Page 61 of Death’s Kiss (The Order of the Tide Raiders #1)
His vision becomes lost while tilting his head up to the stars. The wind's fleeting hands run through his wild, obsidian mane. I’m struck then by how incredibly young he looks, how anguished .
For a moment, it feels as though I’m trespassing on something deeply private.
The way his eyes pursue the night sky looks as if he's searching for something, or rather someone . The word longing comes to mind, as impossible as I find it to believe that emotion could belong to someone like him.
The moment is gone just as soon as Agni’s unfocused gaze flickers back down to me and his jaw clenches dangerously tight. From the fresh rage now etching into the planes of his face, I know he’s remembered just exactly who it is he’s talking to.
Agni’s sensuous mouth schools itself into an ugly leer while closing the few steps of distance between us. "Alright, little bastard . You wanted my attention—you got it. I’m all yours.”
The twisted smile he sports is so vitriolic it mangles my insides until I have the urge to vomit right there.
Even my affinity is agitated by his imposing form, white flakes now fall thickly, and rime begins crawling every nearby tree.
If it wasn’t for the equivalent anger radiating off of Agni in the form of brutal heat, the whole area would be blanketed in an inescapable winter.
I’m immensely grateful my voice comes out next as sharp and cold as a splinter of ice instead of quivering with the abject terror pumping in my veins. “I don’t want anything to do with you. What I want is to be rid of this trivial od and your excruciating presence as quickly as possible.”
So much for Nimra’s tactics.
"Excellent.” He sneers. “Then let's tick off one of your debts.”
A dark shadow passes through his gaze with the curl of his lip, and my breathing turns shallow.
"Since you're so hellbent on casting me into the villain tonight, I think I'd like to return the favor." My teeth bite down into a lip in response to the pure malice lacing his voice. “The stories we’ve been told about you are honestly a bit nightmarish . A little far-fetched if you ask me. I’ll admit, I’ve become rather curious as to whether or not they’re true.”
Agni lowers his face so it resides only centimeters from my own. It feels as though a gust of air has slipped beneath my skin, and it’s nearly impossible to contain my shiver. In a voice as soft as smoke he whispers his request plainly. "Tell me about your first murder, bastard."
The blood drains from my face and pools down inside my boots.
Absolutely not.
My mouth parts in surprise. White tendrils escape from both of my disheveled braids and begin blowing across my face as I stare into Agni's monstrous eyes. His enjoyment is evident.
I regret ever leaving that stupid fucking bay.
“Go on,” he orders me. “Describe the first time you took another young raider's life, since you’re so very noble for a squid. Don’t bother sparing me the details—I want every last one. Unless, of course, you would prefer to break our od and sit the remainder of the trials out. ”
I’m mentally kicking myself for allowing my emotions to run wild and getting into this position in the first place.
Agni looms over me like a daunting omen, and I slump further against the evergreen, as if it can somehow shield me from his request. My mouth feels too dry, and my throat tightens uncomfortably.
The southern captain smirks as his hand comes to catch one of the white flyaway strands in my eyeline before tucking it neatly behind an ear. Lightheadedness flourishes inside of me in response to the severity of his capriciousness, and I strain to keep myself upright.
Agni takes my newfound vertigo as the opportunity to lean in closer than before.
His head dips so that mouth hovers again over that place along my throat where my pulse beats most noticeably. Amber eyes glint upwards with amusement. "Scared, are we?”
A nervous fluttering twists around my core in response to the smugness in his gaze meeting mine. I jerk away from his touch, and he stands just as a slip of my power snaps against him with a loud, harsh slap right across his face. “Fuck you. Pick a different question.”
That was probably not the sort of sweet talk Kleio had in mind.
Agni moves back a step with a startled laugh, one hand holding his newly reddened cheek. For a horrible moment, I fear he’ll use his affinity on me in turn and blanch at my own cowardice. His surprise doesn’t last long, though. Renewed anger narrows his gaze while rolling his jaw.
