A soft chuckle reached my ears, and I stilled, facing the warrior once more. Kole was staring at me, a content look on his face, and a smile finally played upon his lips.
My heart stopped. “I’ve missed seeing your smile too.”
His expression wiped clean. “You have?”
I nodded.
“You mean, you don’t . . . hate me?”
I shook my head, my voice soft when I replied, “No, I could never hate you, Kole. I know you didn’t want to take the Stone from me.”
Ahugesurge of energy pounded through his aura. His nostrils flared, and I didn’t know if he was simply inhaling or detecting my scent, but before I could contemplate it further, a whip of magic cascaded around his wrist.
In an instant, his body turned as stiff as a board.
My eyebrows slammed together, and I glanced toward his hand as the sea and salty air blew around us. “What’s happening when that magic flares on your wrist?”
His jaw muscle pulsed, but he didn’t reply.
I took a step closer to him, and even though he held his ground, and I was hardly something to flinch at, his entire body seemed to tighten even more. “Kole?” I gazed up at him, questioning.
“It’s a reminder.” His reply was hesitant, tentative, as if he didn’t want to tell me.
“Reminder of what?”
His throat bobbed. A moment passed, and then another. Since he didn’t appear to want to answer, I let it go, knowing I needed to respect his choices and privacy. If there was one thing I knew about Kole, it was that he struggled to share personal information readily.
I was about to turn away, but then he said, “My vows. My duty.”
My heart swelled that he’d chosen to share that with me, but just as fast, his words reminded me of the exchanges I’d heard between him and Jamie. “Your vows and duty to whom?”
“The Imperial Council.”
Of course.I paused and threaded a lock of hair behind my ear. Kole had said something to Jamie about vows, about duty, and how he hadn’t broken them. Yet Jamie had seemed suspicious, as if Kolehadbroken his vows. But that didn’t align with the Kole I knew. Duty seemed to be woven into his very soul.
“Magic has appeared around your wrist before.” I cocked my head again. “Many times, in fact, if I remember right.”
“It has.”
“Is that some kind of strange Council magic that causes the flares? Or is it from a Solis affinity you possess?”
“It’s the Council’s magic.”
I arched an eyebrow and was reminded of our night in the cave, when he’d chosen to share things about himself then as well. Similar to that night, an immense feeling of satisfaction filled me, so much so that I couldn’t help my teasing smile and playful response to his short replies. “You’re back to your loquaciousness, I see.”
His expression didn’t change, but I could have sworn that amusement lit his eyes. “I’m a male of many words.”
I laughed. “I’ve noticed.”
He stared at me for a heartbeat, and even though I could have sworn that he was about to smile, laugh even, he looked away.
A part of me hated that he was trying to put distance between us again, but I also knew that this was how Kole was made. He wasn’t one to share or reveal. The fact that he’d shared so much with me in the little time we’d known each other made pride course through me.
But I didn’t want to push him, so I used the moment to study him, to take in the slant of his eyebrows, the blueness of his eyes, the firmness of his lips, and his shaven jaw that was strong andsquare. I was once again struck by how attractive he was, how masculine everything about him appeared.
A flutter in my stomach hit me anew.
His gaze cut back to mine, his aura rising. Something heated in his eyes, and he stared at me, his attention unwavering. His gaze drifted to my mouth, his eyes growing hooded.
