Page 155 of A Thread of Breath and Bone

Again, he doesn’t answer. When I’m about to argue with him, he pins me to a tree, holding my weight with his hips pressed into mine. “Stop.” He sighs. “I will tell you, but I needed some privacy, and in case you forgot, Fae warriors have exceptional hearing.”

I wait for him to explain. I can feel him fighting against the anger within.

Finally, he looks back at me, those little storms in his eyes swirling with unease. “The Fae males from last night.” His jaw ticks as he pauses. “Riven and I⁠—”

“What did you do, Anders Rykerson?”

“Honestly, I don’t want to tell you because I don’t want you pissed and they deserved everything they got. They’re still alive. Fae are hard to kill.”

“Let me down.”

He studies me for a moment before setting me back down on my feet. I don’t even know what to say right now. I’m pissed and hurt and scared. He went behind my back. The last time he did this was back at school. I hadn’t asked him not to do it again. I knew what kind of man he was—the kind of man he is.

He’s loyal and protective. Deep down, I know he felt like he needed to do this. Not for himself, but to protect my honor, to make sure I felt safe, to prove a point to the rest of the Fae males that he won’t stand idle while his mate is almost raped within the walls of the palace.

Everything I know about Fae males is that they’re short tempered and possessive. I have never asked him to change, and I don’t even want him to, but there is a line that I’m not willing to cross and I’d appreciate if he didn’t either.

If we’re to rule someday over our people, once this war is over, I want to be kind rulers, fair rulers. I don’t want to have a male at my side that punishes everyone who even glances my way. So I need to set some ground rules.

I spin on my heel, exhaling a long breath. “Okay. I will overlook this once,” I say, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and relief. “But you must understand, Ry, we are a team. If you act without telling me, you break our trust. I don't want a male who punishes the world for me. I want the male who stands beside me while we change it. Promise me that next time, we will decide together.”

He rolls his eyes, crossing his arms. “Fists are efficient and they make me feel better,” he grumbles.

I have to tuck my lips between my teeth to keep from smiling. “Once our Mating Bond is fully in place, Ry, this—” I gesture between us. “—is going to get a lot stronger.”

I wait in silence while he stands there brooding. This time when the breeze blows through the trees, I know it’s not him. Goosebumps flood my skin now that my sweat has dried.

“I can make no promises that I won’t respond, but I can promise to at least wake you next time and tell you where I’m going.”

My eyelids fall closed as I sigh. “Fine.” I give in, knowing that we have thousands of years to work on his temper. His responding grin forces a smile to my face. “You’re insufferable,” I tease, brushing past him.

An arm hooks around my waist dragging me back to him. He clucks his tongue. “I don’t at least get a thank you kiss?” he asks, burying his nose into the crook of my neck. I can’t help but snort as I pretend to fight him off. We both know I’m not actually trying.

“A thank you kiss? Really?” I spin, stepping out of his arms, letting my gaze roam over him, taking in the corded muscles of his arms and the way the shirt fits too snug across his chest. The gods definitely blessed me when they created him.

I bite down on my bottom lip, attempting to hide my smile. “Fine, a kiss. But you have to catch me first.” I spin on my heel and bolt, leaping off the bridge.

Chapter 56

Raea

I land on my toes with a giggle, shuffling along the thick branch that bisects the bridge twenty feet below me. Had we not practiced with Alex on the course so much, I probably would have died…or at least broken something. I don’t hesitate before leaping to another branch below until I can grab the rope and swing to the ground.

Ryker is right behind me, but I don’t plan on giving up that easily. Besides, Finn taught me some tricks when I spent the morning with him. He told me about which smaller magics belong solely to the Elven and which belong to the Fae and which ones we share.

I round the tree to my right, launching over a log and landing on silent feet. The forest doesn't feel like a maze anymore. Now it feels like an extension of my own nerves. I know which branch will hold my weight and which shadow will swallow my form before I even look. My magic sings beneath my skin, a humming vibration that answers the pulse of the living world around me.

Even though Ryker has lost sight of me, I know he can sense me through our Bond. It’s what keeps me running, teasing him, and confusing him as I run a silent path. The vibration beneath my skin rises as I brush past plants, watching florals bloom where my fingers wiggle over them.

All my life, I’ve felt connected to the forest, to the land. I’ve felt the need to touch it, to play with it, and now I know why. I’m not sure about how this smaller magic works, but it’s worth a shot. I whisper, sending it away from me and envisioning where I want it to go. I hear my words echo behind me and listen as Ryker’s footsteps pause, then turn like he’s confused.

I wait behind a tree, whispering again, this time sending it right behind him. He spins, ready to grab me, and I can’t help but stifle a giggle as I watch him grasp at air.

“Soraea, love,” Ryker calls, looking around. “I know you’re close. I can hear your heart beating.” He steps closer to the tree I’m hiding behind, and I shuffle around it, peering around the other side. “You see,” he says, still spinning as he steps closer. “I too learned about small magics from Carys and Riven.” He pauses with his back to me, searching.

I try to hold my breath, so he can’t hear my breathing, but not even that would help. My heart is beating erratically. I take a silent step back, ready to run for the next tree when he spins, wrapping me in his arms and taking me to the forest floor as I laugh, trying to get free.

“Did Finn tell you that for mated Fae, you leave a trail behind?” Ryker grins, his hands settling on my hips. “Every time you touch a flower or whisper to the wind, you leave glowing ribbons of starlight in your wake. To my eyes, you are a sun streak in the dark. You weren't hiding, Princess. You were inviting me to find you.”