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His eyes diverted, and he combed his fingers through her hair, lifting it from her shoulder before letting each strand fall back piece by piece.

Arianna wasn’t sure she was breathing.

He brought his hand back toward her face, his eyes still studying her intently as if waiting for her to recoil. But Arianna hadn’t moved and when that calloused hand met her cheek again she tilted into it.

He rubbed his thumb back and forth and the heat shot straight through her body. She wanted more. She wanted that hand to slide down her arm, to wrap around her back and push her onto the bed. Arianna wanted to feel his lips on hers, but just before her imagination could conjure up more intimate images, Rion let his fingers slide away.

She studied him and the way his brow had furrowed. She wanted to run her fingertips over the lines there and flatten them, but she knew something so intimate might prove to be too much. Instead, Arianna inched her hand toward his.

Rion’s eyes locked on the movement, and it was like he watched every muscle fiber flex as she drew closer. His pupils dilated, his nostrils flared, and he sucked in a breath when she hooked her index finger around his.

The pair stilled. She watched the rapid rise and fall of his chest, but just as she was about to pull away, Rion stood. Arianna withdrew her hand and placed both in her lap where he could see them.

He just stood there, staring at her. She thought he might speak, but instead, Rion slipped on his boots. He paused with one hand on the doorknob. “Thank you.” And then he was gone.

Arianna fell back into the pillows, trying not to squeal like a lovestruck child. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but it was enough. No matter how little it might have been, Rion had trusted her and allowed her to touch him. It was on his terms with no expectation. And she couldn’t be happier.

Rion’s scent washed over her when she buried her face in his pillow. Everything would change from this point forward. Everything had already changed. She smiled, kicked her feet, and wondered what her younger sister would make of all this.

THE BROAD male slid through the shadows and into his commander’s tent.

“I trust you bring me good news?”

A devious smile crept to his lips. “I saw The Demon kissing the female.”

“Is she going to be a problem?”

“She’s royalty, but still a child. With numbers, she won’t be.”

“Don’t kill her but make sure he knows we were there.”

The male bowed his head. “Consider it done.”

Chapter Seventeen

Arianna

Her eyes fluttered open after a dream of crisp, clear waters and solid, warm earth. She shifted her head to the side, hoping to spot auburn hair and bright eyes, but judging from the faint scent, Rion hadn’t returned last night.

Arianna stretched, sat up, and touched her lips again, reminiscing on the moments of the previous day. She couldn’t put a name to the bond between them yet and there was still a long way to go. But he’d learn to trust her and she him, and that trust would serve as the foundation of what she hoped would become a long relationship.

She stood and her body protested, reminding her of the movements she’d gone through before everything that’d happened with Rion. She’d been out there for hours, squatting and bending with her magic. Maybe she and Rion could visit the river together and get lost in one another’s arms beneath the forest’s canopy. Maybe that’s where their relationship would flourish.

Arianna relieved herself in the bathroom, then leaned against the doorframe. She knew he hadn’t gone on another mission, but she still wondered where his nightly escapades had led him and what sort of thoughts were circulating through his mind.

She eyed the caldron containing the remnants of last night’s supper and hauled it into the kitchen. Arianna noticed the spices Zylah had given her and felt a pang in her chest.

What was she doing? There were slaves suffering here. She’d been planning her escape for weeks and finally found a path to the mountains. She could take Zylah and a few others away from this camp. They’d have a better life in Móirín. But—

Arianna was glad she hadn’t run. The thought of leaving them behind was too painful, but the thought of leaving Rion—she clutched her chest. But what if Zylah and Irial were right? What if he didn’t care? What if this was all a fantasy she’d created in her head?

The knob twisted and Arianna’s ears perked. She turned as the door creak open, wondering if Rion had changed his mind about attending to his duties today, but it wasn’t Rion’s herbal, flaming scent that filled the space.

Memories of Lan and his comrades made her take a step back, but a group of males were in the room before she could summon her magic. An iron shackle clamped around her left wrist. Her assailant twisted her arm behind her back and kicked the back of her knee, forcing Arianna to the ground. Then the other shackle snapped into place.

Her magic.Just like that, they’d taken her magic.

Hot tears stung her eyes and she tried to lash out, but the male slammed her head into the floor. He did it again and again until blood poured down her temple and nausea rolled through her stomach.