Page 28 of End of the Sword


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“Come again?” The voices were…distracting. Confusing and distracting. She didn’t understand what she was supposed to do. Normally their directions were so clear but now…not so much.

“I need you to keep it together. No more unplanned visits. No more…” her lip curled, “peasant clothes. Most of all, we mourn our sisters in private.”

“So you’re not telling them?”

Ophelia’s grip finally loosened and fell away. The red material was gathered up off the floor as she made her way back to her seat. Burke was nearly done with his plate now and set his silverware down.

“We will tell them.”

Ambrose narrowed her eyes on her sister as she sat back down. “When?”

“Soon. Until you are wed and our borders are once again secure. You’ll stay with me.”

Under her watchful eye no doubt…

“Perfect.” Ambrose stood up to leave. She offered her sister a small nod and Burke only a look of pleasant disdain.

Anger was simmering just under the surface. With her staff in hand, she tried to ignore the way the vines curled in, pressing so aggressively. She hoped Ophelia didn’t notice either.

Whether she liked it or not. Ophelia had won that round.

She couldn’t let her win again.

Ace

“Where are you going?” Ace’s steps were double Shelby’s to keep up with his long stride.

“I don’t know.” He kept his face pointed forward, shrugging as he spoke before he turned a corner suddenly.

Digging her heels in, Ace adjusted quickly following next to him. Though they’d decided to be friends, the tension between them was still palpable. Ace swore she could feel it. She probably could, they were connected after all.

He slowed, eventually stopping and opening a door at random. They stepped inside and an orange glow sprouted from his hands. Fire licked at his palms and a current of wind rustled papers on a desk.

One by one, lanterns throughout the room came to life until it was clear they were standing in some sort of study. Shelby closed his palms. The wind died away and papers came back to rest haphazardly against a large desk.

Behind the desk was the largest chair Ace had ever seen. Comparable to the throne even. Was this Ambrose’s study? She looked around at the stained woods and gray walls. No, this felt too… boring. Ambrose would hate this. Someone else’s then.

Shoulder brushing against Shelby, she jogged past him and flopped down into the chair with an eat shit grin. Ignoring the mess of papers, Ace propped her feet up on desk, boots thudding on fine wood while the leather of the chair squeaked as she snuggled into it.

Shelby shook his head and crouched next to the chair, pulling at the drawers. He was close enough to touch, close enough to smell, and she breathed him in greedily.

Oh, gods. I’ve turned into some sort of addict.

Maybe you’re addicted to your own soul,Sylik said.

Or maybe you’re in love.Mina shoved her way into the forefront of her mind.

A breathy laugh fell from her lips. She half expected Shelby to question her but he only thumbed through the drawers quietly. Perhaps he was getting used to her absent conversations with the gods?

The broad muscles of his back tightened and tensed under his shirt as he leaned to the lowest drawer. He was so near all she’d have to do was…

Ace traced a finger over the rounded tip of his ear.

He lifted a bundle of papers from the drawer and examined them, unaffected. So she tried again. This time drawing a line from his ear down the side of his jaw. The hair that had grown in was prickly under her fingertips. She had to force her mind from wondering too much about how it would feel to have the sandpaper of his beard scratch against her thigh.

“Stop it.” He shrugged her off.

She blinked, thankful he’d helped to pull her out of some deep dark fantasy she was about to create. Leather squeaked again as she shifted, placing her interlaced hands on her stomach as she feigned obedience.

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