Page 47 of Fall of Ruin and Wrath

“That I didn’t care if he snapped your neck. I know what I said,” he interrupted.Again.“And I didn’t care about what he claimed, because I knew I would not allow that.”

“How was I supposed to know that?” I exclaimed.

“Well, you gave me aid last night. What would that make me if I allowed you to become hurt? Oh, I know. A bastard.”

My eyes narrowed.

“And because I’m a Deminyen,” he said, as if that meant anything. “And we are your protectors.” There was another pause. “Mostly.”

I squelched the laugh threatening to escape. Yes.Mostly.“Muriel was going to harm me. He was— ”

“Muriel was an idiot.”

Irritation loosened my tongue, but I caught myself, snapping my mouth shut. This was a Hyhborn lord I was speaking to and he wasn’t injured now.

His head tilted again. “You were going to say something?”

“No, I— ”

“Yes, you were.”

“Oh, my gods,” I snapped. “I was going to ask you to stop interrupting me; however, that would be impossible because you keep doing it, so I’m trying to be respectful.”

“Unlike . . . ?” Those fingers still danced at the air. “Unlike me?”

“You know? I think I liked you better when you didn’t have the energy to speak.”

“So, you liked me?”

“That’s not what I said.”

“That’s exactly what you said.”

“For fuck’s sake,” I hissed. “That wasn’t what I meant.”

The Lord laughed— and the sound was deep and . . . and nice. Unexpected. He hadn’t laughed like that last night. “Did you know thatna’laahas another use? For one who is . . . outspoken?”

Stubborn? Outspoken? “I think I prefer the ‘brave’ meaning.”

“There is a fourth meaning,” the Lord added.

“This word of yours has a lot of meanings,” I muttered.

“Many,” he murmured. “But the fourth is also used to describe someone who is ungrateful. That is also rather fitting, don’t you think? I saved your life, and yet, you find me impolite.”

I gaped at him.

“And I also sat here and waited until you woke up, just to make sure you were okay. Watching over you. Even let you use my body as a pillow.” There it was again— the hint of the teasing smile I couldn’t see but heard in his voice. “I think that was quite polite of me, especially since I didn’t get to use your body as one last night.”

“I clearly recall you asking for my help last night,” I shot back. “Meanwhile, I didn’t ask you to do any of those things.”

“You would’ve helped even if I hadn’t asked,” he said, and I pressed my lips together. “Just as I did without you asking, even though I do have far more important things to attend to.”

Anger hit my blood in a hot rush, loosening thatmouth.“If you have far more important things to do, no one is stopping you. Your presence is not needed nor welcomed,my lord.”

Those fingers stilled in the space above his knee as he shifted a little bit farther into the stream of moonlight. His mouth, the curve of his jaw, and his nose became more visible. His smile was wolfish.

My stomach hollowed as I became very still. There was a good chance I’d overstepped myself.