he had held on to that lie, not confessing the truth to me after Noctis’s sentencing, when I had drowned in an anguish as vast as Ashur’s seas, a desperation that nearly destroyed me. It hinted at a hidden cruelty I hadn’t thought him capable of.
A shiver ran down my spine as we entered the dense forest between my farm and Dalath. The sun barely peeked through the thick canopy, casting patches of light onto the road. The air was colder here, the trees towering high. This forest was old, one of the first Tanez had created. While her Dryads didn’t dwell here, their settlements mostly in the Forest of Bar-ak-alein, it felt like one of their graceful shapes could emerge from the underbrush at any moment. These woods were usually safe. The only big predator living here was an old, bad-tempered Cave Troll.
The creatures who had come into being when Chaos invaded Aron-Lyr fell into three categories. Friendly ones like the small, winged Pixies near my farm, whose magic made the plants in their vicinity grow. Dangerous ones like the Rakash, fierce beasts with fangs and claws that had formed the core of Noctis’s army, and the wolf-like Serai, who often hunted in packs. And those like the local Cave Troll, who kept to himself and was harmless unless disturbed.
No,I thought as the wagon rumbled over the forest road. Contacting my husband was out of the question. He either wanted me to suffer as punishment for my disloyalty or accepted my pain to further his plans. I doubted he had spared Noctis purely out of the goodness of his heart. Yes, despite everything, he loved his brother. But he had always placed duty above all else. It was more likely that he’d known killing Noctis would transfer the power of Chaos to someone else. Someone he could not control at all.
