Page 44

My first instinct was to scowl at him and shoot him down, but he had really seemed a bit off-balance after I left him alone that morning.

So I gave a grudging nod. “As long as you’re fast.”

Relief crossed his face, and he pressed the back of my hand to his lips before he strode toward the bathroom, grabbing a pair of black pants he’d left on the foot of the bed on his way in.

I stared at my hand in surprise and confusion for far longer than I wanted to admit after the door shut behind him.

When Namir wasclean and dressed in a pair of black pants that somehow made him look even more intimidating than before, we headed down the stairs. He slipped his fingers between mine, holding my hand as we walked, and my chest warmed a bit.

I stopped outside the kitchen and dining room, and Namir stopped beside me, shooting me a curious look. I bit back a sigh at the argument that I thought might follow the conversation, but I was willing to fight.

“I’d like to do this myself,” I told him firmly. “I know you’re feeling protective, and possessive, but I want to learn new skills and determine whether or not I enjoy this without overthinking our connection while I do so. It’s nothing against you—I just want to see what it’s like to learn on my own.”

Namir’s curious look shifted to a grimace, his jaw clenching a bit.

My body tensed.

The fight was definitely coming.

He finally let out a slow breath, and then nodded. “Alright. I’ll train with Jesh and some of my other fae for as long as I can manage. It likely won’t be more than a few hours.”

“That’s alright. And you can always just come peek in, if you need to,” I said quickly, not wanting him to change his mind.

“That might help,” he offered.

It sounded like a lie, but since he was lying to help me this time, I didn’t mind it at all.

I was actually kind of grateful for it.

So, I flashed him a small smile. “Thanks, Namir.” I turned and slipped into the kitchen, leaving him staring after me with a stunned expression on his face.

Chapter15

Namir

“She smiled at me,”I repeated to Jesh, dodging a swing of his sword with ease. It felt like I’d had caffeine injected straight to my veins—and to my cock. “I’ve never seen her smile before. Have you?”

My eyes narrowed at the thought of my friend seeing my female smile before me.

“No.” Jesh grunted as the blunt end of my training sword smashed him in the ribcage. “I have seen her glare at you like she wishes you were dead, though. A great many times, too.”

I laughed, missing a swing of Jesh’s sword. It hit me in the throat, hard, but the impact barely swayed me. That was another benefit of the throne’s power that not many people knew—it made me physically stronger, and helped me heal faster than the average fae as well. I was curious if any of that power had leaked into Diora through our budding bond yet, but wasn’t willing to risk scaring her off again by asking her.

“She’ll come around eventually.”

Jesh made a noncommittal noise. “You seem to bother her even more than most people do.”

“She’s not bothered, she’s afraid.” I swung my sword harder, and faster, letting my body take control. My magic swirled off my skin, just as much a part of me as my hands, feet, and weapon. “She fears what may happen if she allows anyone through her defenses, and with good reason, I’d imagine. The scar on her abdomen…” My foot faltered a bit, and Jesh took advantage of my mistake.

His sword cut through the gap in my defenses, hitting me and my shadows with a burst of light. The shadows I’d gathered to block it evaporated on impact, but I threw more and managed to stop him before he actually made contact with my body.

“Good,” I nodded my approval of his magic use. “When you’re up against Laith, that will do even more damage. My brothers’ magic naturally opposes each other, while mine is a relative of both.”

Jesh grunted an agreement. “What do you think Diora survived?”

We both paused momentarily, and I ran a hand through my hair. It was sweaty and longer than I liked it, but I wasn’t sure Diora would want Lav’s hands in it to cut it, and I wasn’t going to do anything that could potentially hurt my mate in any way, including emotionally. “I don’t know. She was chained for most of her life, as far as I can tell, and she responds to me as if she thinks I might hurt her if I show any negative emotion even slightly. So probably some kind of torture, too.” The admission disturbed me and infuriated me more than I could ever describe.

I forced out a slow breath, pushing away the ferocious power that built up within me. My magic sometimes responded to my emotions when they grew out of control, so I had to be careful with them. “She’ll tell me eventually. And when she does, I’ll fucking demolish anyone who ever so much as considered hurting her.”