Fenn moved so fast he blurred. Swiveling across the bed, his fangs extended, suddenly flashing in front of Serenna’s eyes. Her heart launched into her throat, shoving out a startled squeak. Braced against the mattress, she leaned back, distancing herself from his sharp teeth.
“I thought you required a closer look,” Fenn said, chucklingwith wry amusement, clearly entertained by pinning her against the headboard with fright. “I’d hate for you to be misinformed.”
Serenna’s stomach lurched as he lifted a dangerous talon to her foolishly exposed neck. Her entire awareness fastened to the point where his finger hovered above her flesh, prickling where the unnatural heat of his skin lingered over hers.
Serenna cleared the burst of fear clogging her throat. She intended to be sarcastic but her words came out timid. “Consider me well-informed.”
Something shifted in Fenn’s eyes, like he only now registered her alarm. “However,” he said, curling his claw into a fist before pulling away, “we deem it…improper to discuss fangs.” He rose, canines retracting with aclickbefore busying himself with opening the remaining curtains. “At least in public,” he quipped with a wink over his shoulder.
Losing all the ground she thought she’d gained, Serenna huffed, crossing her arms, too embarrassed to voice any witty rebuttal.Females have fangs too, so I don’t know what he’s so proud of.
Drawing on a chain, the strange flat shades covering the domed glass ceiling slid back to the walls, folding closed like a fan. Serenna scowled as more sunlight splashed across her face. Blinking, she directed her glower at Fenn, but her annoyance only seemed to bounce off the spikes of his armor.
“If you show too much interest,” Fenn said, glancing at her, “you might discover some wraith all too willing to sink their fangs into that pretty elven neck of yours.”
Serenna clapped a hand under her ear, eyes drawn to the markings on Fenn’s throat that she’d mistaken for battle scars. She didn’t bother tempering the revulsion in her words, now realizing they were punctures left by teeth. “Do you drink each other’s blood like bats?”
Fenn blew out a scoff. “Don’t be disgusting.”
Profoundly curious for reasons she couldn’t explain, Serenna asked. “Why did you let someone bite you?”
“Our fangs have venom.” Fenn folded his arms, leaning against a dresser. The points of his canines peeked out of his grin, giving Serenna the impression that he was humored by the perplexity plastered on her face. “The paralytic is pleasurable in small doses and enhances the mingling experience.”
Serenna’s eyes widened. He’d provided her with more information than she’d bargained for. “Oh.”
She ripped her gaze away from Fenn’s neck, seeing the plentiful evidence of suchminglingencounters proudly displayed. In the blinding light, she noticed some were fresh.Probably from last night since he couldn’t stop talking about that Lagoon.
Fenn was obviously taking delight in steering her thoughts in an inappropriate direction. He answered a question she wasn’t even going to ask. “I suppose this new assignment as your warden will limit my preferred recreation with my partners.”
Serenna rolled her eyes, uninterested in learning any more personal details about this crude wraith.If he’s this forward, I can use that against him.Maybe it wouldn’t be so difficult to wrestle that key from his neck.
Her thoughts circulated, whirling around a plan of reckless hope. If Lykor’s habit was disappearing during the day, she might be able to summon the prince with no catastrophic repercussions. Since her key was going to be hovering as close as her bawdy guard, freedom didn’t seem so far out of reach.
Fenn unfortunately interpreted her silent reflection for interest. One of his fangs extended, his tongue suggestively circling over the point. “If you’re curious and wish to find out—”
Serenna threw another pillow at his head. “Get out!”
CHAPTER 32
SERENNA
For the second time, Serenna found herself on the Aerie’s balcony, overlooking the desolate landscape glistening with snow. The chill infiltrated her bundled layers, her new wraithling armor wrapped in heavy furs.
She glanced over at Fenn. Hair lashing, he stood windblown across the parapet, peering over the edge. The cold didn’t seem to bother him as his open cloak billowed in the knifing breeze.
“Where are the stairs?” Serenna asked, not seeing how they’d descend the mountain to the base of the fortress.
Fenn slung his crossbow under his furs. “There are no stairs.” He arranged the weapon between the long knives strapped to his spine and extended a beckoning claw. “We don’t need them.”
Not budging, Serenna eyed him suspiciously. “Are you planning on jumping?” She tightened her cloak under her neck, tempted to draw the hood. “I doubt you have wings like those druids, otherwise I’m sure you would’ve flaunted them by now.”
Fenn vanished like a wisp of smoke. Serenna’s heart collided with her ribs when he reappeared beside her, lifting her off theground. Deprived of time to react, she snatched his leathers with a strangled yelp.
“You’ll want to hold on, she-elf,” he all but purred, clambering up the balustrade to balance on the ledge. “And I’m not picky about where you put your hands.” His chest rumbled with a laugh. “The lower the better.”
Serenna’s protest about his vulgarity and about being carried again morphed into a shriek. An invisible hook grappled her insides, yanking her stomach into her throat. Vision inverting, flipping, and spinning, her sight flashed to black. A rush of wind pounded her ears as everything went weightless.
Serenna gasped for a breath as her feet kissed a soft surface. Snow. Wobbling on unsteady legs, the world trickled back into focus. Fenn chuckled, peeling her fingers off of his armor.
