To my surprise, both returned the smile, their eyes shining with a knowing. Especially Ivyana. Her eyes were practically glowing.
I got to work, using my wings to propel me to my feet with Quazar hanging onto me. I swung his arm around my shoulders, wrapped my arm around his waist, and held him up with my wings so he could walk without having to use his own strength. One step at a time, I began walking with him.
“How are you…” Vashari’s voice broke off from somewhere behind me.
“Brothers,” I ground through my teeth. “I…have…brothers.”
It took longer than I thought, but I managed to walk him out of the great room, down the halls, and to the side of the wingtower where the Talons stayed. I looked up and found two doors markedVALORYEN.
“Which one…”
“Right. Ivy wanted the left. Has a pretty view of the clouds.”
“Aww, look at you being a sweet, big brother.”
He snorted. “Sweet my backside. If I didn’t, she would never shut up about it. I value my peace.”
“Yeah, sure you do.” I giggled.
He sounded just like Ezekiel, Hosea, and Uriah. They pretended not to care, but they always gave up their preferences for Jael, Evanae, and I. Gabriel was still learning to do that. He was still too young to care.
I trudged him over to his door. Before I could ask how to open it, the shadow lock pulsed in lavender—sensing my starfire—and immediately opened. I stared wide eyed.
“You…you shadow locked your door withmyethèr infused?”
“Of course I did. Since the dawn we came back from the first trial and you survived the Harvesters, I knew I’d bring you here one dawn for my own selfish reasons. So I made sure you could access my chambers, accessme, at any time.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. This whole time he’d expected for us to be more than just enemies? More than just temple-mates?
I didn’t know what to do with that knowledge. I bit my lip, bringing him into his room. The moment we were inside, the door shut on its own and locked.
I looked around, shocked at how muchsmallerhis room was compared to Ellabeth’s and mine. As if the Disciples had been given a small palace to live in and the Legionnaires were given…barracks.
“Not as fancy as yours.” He chuckled. “I know. Now you see why I like staying in yours so much?”
“Oh, sothat’sthe real reason.”
He snorted. “Make no mistake.Youare always the reason I find any excuse to be near you.”
His shadows caressed my hips, groping my sides gingerly. My hearts skipped several beats leaving me speechless. I found an empty couch and brought him to it, gently sitting him down. Quazar laid his head back, groaning.
“Safah,” he whispered.
I bent down to him, eyes wide. He never referred to me by name in front of anyone else. He only did so in private, when we were alone. When he felt safe enough to let his guard down.
“Yes, my Princeling.”
He smirked at that before his face contorted with agony.
“We’re not allowed to use the help of Raephim.”
“What?” My eyebrows shot to my hairline. “But your injuries?—”
“I’ll have to heal on my own.”
“No.” I raised my hands to his cheeks. He looked at me beneath those pretty, long lashes, causing my hearts to stutter. “I’ll do what I can. It won’t be the best, but it should be enough.”
“Why’d you bring me to the couch and not the bed?” His eyes danced. “I have so many ideas for what we could do between my sheets, you and I.”
