Page 43 of In The Dark

Just as Ezra faces forward, my eyes narrow, darting them across the valley. Searching for anything to tell me whereRydian is, only to come up empty. A huff of frustration leaves me.

I attempt to concentrate, palming the black coin he told me to keep as it warms in my grasp. Its energy spikes.

“Try feeling my presence and then push your thoughts out,”he explains, which just annoys me even further.

I search my mind for what I felt the previous night when a tingling sensation forms between my eyes—warm and inviting, yet unfamiliar. This must be the Veil. I grasp on to the feeling, using my energy to push the thought his way.

“Your timing is admirable,”I retort, sending it out with as much sarcasm as I can muster.“I was almost caught.”

Rydian’s presence flickers with amusement, a faint echo of laughter brushing the edges of my mind. Despite myself, a smirk tugs free, having figured out how to talk in the Veil. It almost feels as if I’m talking to myself.

“Consider it as motivation to control your noises,”he says.

My teeth grind.“Where are you anyway?”

“I’m right beside you.”

A faint touch brushes against my knee, down the length of my calf, and I swat him away, making contact with what I think could be his hand. A loud smack hitting the air forces Ezra to pivot around, pinching his brows again.

“Bugs,” I explain, giving him a tight smile.“Stop doing that!”

Even though I can’t see him, Rydian can see my annoyed expression flickering across my face as I glance down. I find myself wondering if he haunts people for entertainment like a spirit of the woods.

His laughter echoes across my mind, and I realize then that he’s toying with me. The king of Aurelia has untimely humor, especially with Ren and Ezra nearby.

“Keep talking like that and I’ll start to think that you like me,”he teases.

I ignore him as I’m enjoying the ride on Bjorn, listening tothe sounds of the horses trudging down the dirt path. A few silent minutes go by when the Ashen River comes into view, a mile ahead where the road meets the water’s edge. Mountains reflect off the surface, water bright and clear, even from a distance.

“Move over,”Rydian says.

“What?”My eyes narrow, glancing down.

“Let me on your saddle. Just slow down for a second and I’ll slide in behind you,”he grumbles, though amusement coats his tone, and my eyes widen with disbelief.

“Are you joking?”I let out a breath.

“Do I sound like I’m joking?”

“I’m not sharing a horse with you—you won’t fit,”I stutter, but just as I’m about to send Bjorn into a trot, Rydian slides in behind me.

Bjorn shuffles at the weight a little, then continues walking, as if nothing happened. A gasp threatens to escape me when Rydian slaps his hand over my mouth, silencing me in seconds.

“Are you this noisy with lovers?” he whispers low in my ear, leaving me to think about that night at the brothel.

Despite myself, blood pounds in my ears, coating my face a deep shade of red as desire shoots through my veins. He slowly releases my mouth from his hold.

“You’re going to get us caught,” I whisper, but he quietly chuckles, the sound low and devious. The Ashen River fills the air—rushing water wild against the current. The same river that runs through the Twin Valley.

“The only thing that’ll get us caught is your breathing. You’re incredibly loud,” he mutters, certainly too low for Ezra to hear now that the river fills the air.

Rydian is huge—too large to be sharing a saddle—and has squashed me forward, pushing my legs wider in a way that’s pressing against a certain body part of mine. I’m too afraid tolean into him, feeling the hardness of his chest behind me as I sit perfectly between his legs.

My face flushes at his hands resting on my hips. Even though I can’t see him, I can definitely feel him, sending shivers of need across my legs. The sound of him sniffing the air behind me has me stifling a groan.

“Are you… aroused?” he asks as if he’s shocked.

“No. Stop it. You’re distracting me,” I frantically whisper, trying to hide what seems to be my body’s betrayal, yet here I am, practically panting. My lip pulls between my teeth to refrain from saying anything else when he shifts behind me.