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“I can smell the damn arousal off of you! Quit winding me around like a fool and come clean!” she yells.
“I have nothing to say to you, so don’t waste your breath.”
She halts in place, stomping her foot down on the ground. “I can’t believe you want a human bitch over me!”
I give her no more words, not even turning around to face her. Instead, I press forth, trying my best to ignore her hollering. Even so, I become filled with a building sense of dread, knowing I must find a way to protect Rory.
Vippera is closing in on identifying her, and time is running out. Only the gods know what she’ll do if she finds out Rory is both the girl who has my attention and a human with magical capabilities.
13
AURORA
Before I can ask anything else about what’s going on, Slyth has me in his grip and takes me out of the training room. Judging from the look on both his and Zalith’s faces, this is serious.
Dread comes over me as Zalith disappears out of view. In the flurry of what was going on with Zalith, I had only caught a mere mention of Vippera’s name. Maybe Slyth will tell me what’s going on.
“Slyth, is something happening? What were you and Zalith talking about?” I ask.
“Not right now, Rory,” he snaps. “We must move, and quickly at that.”
We step out into the gardens using a rear door, sticking close to the edge as we take a quiet path back to the main palace. Slyth guides me through a side door, taking us back into the familiar hallways and corridors of the main building.
We pause at each corner as the servant peaks his head around each corner, his eyes studious and wide. I follow behind him cautiously, listening to his every word as he tells me when to stop and when to move.
“I’m taking you back to your room. We’re almost there. Just stick close.”
Along the way, I get caught up thinking about Zalith’s upcoming marriage to Vippera. He had previously mentioned word of it before, but I cannot help but wonder why he can’t get out of it, contract or not. After all, he’s a prince. Surely his say has to count for something.
“Slyth, tell me something,” I say with a quiet voice.
The servant says nothing, his eyes peeling our surroundings as he looks to the nearby stairwell.
“Hey, I’m talking to you!” I say a bit louder.
He spins around and lightly nudges me into the shadows.
“What is it?” he asks.
“Why is Zalith still going ahead with marrying Vippera? Can’t he just say no?”
“Really? That’s what you stopped me for?” he says, rolling his eyes. He pinches his nose. “Look, he wants to get out of that agreement more than anything, but he can’t. He’s bound to carry out the marriage by duty.”
“And his contract?”
“That practically seals the deal. It can’t be broken, it’s as simple as that.” He grabs my wrist. “Now let’s go.”
Damn it.
There rises within me a sense of jealousy that he’s going to be with someone else, a woman by no means deserving of him. My head questions if it’s wrong to feel this way, but my heart cannot deny the feelings I have brewing for him. I know for a fact it’s more than a simple crush.
The thought of him being taken away just doesn’t sit right with me, regardless if it was his duty or not. Clearly, he thinks the same way, or else he wouldn’t be training me to kill the woman out for his hand in marriage. Yet, the question still lingers.
Would he even want me in the end?
Slyth and I arrive outside my room, sweat running down his forehead as he opens the door. Stepping aside, he ushers urgently for me to enter, looking around as he follows in and closes the door behind me.
“Phew…” he mutters.
