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‘Three hours, Kristopher!’ Thea barked after him. ‘I’ll give you three hours and no more.’

Kipp made an offensive gesture over his shoulder and didn’t look back.

Cal made his excuses, looking relieved to get away from the pair of them. ‘See you in three hours, then, Thea. I’ll make sure Kipp’s ready.’

‘Thank you,’ she muttered, staring at her drink.

‘Just…’ He hesitated, long enough that Thea looked up, brow furrowed.

‘What?’ she demanded.

‘Just don’t do anything stupid,’ he said quickly, before darting towards the stairs.

Wilder raised a brow at Thea. ‘What exactly is he worried you might do?’

‘Slit your throat in your sleep.’

Despite himself, Wilder chuckled. ‘I don’t think that was it.’

Thea was on her feet. ‘Get up.’

‘Going to give me a sponge bath, Princess?’

She grabbed him and shoved him towards the stairs. ‘Fuck off, Hawthorne.’

That made him smile, just a little.

An inn worker on the next floor pointed them towards another set of stairs. ‘That’s the room the other two left for you. It’s in the attic.’

‘Bastards,’ Thea muttered, shaking her head.

Wilder made a mental note to thank them later. He needed to talk to Thea alone. He needed to make her see him as something other than a traitor to the realm, a traitor to her.

The attic room was tiny; Wilder couldn’t even stand completely upright inside. But there was a wooden tub, full to the brim with steaming water, and he nearly sighed with relief at the sight. A single chair stood in the corner, fresh towels atop it.

‘Ladies first,’ Wilder said, motioning to the tub.

‘You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.’

‘Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve shared a bath…’ he ventured, hoping his audacity would hit that raw nerve of anger that sparked her power back to life.

But Thea simply swiped the towels off the chair and sat down, crossing her ankles and holding his swords unsheathed across her lap. ‘Get on with it, then.’

His brows shot up. ‘You’re just going to sit there and watch me bathe?’

Her face betrayed nothing, but he could see the flutter of her pulse in her neck as she spoke. ‘I don’t trust you. If you want to bathe, then bathe. But I’m not going anywhere. One false move and I’ll shove your own blade through your heart.’

‘You going to take these off, then?’ he asked, rattling his irons.

‘No.’

‘How am I meant to —’ He gestured to the armour across his chest.

Thea traced the edge of his Naarvian steel blade with her fingertip, a flush creeping up her neck as she considered him with narrowed eyes.

Time stretched between them, until at last she stood, and dragged his own blade to his throat. ‘You don’t move a muscle.’

Wilder didn’t think she’d appreciate the reminder that some physical reactions were beyond his control. He remained still asstone as she reached for the buckles of his breastplate. She was close enough that he could feel the kiss of her breath on his skin, close enough to make his cock twitch.