Page 44 of In The Dark
He chuckles.“Are you that depraved?”
Yes, I want to say but keep the thought to myself. In need of a distraction, my mind frantically drifts to the memories he shared with me last night—the former king of Aurelia being my father.
“How did you know my father?”I ask quickly, suddenly thankful for the sounds of the mountain water in the distance. I’m also itching to learn more about the former king across the continent I never knew.
“I was taken in at a young age by King Malvain, your grandfather. My father was his second-in-command when he…”He trails off, sighing.“Let’s just say something happened, and King Malvain felt an obligation to take me in. I was raised alongside Andre when I was only eleven. I became your father’s second-in-command shortly after he took the throne.”
“Oh,”I say.“How old are you?”
“Has anyone ever told you that it’s rude to ask a Fae that?”he asks, and I can almost sense his teasing grin.“I’m 229.”
“So you’re old.”
“I’m not old.”He chuckles, low and throaty. A grin of my own tugs at the corners of my mouth.“In human years, I would be somewhere between twenty-eight and thirty. As you know, the average lifespan of the Fae is around 750 years old.”
Knowing that I’m Shadovar, I realize that I’ll be aging just as slowly. Having previously thought I was a halfling, I already came to terms that I had a much shorter life span by more than half.
Still long, just not almost a millennium long.
Ezra and Ren are spread a little more than hundred feet ahead of me in a single file line, making it almost impossible for them to hear at this distance. Even though Fae have heightened hearing, the stream we’re riding beside makes it more difficult to hone in on.
Rydian brushes my braid off my shoulder, catching a few damp strands between his fingers as if inspecting them. Fingers lightly graze my neck where my birthmark sits.
I stiffen. Perhaps he didn’t see the auburn birthmark that blends within my dark strands. Though I know it shouldn’t matter, I’m so used to hiding it for fear of King Elion that it frightens me to think anyone besides Ezra might know it’s there.
Then my skin heats as I realize how his fingers linger on my skin, and before I can think, I nervously shift my hips—rubbing against him.Gods, why did I do that?
We both freeze, breaths halting in our throats as we become aware of how little space sits between us. All sense of teasing is tossed aside, and for a moment, neither of us says a word as we ride further along the path.
The brothel suddenly pushes its way to the front of my mind despite my best effort. I may not fully trust him yet, but I find myself drawn to him, similarly to how shadows chase the light.
I can’t see him, but I pivot as if I could. His breath grazes my temple, lips hovering near the side of my face. At this point, I really wish I could view his expression.
“Are you thinking about the brothel?”He grumbles the thought, then takes a deep breath, his chest sharply rising against my back as if at war with himself.
Heat sears my face because I am thinking about it—about how I planned on going back. To explore the feel of him…
“Are you?”I ask breathlessly, facing forward and ignoring the filthy thought that just plagued me.
“Do you want the answer to that?”he asks, moving his hand so that it rests on my hip again, awfully close to the edge of my pants.“You know, I never got to thank you…”
“For what?”My lips part, sucking in a sharp breath.
His fingers graze the rim of my pants, not fully touching me but almost… teasing. As if he’s letting me know where his own thoughts currently linger. The same as mine, apparently.
“For not running… for trusting me.”
“I don’t trust you.”
He hums, words slow and delicate.“Maybe not yet… but I’d still like to thank you.”
His fingers brush my bare hip, leaving me panting as I know just how he plans on thanking me. I shouldn’t want it, but I find myself eager to have his skin on mine, despite knowing that Ezra and Ren ride only a hundred feet ahead. The thought might be a little insane, but there’s a sudden thrill in trying not to get caught.
“Would you like me to show you how grateful I am?”Rydian asks, my breath catching.
“It wouldn’t mean anything,”I say to him but mostly to myself because it wouldn’t. It would be no different than going to a brothel. No emotions, just… pleasure. That’s all it is.
“Of course not…”He trails off, leaning forward just as I feel the heat of him seeping into my cloak.“This is just me showing you my gratitude.”His fingers ghost the edge of my pant line—a question—leaving me to focus on remaining quiet as I bite my lip, my blood heating in anticipation.