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I stiffened at the contact.
“I haven’t known you for long, this is true, but I also know a decent man when I see him. And there are not many in this world. But”—she paused, her fingers tracing the lines of my jaw, her touch featherlight—“youarea decent man, no matter what you’ve done in your past. And I trust you.”
I scanned the details of her face, seeking a hint of a lie. I detected none.
Perhaps that was why I couldn’t help myself when I brought our entwined hands to my lips, planting a warm kiss on the back of her hand. Her lips parted, her eyes growing clouded once more.
“I wish you’d never followed me here, Kiara.” Our hands dropped into my lap, although I didn’t release her this time.
“I wish you’d never come…because now I might have to watch you die. Andthat, I would regret for the rest of my days. However many I have left.”
…
Kiara snored softly below me, the muscles in her face loose and relaxed.
Last night, she’d eventually fallen asleep against me, and I’d shifted her into my lap and moved her head back to where it had rested right above my heart. My fingers had shaken when I allowed them to trail down her cheek, her smoothness like silk.
After she’d heard the darkest tale of my sordid past, she hadn’t looked at me as if I were a monster, a killer. The understanding in her golden eyes had somehow been worse. It had taken every ounce of willpower to lift her into my arms and bring her back to the others. It wouldn’t do for them to see her nestled against my chest when the new day approached. I had placed her satchel beneath her head and brought a threadbare blanket up to her chin. I lingered over her far longer than necessary.
Now, hours later, I loomed over her once more, itching to feel her in my hold and recreate the sensation she’d brought up the night before.
I could’ve sworn the God of Devotion had cursed me, for I had the idiotic urge to reach out and brush aside a wayward strand of silken copper hair that had fallen across her eye. I wanted to run the back of my hand across her cheek, waking her gently with a soft touch. A kiss to her brow.
No.
These thoughts had to cease.
I never should have added her to the ranks. And while she’d been the obvious choice, my decision went much deeper than that.
Gods above, I knew if I gave in and allowed myself one selfish moment, it would surely be the ruin of me.
And possibly the damnation of her soul.
“Time to get up, Kiara,” I whispered, lowering to my knees. When she didn’t stir, I gently shook her shoulder, my teeth grinding together as I did so. Touching her weakened my resolve, and gods knew, it was already a flimsy lie as it was.
“Can I get five more minutes?” she grumbled.
I almost laughed. “Not looking forward to today, are we?”
Kiara peeled open her eyes, not looking amused in the least. “You haven’t even told us what we’re looking for. How am I supposed to be thrilled to risk my life when I don’t even know why I’m doing it?”
I considered her words, knowing full well how vague I’d been about the mission. That had been done purposely. The king wanted mindless grunts, not soldiers with opinions of their own.
“Oh, just tell me,” she groused, lifting herself onto an elbow. Her usually braided hair was undone and loose, and she tossed it over a shoulder. “We’ve already passed that point in our relationship.”
Gods, she was brazen. “I seem to have forgotten how cheeky that mouth is.” Her ensuing glare had me heaving a sigh, relenting. “Fine. But you’re not going to like it.”
“When have I likedanythingsince joining the Knights? And byjoining, I mean beingforcedto give my life to a power-hungry king and an unsolvable curse. If I recall, that was actually your fault—”
“Fair enough,” I hastily cut her off, rocking back on my boots. “We weren’t told whatitlooks like, but—” I shot her a scowl when she opened her mouth to protest. She closed it. “We know there are three pieces. Three objects that Cirian believes once belonged to the Goddess of the Sun. If we reunite all three, then we break the curse. That’s all Cirian would relinquish, at least.”
“Lovely,” she snapped. “Another thrilling mystery to solve.”
I remembered she said her brother used to wake her with coffee some mornings, so I decided to employ my peace offering then. I could relate. I wasn’t a morning person either.
“Would you be happy to hear I had just enough coffee left over for you to have a cup?”
She shot up. I held her interest now.