Dropping his hand, Agni uses it to catch me by the chin while his free arm presses into the frost-covered trunk just above my head.
“I warned you that I wasn’t in the mood tonight,” Agni mutters, pulling up on my captured chin and forcing my gaze higher.
“ That is the question I want answered.” The threat of immediate incineration is all that stops me from grabbing a weapon.
The way the air around us heats in silent warning confirms the prick knows it too .
“You never said I couldn’t refuse one—technically,” I point out, gritting my teeth against the evergreen bark currently digging into my scalp. It’s a bullshit stipulation, but I’ll try whatever possible to steer the conversation in a different direction.
"True,” Agni says, dragging out the single word while weighing his head to one side. There’s a cold calculation in his expression as he stares down at me, considering.
“But you were right,” he begins airily after a pause. “What you said about me earlier.”
I attempt to frown in question, but it proves difficult with his hand still imprisoning my chin.
“I do enjoy holding this power over you,” Agni clarifies, his eyes darkening while his thumb brushes gently over my bottom lip. The trivial motion injects me with a jolt of adrenaline, and I find it almost impossible to keep still beneath him. “I’m not sure I’ll ever tire of it.”
Keeping my breath from catching takes an alarming amount of self-control.
“You do technically have the right to refuse a question. Just as I technically have the right to choose another method of repayment.” Agni’s sizable hand moves almost of its own accord to wrap lightly around my throat.
“ If you were in fact hoping to refuse and still keep the captaincy you swore to your od, that is.”
His gaze unfocuses slightly while scanning down my person, and a faint blush stains my cheeks.
I begin internally ripping myself a new one for opening up the clauses to our od.
Stupid.
Fucking.
Moron.
“I do have a few ideas of my own, actually, since we're apparently making changes to the already established agreement. Although I highly doubt you’ll like them any better.” He smirks .
My eyes narrow on him, not yet sure what he’s getting at, but his attention is fixated on my pulse now thudding beneath his palm. Tilting my chin upwards with his thumb, his gaze returns to my questioning face. There’s a smugness about his wayward lips that I don’t quite understand.
“You see, the only alternative games I can think of playing—the kind that would assuage me in our little deal here—well, they all require much less clothing than this,” he explains, dropping his hand from my throat in order to tug lightly on a braid. “None at all, actually.”
My vision blotches over with spots of red while taking in his meaning.
Agni flashes me a fiendish grin.
“It’s your choice, of course, how you wish to keep the od.
I should mention, though, the second option doesn’t count unless you’re both eager and willing.
” His eyes burn brighter with the new stipulation to his game.
“So either tell me exactly what I wish to know, or you can follow me back to my quarters right now and see what little sleep you manage to get tonight.”
“ Fine .”
Shock blazes across his face for a split-second before Agni smothers it with cool amusement.
“Which one, exactly?” He asks, leering overtly above me.
Indignation eclipses all my previous caution, and I snatch the front of his crimson uniform. Pulling him closer, ice begins skittering out violently from where my fist clutches the fabric.
I briefly study his eyes as they dance with a goading sort of cockiness.
Then, donning a cloying voice to better imitate that of his admirers, I taunt him in obvious mockery. "Oh yes, please, Captain Agni. Bring me to your bed. I want you. I need you. What are you waiting for, loverboy ? Go ahead and take me—I’m begging you.”
His gaze darkens at my sarcasm-soaked words, all prior amusement extinguished by my pointed barbs. “ Vos habet nullus notio omnes vias ego vellem efficio vos imploro, ” he mutters softly from the corner of his mouth .
Releasing my icy grip on his uniform, I forcefully shove the smug bastard as hard as I possibly can, despising the ridiculous firmness of his chest. “I’ll answer your question, dumbass.”
Agni swiftly regains his balance, now a satisfying stretch away from me with a low chuckle. He casually wipes my affinity's remaining powdery dust from the front of his uniform before taking a step in my direction.
He folds his arms and looks down at me expectantly.