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“And if it doesn’t get removed?” she asked.
Renton shrugged. “The shard would destroy me. I suppose, in a twisted way, it’s payback for all of my sins. Your father thinks he can remove it without killing me. He claims he’s done it before.”
“There’s more of these things?”
“Unfortunately.”
She ducked low in the water, a rush of dread overwhelming her. “Did you accept?”
He ran a hand over his hair. “No.”
Little embers of fire magic leaped through her channels. “You shouldn’t trust him.”
“I think you should try to talk with him. I think his motivation to kill Adra’s king stems from his deep love for you.”
Tenah shook her head. “You warned me before that his mind is too unpredictable. Even if I broke through to him, how long until madness overtakes him again?”
Needing a distraction from the swirl of pain and self-doubt, she undid her braid. Waves of dark gray hair shook free. She took her time washing her hair. When she met Renton’s eyes once more, they had shifted to something primal. Something claiming.
His words repeated in her head.I’m all in.
A shock of desire flooded low in her stomach.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” she asked, her voice weak.
“Do you want me to stop?”
Her cheeks heated. “No,” she breathed.
“Tell me another truth, angel.” His voice was low and husky.
Her heart skipped a beat. “If things were…different, I might follow you anywhere.”
“Is that so?” His brows lifted. He eased back into the center of his pool. “Would you follow me here?”
Heart racing, she failed an easy shrug. This night was meant for healing, not for giving in to temptations. But her body wasn’t listening to her mind anymore.
Renton gave a little taunt with his hand, flashing a devilish smile.
Damn her pride.
Rising from her pool with as much grace as she could muster, she crossed the boundary first. The momentary shock on his face gave her a surge of confidence. That glint in his darkening eyes confirmed that he would not reject her advances.
“Lavender?” Her voice cracked as she stepped into his pool.
His eyes leisurely slid down her body and back up. Slowly, he waded over to her. “Supposed to aid with sleep. Thought I’d put it to the test.”
Sinking in to her waist, she wound a lock of hair around her finger. The action only drew his attention to her hands. His rough fingers entwined with hers as he reeled her closer.
Tenah held her breath, her voice a mere whisper. “What keeps you awake?”
“Tonight?” His eyes dropped to her mouth. “You.”
Calloused hands wrapped around the back of her thighs and hoisted her up against his hard body. Drawn tight against him, her poor heart kicked into overdrive as his mouth skimmed up and down the column of her neck, teasingly delicate at first.
“Not enough,” she whispered, one hand slipping up his neck to grip his hair.
She shivered when he pressed his mouth fully to her skin. He nipped at her flesh between her neck and collar, hitting a tender spot from her fight with Hakkan. She flinched, and Renton immediately drew back.
