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I broke away, stepping back with an abruptness that elicited a soft snarl from him, black lines spiking around his eye with a certain savagery.
“Let me have you, Gwynn,” he demanded.
I took another step back.
“No.” I tensed to run, because he seemed as if he might launch himself at me, but then he coiled the tension into himself.
“Don’t you have servants? The little faerie with the ridiculous wings?” Rogue was suddenly the insouciant courtier. “Refreshments would be appreciated.”
I struggled to catch up. “Um, what would you like?”
“Just some wine. Some food.”
Trying to move sedately, I walked over to unlayer the tent flaps and poke my head out. Larch stood sentry and Dragonfly crouched morosely at his feet.
“My lady sorceress!” She sprang up, knocking Larch in the side of the head with one stiff wing. He rolled his eyes in disgust. “How may I serve you?”
“Could we get a refreshment tray, wine, fruit, stuff like that?”
“Immediately, lady.” Dragonfly pranced off happily.
“Larch, your…liege is inside—you want to come in, get instructions maybe?”
He cocked his head, looked up at me from the corner of his eye. “I serve you, my lady.” Then returned his gaze to scanning the rows of tents.
Yeah, right. But I let him be.
“Okay, breakfast, brunch, whatever, is on its way,” I said as I came back in, to find Rogue pacing. A sign we were back to business then. “So where do you and I stand now? I’m losing track.” The kiss still hovered in the air, a tangible cord between us. I almost felt I could close my eyes and track the ripple of it.
“Falcon and I have arrived at an understanding.”
“Which is?”
“Boring. Politics are so dreary, don’t you think?” As he paced, he kicked a few pillows out of the way, which flickered into light as they flew.
“I think they get more interesting when your life and freedom hang on the decisions,” I said in a dry tone.
“Which you wouldn’t have to worry about if you’d just quit being stubborn and let me take care of you.”
“Oh yeah! And the price forthatwould be, what? Only the loss of everything I am? And everything my maybe-baby might be? Slavery in exchange for sex and security. I don’t think so.”
“Apparently your training did not make you any more biddable.”
“What?” Cold betrayal bottomed out my stomach. Some part of me had held out hope, apparently, that he hadn’t really known what they would do. “That’s what you wanted? This is truly what you want from me?”
“Given up on flirting with me, have you?”
I gritted my teeth, not only because he was right. “This situation is untenable.”
He closed the distance between us, close enough that I had to tilt my head back to look into his face.
“Yes. Yes it is, obstinate Gwynn,” he whispered, frustration contorting his face. “And you have brought us to it as surely as I have.”
“Then you admit…”
“Enough.” He held one finger to my lips, lightly pressing them. I squelched the impulse to kiss it. Which only roiled me up further. How could I want so much and feel so repelled at the same time?
Dragonfly came capering in and I took the opportunity to walk away, supposedly to supervise her activities. For her part, Dragonfly made no effort to pretend she wasn’t enthralled by Rogue.
