Page 112 of Heart of Night and Fire

“What things? What are you talking about?!”

She managed to wrestle herself from his grip, tripping out of his arms and nearly stumbling to the ground. He reached out to help her, but she wrenched her arm away.

“What is your problem?”

“How did you do it?” he asked. “Did my father put you up to it? Are you his spy?”

It took several seconds for Zarya’s brain to catch up. What was he going on about?

“You mean the forest?”

“Of course, I mean the forest,” he said, dragging into her a tight alleyway. With her back pressed against the wall, he towered over her, his hands planted on either side of her head. She was trapped here, the sounds from beyond the alley dimmed to a hush.

“Your father?” she asked with a derisive laugh. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Then how, witch?”

She blinked at the insult.

“If I don’t tell you, are you going to slam me into the wall and try to tear off my arm again?”

“You’re exaggerating.” His tone was low and dangerous, but she saw something flicker in his expression. Regret? Shame?

With a snort, she pushed away from the wall and attempted to scoot under his arm.

“Tell me,” he said, stepping closer, closing off her escape route.

Zarya bit the inside of her cheek as her traitorous body reacted to him. Even with him looming over her like an angry bear, her heart flipped in her chest.

“I can’t,” she hissed. “You know that! I barely had any magic when I first met you. You’re the one who released it! You helped me!”

“Keep your voice down,” he growled, peering out towards the street as if anyone would be listening to them right now. He pulled her deeper into the recesses of the alley, where the air was cooler.

“Stop it!” she protested. She wasn’t sure if she should be scared, but she was more annoyed than anything. When they stopped again, they were even closer, the space so narrow he was forced to line his body against hers.

Without realizing it, she had gripped his waist when he’d pushed her back. Hard planes flexed against her hands, and despite everything, she wanted to touch him everywhere. The warmth of his skin through the thin fabric made her breath catch.

Something hot and ardent flared in his eyes, and her stomach tightened. She squeezed her own eyes shut, willing images of beheaded naga into her brain to shut out the pounding in her head, the thrumming in her veins, the ache below her navel. It was no use.

“What are you hiding?” Zarya asked, turning the inquisition back on him. “What don’t you want anyone to hear?”

“No one needs to know what you’ve been up to.”

“I haven’t been up to anything,” she said in exasperation. “You’ve been in my head as much as I’ve been in yours. I didn’t even know who you were until you showed up.”

Even as she denied it, Zarya knew she understood so little about her power. Some of it had leaked out before Rabin had released the binding. What if she had created the forest?

“Why did you help me with my magic just to come here and snarl at me?”

“I’m not snarling at you.” His lip curled, and she gave him a pointed look before he smoothed his face. “You were in pain, and I wanted to help you. No one should be denied their magic.” The last sentence was spat out as if he was furious about it.

“I haven’t been coming into your dreams. I thought you were coming into mine. You’re the one who came here to find me.”

“I didn’t come to find you. I came to see my family, and you were here. Rather conveniently.”

Zarya scoffed, still clutching the fabric at his waist. “Liar. You left. No one has heard from you in years. Why did you show up now? Where were you, anyway?”

Rabin shifted, the former army commander clearly not used to being questioned. “Because I wanted to see what kind of danger you posed.” His wide shoulders were tense. “Who you were.”