Just like I would.
I wondered who would come after me.
And just like that, the magic spell was broken. I shoved at Kilian’s chest, unwrapping myself from him. Tonight had served the exact purpose I had wanted it to. It had allowed me to momentarily forget the horrors I had endured these past few weeks. Horrors caused by the male standing before me, looking at me with confusion.
I bent to fetch my tunic, slipping it over my head. The gear was destroyed beyond repair. I did not care. Let him keep it as a souvenir of this decade’s mortal.
“What are you doing?” he asked, stepping forward as if to reach out for me, but I dodged expertly.
“This was an excellent distraction, but it’s been a long day,” I said.
His eyes narrowed, brows drawing together as anger stirred in my chest, chasing the haze of lust. “Distraction?”
“Yeah.” I pulled my hair into a knot atop my head, checking my leathers to make sure all buttons were firmly secured. “I’ve had a shit day. And you’ve made it clear that I’m not allowed to fuck around with anyone else, so here we are.”
The feeling of sleepy satedness that had lurked in the back of my mind vanished in a wink, replaced by stone cold wrath. “I don’t believe you. How many times do I have to tell you that the link is reciprocal? I can feel how much you want me.Onlyme.”
“So?” I shrugged. “I can want to fuck you but still hate you. There’s nothing more to it.”
Kilian grinned then, like he knew something I didn’t. A slow, feral smile that sparked the silver in his eyes. “You’re a terrible liar, Lirah. But it’s okay. I’ve got time to prove it to you.”
“Prove what?”
Kilian twisted the doorknob, holding it open for me to exit. “That this is not just a distraction. You can lie to me all you want, but don’t lie to yourself. I have a meeting tomorrow morning in Dalhur, but I’ll be back around lunchtime for our training session.”
“We don’t have a training session tomorrow.”
“We do now. I want to get to the bottom of whatever’s churning around in that mind of yours. And the best place to do that is the sparring mat. Bonus points if you don’t wear underwear.” He winked.
I ignored the pounding in my heart and the tightening of my core. The only thing preventing me from begging him to kiss me senseless once more was my pride, and even that was wavering.
“Be careful what you wish for,” I threw his words back at him with contempt before stalking out the room, aching and desperate for more.
CHAPTER 17
I stood outside Lana’s door for a good minute before it opened, just a crack. Enough to reveal mussed hair and bare legs. Her skin glowed as she blinked sleepily at me.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “You had sex last night.”
Lana shushed me, slipping outside to stand in the hallway.
“Is he still in there?” A grin plastered itself on my face at the panic in her eyes.
She swatted my arm, whispering, “Yes. What do you want?”
I laughed. “I just wanted to make sure we’re on track for our plan later.”
Lana groaned. “It’s six thirty, Lirah. Yes, we’re on track for our plan attwelve.”
“Alright, alright.” I held up my hands in surrender. “I’ll leave you to it then. Enjoy all the sex.”
Lana flushed beet red before slipping back into her room.
Calendula floated at my doorway, daintily, her wings stirring gently against the air. She reminded me so much of Kilian that it hurt looking at her. The events of last night irked me more than they should have. Despite brushing my teeth for a full five minutes this morning and having an extra-long shower, I could still taste him on my tongue. I still felt him in my bones.
“What plan is this?” the shadow sprite asked.
I flipped my palm over for her to rest on it as I made my way past the dorms, to the staircase that would lead me to the mess hall. “We’re going to speak to Augustine later. He’s doing a signing at Pyxis. We’re hoping he might have some informationon the third Trial. You don’t happen to know anything about Cosanus, do you?”
