Page 56 of Tears of Gold

He snorts, which I take as a good sign. “How about your lover-boy?”

I grin and elbow him in the ribs. “You know Erritt’s not up much for being teased.” I get to my feet and stretch before offering him a hand up. He gets up gingerly and collects his knives, checking the blades and cleaning them before sliding them into their sheathes.

I drape my arm over his shoulder. “Come on, admit you would miss me.”

He shakes his head but doesn’t push me off as I expected. Maybe I’m finally beginning to crack his prickly walls of self-protection.

“Shit, dragon, you’re bleeding too!”

Harper comes in close, inspecting my neck. I feel the sting as I tilt my head to the side. Silver-flecked blood trickles down my chest from where his blade got me.

“I didn’t think you’d actually let me nick you,” he grumbles, digging in his bag for a cotton pad. I see him wince as he tries to lift his arm. He switches hands.

I grin. “Hey, you won that hit fair and square. You’re damn fast for someone who can’t teleport.”

He frowns at me and dabs at my nose. The wad comes away bloody.

“Sorry about your shoulder. I was trying not to break skin.”

Harper’s face contorts, and he throws the cotton pad at me. “Great, so you weren’t even fighting seriously?”

I catch the bloodied cloth and hold it against my nose, rolling my eyes. “It’s not like that. You were hard work, but that doesn’t mean I want to get lethal on a friend. I could have crushed your whole arm the first time. You’ve got to remember that if you fight any toothy beings.”

He grimaces. “Yeah. I thought we talked about you not grabbing me in your mouth anymore?”

I chuckle. “Yeah, I know, you prefer to ride a dragon. I could give you a pretty wild ride, if you want?” I waggle my brows at him suggestively.

“Wash your mouth out with soap, you sicko!”

I can’t hold in my smirk. He’s so much fun to tease. “Come on, friend.”

“Friends, huh?” He looks at me sideways. “So, I’m just supposed to forget about being mad? Give in to Erritt because he’s a prince?”

I shake my head. “No. I expect you to give him a bit of time. He’s barely conscious, trying to keep his essence from completely disintegrating.”

Harper frowns.

“Once he can think straight, I give you permission to yell at him all you like.” I look over my shoulder toward the gate, then whisper into Harper’s ear. “I can’t guarantee Vanrey will allow it, though.” I snicker as we both remember the last time Vanrey threw Harper out of the prince’s rooms for screaming at the royal.

Well, we deserved to be yelled at that time since we made a mistake pushing Ava to recover her memories.

“Whatever.” Harper places a sticky bandage over the slash in my neck, his hands gentler than his tone. “You should get the medics to stitch this.” He pulls his shirt on, and I help him ease it over his shoulder. A weight lifts off my heart, hearing he’ll return to the academy, and I launch my fist in the air in celebration, behind his back, of course.

“Fuck!” He rubs his fingers through his hair, loosening sweat-sticky curls. “How am I supposed to face Ava?”

“Come on. It’s not going to be that bad!” I coax.

“She hates me!”

I snort. “Do you really believe that?” I probe.

“Yeah. She’s got every right. You didn’t see her face, man.”

“Her memories came back to her all at once, right?”

He stiffens. “Yeah.”

I count off my points on my fingers. “On a night filled with trauma in the streets, fear, adrenaline, and passion? Not to mention all the headaches she gets when trying to remember.”