Page 64 of In The Dark
His face glows as shadows dance across, giving him a regal, dark look in a way that highlights the auburn tint to the unruly strands. I hand him his glass, taking a sip from my own.
“Iampracticing. You know that. My hands are just cold.”
“That’s not it. You just need to focus. You almost took my face off in front of Bess, remember? You had no trouble focusing then.” He smirks.
“Because you were being an ass.” I set my glass down as he lets out a quiet, amused chuckle.
“Have you tried talking in the Veil without the coin?”
I glare. “Do you think I wanted you to pester me for those two weeks? If I could respond, I would have.”
“You can do it,” he says smugly, then rises to face me, inches apart. He sets his glass down next to mine. “When you want to talk in the Veil, you focus on the tether connecting you to the person you want to reach. Like for you, you feel… warm and sharp. You’re like the crackle of a fire, yet you carry the rich scent of a black orchid.” He stares down at me, and the intensity of it makes my stomach twist. He slowly lifts his hand, moving a stray hair out of my face to press a finger to the center of my forehead, right between my eyes. “Now, what do I feel like?”
“I…” My voice falters. I’m suddenly aware of how close he is, unable to help the breath catching in my throat. “I don’t know.”
“Focus. What do I feel like?” His tone is dark with challenge.“Talk to me,”he whispers in the Veil.
I narrow my eyes and then quickly close them, drawing in a deep breath and trying not to focus on the way his scent fills my nostrils. I reach out, not with my voice but with my mind, focusing on him as my eyes begin to warm where his finger was. Then I feel him at the forefront of my mind as if waiting for me.
His presence feels cool and heavy, like the pressing of shadows—heavy like condensed fog. There’s a crackle of energy to him, almost like static in the air right before a storm. Restrained power, yet his scent is earthy. A deep, smoky richness with hints of amber—oakmoss.
My eyes open only to find him hovering above me, already smirking. I’m certain he feels it too.
“You’re standing too close.”I smirk, pushing the thought out. I take a step back, but he chuckles and sits back down, whiskey in hand.
“See? Focus on that, and you don’t have to listen to me pester you all the time. Now you can reply,” he quips. “That should be fun.”
I finally sit with an exhale, pulling at the end of my braid, and begin to untie my boots. My hair spills over my shoulder, and I realize that my tunic sits a little low. I forgot I wore one of my green low-cut tops. The kind that hangs off my shoulders, exposing the soft skin underneath.
I glance up to find Rydian’s heated gaze peering down at me. My eyes flick to his mouth almost instinctively, and I smirk, knowing he was unintentionally given a show of my breasts.
“Now that you’re in the castle, what’s next?” I ask.
He breaks his stare to look at the blazing fire and leans into the settee, crossing a leg over his knee before answering. “I think I’ll walk through the castle in the Veil tonight. I need toget a layout of everything. I won’t be able to Veil in or out if I haven’t been in one of the chambers. It might take me a couple of hours but it’s best if I do it tonight rather than risk getting caught during the day.”
He glances at me, my feet casually resting on the small table in front of us. I lean back, clasping my hands together. “Do you need me to go with you?”
“No need. You’ve already taken off your boots. I’ll be quiet,” he says.
“Okay, I guess I’ll wait for your return. Be careful though. I caught Ren lurking in the halls last night. I can’t imagine you’ll be Veiling back to the brothel?” I ask with a raised brow, throwing back the last of my whiskey.
“If you don’t mind,” he replies warily, assuming he thinks I’ll kick him out. “After being Veiled for so long I won’t have the energy to go back tonight. I’ll need to rest here. What was Ren doing?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. I’m pretty sure he was stealing sweets from the kitchens.” I all but snort, choosing to leave out that he caught me. “He was appointed captain when we got back from Sylvanor.”
Rydian’s eyes narrow. “Have you had a captain before?”
“No. We’ve always just had our training masters. For some reason, King Elion promoted him because he follows orders, but Ezra told me it’s most likely due to him being ruthless. Capable of taking out anyone who’s a threat to any of the missions.”
He watches the flames. “I’ll keep an eye out. Thanks for the warning.”
I nod, standing in silence as I make my way to the bathing chamber, already aware that he’s watching me.
“See you in a couple of hours,” I call out, not waiting for a response.
He growls just as I shut the door with my foot, a smilealready on my face. My chamber door clicks shut shortly after, making me aware of his departure.
I exit the bathing chamber after an hour of soaking and scrubbing, cherishing every ounce of warmth. Even though the fireplace does an exquisite job of heating my chambers, it still has a nasty chill that emanates from the stone walls. I often obtain multiple quilts when winter hits in order to stay warm well into the night.