Page 123 of Storm of Shadows

I rest my pen down, sit back in my chair and peer out towards the landing through my open study doorway.

The girl steps out onto the landing, stretching her arms above her head and then spins her gaze around. She’s dressed in her own clothes again but her golden hair remains loose and tangled around her shoulders and more color has returned to her cheeks.

“Contemplating some more snooping, little thrall?” I say.

The little thing jolts, her hand flying to her chest, before she spots me through the doorway. She pads my way, coming to a stop by my desk.

“I was wondering where you were. It’s early, isn’t it?”

I glance towards the clock on the wall.

“5:37am.”

“Jeez,” she mutters. She glances down at the paperwork spread across my desk. “Are you working? Shit, there isn’t an assignment I don’t know about, is there?”

“No, it’s realm business.”

“Realm business,” she teases, “that sounds very important and mysterious.” She strains her eyes towards my desk and I brush everything aside.

“Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

She shakes her head. “I feel much better. Still a little sore and uncomfortable. But the worst of it is over.” She smiles at me. “I’m going to head back to my own room now. I need to be ready for class in a few hours.”

I take her hand in mine, threading my fingers through hers.

“You could stay and have breakfast here with us.”

She doesn’t shake her head immediately and I take that as progress. She’s tempted by the offer, tempted to spend more time with us.

“I’d happily eat you out for breakfast,” I offer.

She rolls her eyes, but I don’t miss the little shiver of desire. “You sound like Dray.”

“Dray may be one crazy bastard but he does get some things right.”

“I have my period, remember?” I shrug. “I’ve got to go.”

“In a moment,” I tell her, pulling her towards me and reaching up with my free hand to cup the back of her head and draw her mouth right onto mine. I kiss her, deep and long and slow, exploring her mouth with my tongue, until she’s sighing against my lips and her knees are buckling.

When I lean away, her eyes are closed and there’s even more color in her cheeks. In the half-morning light, she looks so damn pretty. I’m not sure I’ve ever truly acknowledged it before, ever really understood. And when she opens her eyes, they are so green and vivid, I have to concede; she’s probably the most beautiful woman I know.

Maybe it’s not surprising that I want her so badly.

But that won’t be today. She’s already unhooking her hand from mine and pushing away.

“I’ll see you on Friday.” She frowns. “The trial,” I clarify. The color drains from her face. “You’re worried about it?”

“You aren’t?” she scoffs.

“No, not really.” And, stupidly, it hadn’t occurred to me, or maybe I just hadn’t given it any thought that she would be. The trials are difficult even for fairly accomplished shadow weavers. Of course, they’d be damn terrifying if you were a plain old commoner. “We could–”

“It’s fine. We’ve been researching.” She straightens her shoulders and lifts her chin – the way she does when she’s being defiant. “You don’t need to worry about me.”

I nod, dragging her to me for one last kiss and then watching as she walks towards the staircase.

Of course, what she doesn’t know – what she’ll never understand – is that I will always worry about her. I will always want her safe.

Chapter Fifty-Two